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“Maybe we didn’t notice because you’re not important.”
She looks up again with wide eyes as Nick inches on me.
“You wanna say that again, hotshot?”One good punch.
“This is my frat. And I won’t condone whatever energy you’re bringing into it, concerning Leia.”
I see her shaking her head frantically in my peripheral, but I couldn’t give a fuck.
“What’s between me and my girlfriend is between me and my girlfriend.” My jaw hardens at the word ‘girlfriend.’
“And yet, it’s between me too. I’m her friend, and you should be careful of the shit you say to her in front of me.”Be very careful.
“Why do you even care, dude?”
It takes me a minute to realize we’re talking loud enough for the music to calm down and everyone to look at us.Not here. Not fucking here.But shit if it doesn’t bother me seeing him talk to her like that.
“Look, just take your fucking Xanax and stop being an ass.” Suddenly, she bolts away, avoiding eye contact. We have another standoff before he finally gets the idea, looks around at everyone staring, walks off, and drinks from his beer bottle. And then it hits me. She ran away from me. Again.
LEIA
Come on, Leia. Don’t fucking cry...
Please do not cry. Neither of them are worth it. You’re a strong girl, you can handle two guys who for some odd reason felt the need to have a pissing contest in the middle of a frat party.
Easier said than done, conscience. I should be so happy that this is happening, given the fact that it was easier to just accept a malicious fact anyway: I am good enough for myself. Self-love, right? That’s all that matters, and that’s all I should care about. So why does it matter what freaking Jake Larson thinks?
Jake Larson. What a crazy guy. Aconfusingguy. I’ve only known him for a summer, and I’m already gathering that he runs hot and cold. I thought our tryst last summer was just summer fun. But here he is speaking to me. Voluntarily.Stop thinking, Leia. Someone’s going to find you here.
“Okay, shut up.” I look up at myself in the mirror of the bathroom, and I see my mascara rounding my eyes. I look like a pitiful raccoon. Suddenly the door to the bathroom opens, and my heart stops.
“Leia?” The deep voice has me raising my eyes to meet Jake’s. I clear my throat and wipe my eyes to get rid of the stains around my eyes, but to no avail.
“Sorry, I was just fixing myself up.” I avoid his eyes, but that’s a terrible idea. Because now my eyes are focused on his arms. His large, muscular biceps. I look down at the sink and just settle my eyes there.
“Are you crying, doll?” His voice reeks of pity.
“What? No, I was just...wiping my eyes because I’m tired.” He looks at me as stupidly as I feel. I agree, that was a silly excuse. “Look, Larson...”
“Leia, I’m sorry for what happened out there. It was inappropriate.”
“Yeah, it was,” I agree. “It was a bit humiliating.”
“It just...felt weird, watching him talk to you like that.”
“Like what? He was right. You were basically undressing me with your eyes, and I wasn’t really making things better by encouraging it.” I really wasn’t. His growing smile should make me mad. But instead, it’s warmth I feel.
“Leia, I wasn’t undressing you with my eyes. Though I’m sure you’d look great in such a manner—” My eyes shoot back up to his, and he flinches. “Sorry. Inappropriate. I just really wanted to see you tonight. And you were gorgeous.Aregorgeous.”
The charming bastard. “I’m glad you thought so, Larson. But, ah...maybe we shouldn’t talk to each other when Nick’s around? It seems to make him uncomfortable.”
This makes him roll his eyes.I know, Jake. I know.
He lets out a sigh before finally responding. “Is that whatyouwant?”
“It doesn’t matter what I want anymore. Nick’s my boyfriend—”
“A lousy one, at that,” he mumbles under his breath.
