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“Christina.” A deep voice pierced the haze. “It’s 11:30. Time to go.”
An upside-down face hovered above mine. In slow motion, Patrick’s blue eyes took in Marcus and Amelia twined together like a human octopus, then his ex-girlfriend cuddled up next to me.
“Oh, yay,” I sighed happily. “It’s time to go. And here I am, just lying on this blanket. What are you going to do about it?”
“Hi, Patrick!” Jess exclaimed. “Your girlfriend is so nice.”
Patrick did a distinct face-palm. “You,” he said to me, shaking his head.
“Yep! Me,” I agreed.
He knelt down. Jess began chatting with Amelia, but Marcus cut us a sharp, calculating glance.
He knows.
“We talked about this, Christina,” Patrick said softly. “I said if you’re wasted…”
“I’m not wasted!” I reached up to tickle his chin. “Who’s ticklish? Ooh, you are, I know you are. Come on, have some fun with us.”
“Jesus Christ,” he muttered, but he was smiling.
“What, no fun? You can’t have fun? You’re just gonna brood and stand in the corner with your arms folded and glare at everyone? Awww, look how cute you are when you smile like that. You’re so handsome upside down.”
Jess broke into laughter. “He broods? Since when do you brood?” she asked Patrick.
“Hey, man.” Marcus was holding out another cigarette. “Come on and join us.”
“Oh, what the hell.” Patrick sat down behind me.
The burning ember of his cigarette crossed the other sparks against the velvet sky. His lap was the nicest pillow for my head. As he lazily stroked my collarbones, I heard him chatting with Marcus and Amelia like they’d known each other for years. I shared the rest of my cig with Jess and asked for another.
The main act was starting. The music was deeper, the drums and bass resonating through the ground.
Patrick’s hand rested on my stomach, rubbing lightly. Unthinking, I arched my back, and fingers brushed my breast. When I made a soft sound, he answered with a chuckle and a deliberate caress. God help me, I wanted more.
I can’t believe he’s doing this.The thought spread through my head, warm, as he teased the underside of my breast.Touching me in public like this, and I’m asking him to.His ex was lying next to me, my dealer and my roommate were two feet away. Patrick’s movements were too subtle for anyone to notice, right? They’d just see his hand on my stomach. Even when he grazed my nipple, it all felt too good, too right, for any part of it to be wrong.
When I shot a glance at Marcus with Amelia on his lap, he was watching us with a half-smile. He winked at me.
Something was happening near us. An argument, interfering with the happy calm that drifted through my body. A girl’s voice, pleading, and a guy’s voice, disagreeing. Both voices were familiar. I knew them. I knew them so well. I turned my heavy head to the side and saw a blonde-streaked girl, beautiful, and a dark-haired guy, angry. Sydney reached for Dexter, and he stepped back. She stalked off, weaving through the blankets.
“Patrick?” I reached for his hand.
“What is it, babe?” He smiled down at me.
“Dexter and Sydney were arguing. I don’t know why.” I pushed myself to a sitting position. “Maybe I should talk to them.”
He took my face in his hands. “Maybe you should save it for later.”
“Why? Because I’m a teeny, tiny bit buzzed? Because one of them’s a lizard and the other one might not even be my ‘friend’ anymore?”
“Because it’s our time.”
“Oh. Yeah. It is,” I giggled. “I’m all yours.”Until the morning. Until graduation. Make it longer, Patrick.“So what do you want to do with me?”
“Up.” The command reverberated through my body.
I stood, smoothing my clothes, excitement heavy and hot between my legs. I let him wrap a firm hand around mine. We said our goodbyes to Marcus and Amelia, who were twined together.
