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“Are you sure Carson wants his little brother hanging around? It might put a damper on things.”
I rolled my eyes as I took the turn onto my street. “Be serious.”
Ethan grinned and his gray eyes danced with laughter. “What? I am. I saw the way he was looking at you. I’d have to be blind not to. If there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that Carson wants you at his party, and he wants you alone.” Ethan made an obnoxious kissing face, complete with sound effects.
I reached over and punched him in the arm. “Ew. Shut up.”
Ethan laughed. “Just don’t say I didn’t warn ya.”
Chapter 16
CARSON
Icircledthroughthefoyer to the living room. Music pumped through Dad’s prized surround sound system, amongst the chatter and laughter of at least two dozen of my classmates and friends. I acknowledged several of them with a head nod, then checked the kitchen and den for the millionth time. Still no sign of Penelope. Or Ethan, for that matter. I’d checked his room before anyone showed up and was disgruntled to find it empty, because if Ethan was out, it meant he was out withher. Which also meant she may not show.
In all the times I’d thrown parties when Mom and Dad went away for a long weekend, my brother had not once stepped foot downstairs, even if it meant holing up in his room for the night watching endless reruns of those stupid comedies he loved so much. I certainly didn’t expect anything to change now. Which was fine. Ethan and I had a decent relationship, but we weren’t “best friends” close. He already had one of those, and apparently, once you had one as amazing as Mia, there wasn’t room for another, even if it was your own flesh and blood.
I nodded to Jeremiah and Greg, who’d just arrived and were currently prepping for a game of beer pong at the kitchen table when I decided to stop pacing and returned to the kitchen where I mixed together my special cocktail of jungle juice in a large jug, then set out some snacks, soft drinks, and paper cups when I heard the doorbell, followed by the sound of the door closing.
With a smile, I snaked my way past the growing crowd of classmates and friends congregating in the living room and glanced around when XX passed by me. I grabbed his arm to stop him. “Hey, did you see who just came in?”
“Uh, Olivia and Tasha, maybe?” He motioned to where they stood by the huge sectional.
“Right.” I nodded, disappointment sinking in my gut like a rock at the same time Olivia turned and looked straight at me. Jerking my gaze away from her, I spun on my heel and headed for the stairs, praying she didn’t follow. The last thing I wanted was to get cornered for the next hour.
I headed to my room in search of privacy and sank down onto the edge of my bed. The thumping bass from the music below reverberated through the floor as I slid my phone from my pocket, mustered my pride, and dialed Ethan. When he answered, I wasted no time as I asked, “Hey, is Mia with you?”
“Well, hey, bro. I’m good. How are you?”
I rolled my eyes. “Sorry. What’s up?”
“Not much. Mia and I just had a killer pie at Luigi’s.”
That’swhat they were doing? Eating pizza?
“Um, that’s cool, but I thought Mia was coming to my party.”
A moment of tense silence passed before he responded. I could practically hear his wheels turning before he answered with, “Why do you want her to come so bad, after all this time? You never invited her to a party before?”
In the background, I heard Mia yell, “Ethan!” and my heart clenched at the sound.
“Better late than never?” I said, because if I was going to confess my intentions to anyone, it sure as hell wasn’t going to be him. And he knew damn well that had I invited Mia before now, she never would’ve come.
Ethan murmured a noncommittal sound in response that left me gritting my teeth. Why was he being so difficult?
I raked a hand through my hair, trying to keep the impatience from my voice when I asked, “Well . . .?”
“I guess we’ll see. We’re still trying to figure out our night,” he said, and for the first time, maybe ever, I wanted to punch him.Ournight. Like they were a couple or something.
My stomach roiled at the thought.
“Okay. Whatever, man. I have to get back to it,” I said, then I lowered my phone and hung up with a curse.
A loud crash came from somewhere below, so I stood with a groan and made my way back downstairs, where I found Jeremiah picking himself up off the floor in front of the dining room table.
“Dude tried to do a backflip,” he said.
I arched a brow. “Maybe lay off the juice, and no more gymnastics in the house, yeah?” With a shake of the head, I turned and made my way into the kitchen, grabbed a Sprite, popped it open, and emptied it into a cup, then found my way back into the living room to mingle. Part of the deal with throwing these parties was that I remain stone cold sober so I could play designated driver if needed. And based on the way Jeremiah was chugging whatever was in the flask he brought, I’d be running his ass home before the night was through.
