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She sighed. “You think we could go out sometime?”
No.I didn’t want to go out with her, or anyone else, I wanted to find out where Josie was—
The top of King’s LSU baseball hat maneuvered its way through the crowd. He turned and glanced down behind him, and I saw the top of Josie’s head bouncing up from between the bodies as they walked through.
My fingers clutched around my drink, crushing the sides until the liquid poured out over the top of my hand.
“Oh!” Waverly yelped, jumping back to miss the amber liquid catching her shoes. “You’re spilling that,” she said, carefully taking the cup from my hand.
King held Josie’s hand as he led her toward the kitchen and poured her a drink. She looked ... happy. Her smile was wider than I ever remembered it before. Deep down I knew I’d been responsible for her frowns, and I hated myself for it because I wanted her to smile at me.
“Okay,” Waverly said. “I can tell you’re not in the mood to talk.” She stormed off into the mist of people.
Josie laughed at something King said, a blush traveled up her neck and rested against her cheeks. He couldn’t be that funny. I stepped toward them, not knowing what I would do when I got there, but someone’s palm gripped my shoulder.
Jordan gave me an easy grin. “You're not drinking?” he asked, chugging half his cup.
I sighed. “Coach is going to know you drank at practice in the morning, and you’ll have to run drills.”
Jordan brushed me off, nodding his head at some girl who gave him a finger wave. Unable to stop myself, my eyes traveled over toward them again. King pulled Josie by her arm toward the dance floor, and she giggled and tried to run the other way.
A growl that I didn’t recognize slipped from my mouth, and before I knew it, I’d taken off after them. King turned her around, her hand above her head, and pulled her close to him.
Josie bit her bottom lip, a slither of her belly showed when she finally loosened up and raised her other arm above her head—
"Yo,” Jordan said, swinging me around. The look on his face told me he knew my plan. “Don’t do it, Booker,” he whispered, arm tight on my shoulder.
I shoved him off, turning again, but this time he pulled me back harder and stood in front of me. The people around us formed a small circle, not enough to stop the party, but enough to catch some attention.
“Don’t,” he warned.
The loud music blasting my eardrums, the sway of people, and the overwhelming sense of confusion hit me hard. I felt vomit climb my throat. The dim lighting, the laughs, and the loud sound of the bass doubled me over. I braced my palms against my knees and tried to control my breathing.
Jordan placed his hand on my shoulder as I squeezed my eyes tight. When I felt calm enough to make a run for it, I stood and made eye contact with Jordan. Josie’s eyes caught mine from over his shoulder.
I didn’t want her to see me vulnerable. Hiding this part of me was part of my survival as an alpha male in high school, and it wouldn’t change now.
Josie swayed lightly on her feet, King’s jaw locked and his eyes narrowed my way behind her. I wanted to knock his lights out but I knew there was no reason for it.
I didn’t have the right.
And I wanted—needed—that right. I just didn’t know how to change it, but I would.
I’d change myself, change the way she looked at me, and ...maybe, I’d get to have what the man I’d grown into wanted, not the little boy, and that was Josie Lee.
Chapter Seven
Josie
King dropped me off at my apartment and left a lingering kiss against my cheek. I was thankful for the streetlight that’d burned out above us to hide the blush it left against my skin.
The only kiss I’d ever had with a boy was in sixth grade, and it was for a gifted and talented play. In other words, no guy ever bothered giving me one that mattered. I prayed, even though King was a gentleman the entire night, that we could branch out on a limb and he might be my first.
He left me with a promise to take me out again over the weekend and watched until I made it into the apartment. The quiet sent goosebumps against my skin as I gave my eyes time to adjust to the darkness.
Jordan’s room looked empty as I passed by toward the hallway. My foot snagged on something and I stumbled toward the carpeted floor with a heavy thud. “Oh!”
A pair of cleats sat in the middle of the living room, the spike on the bottom dug into my ankle on the way down.
