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JADE
“Damn girl, you’re on a roll tonight!” Marcus grins at me as I down another shot of tequila. I’d been on a roll even before we got to the party, and I wasn’t planning to stop anytime soon.
The warm liquid slides down my throat with ease, warming my belly. I’ve drank so much; I’ve lost count, and, at this point, I’m so numb I don’t even flinch at the mix of the bitter and sour taste on my tongue.
“You wanted to party, so we’re partying.”
Clinking my shot glass with his, I place it on the counter with more force than necessary. The impact makes the world sway a little bit. I grip the counter and close my eyes for a moment before blinking them open, but it’s no use.
Maybe it’s not the world that’s shaking; maybe it’s me.
Hands fall on my shoulders, their reassuring weight steadying me. “Hey, are you okay?”
“Sure.” I look up, only to find two Marcuses looking at me, matching worried expressions on their faces. “I’m great.”
“You sure?” he lifts his brows, assessing me. “You seem a bit unsteady on your feet.”
I wave him off. “The world’s moving.”
“Is it now?” he chuckles.
I glare at him. “Don’t tease.” I grab his hand and tug him toward the door. “Let’s go dancing.”
Marcus doesn’t move an inch. “Are you sure you can dance?”
“Positive.” I give him another tug. “C’mon, we’re partying.”
He runs his palm over his face. “Okay, let’s go.”
Together, we move through the throng. My hips are swaying to the hard beat of the music pulsing through the house as we join the group of people dancing in the living room. When I find an empty spot, I turn around, only to collide with Marcus’s hard chest.
He grips my shoulders and pushes me at arm’s length. “You planning to knock me over?”
“Sorry, didn’t realize you werethatclose.” I wrap my arms around his neck as we start to dance. “Hopefully, James won’t mind.”
James is Marcus’s boyfriend. They were both on Blairwood’s track team and started dating last spring. I have to admit, at first, I was surprised. Not because Marcus is dating a guy, love is love, after all, but the only people I’ve ever seen him flirting with since orientation were girls, so I was surprised when he brought James to one of our gatherings. They were a cute couple, though. I could totally see why he was into him.
“He’ll be thankful you brought me here,” Marcus laughs. “He isn’t one for parties.”
“Good thing I’m here then.” I winked at him, or at least IthinkI winked at him. Just then, the song changes to one of my favorites. It must be somebody else’s favorite, too, because the volume increases to an ear-piercing level, but I don’t care. Instead, I raise one hand in the air as Marcus and I dance.
I let the music take over. The only important thing is getting lost in the beat that’s loud enough to dull the demons yelling in my head.
Not tonight.
I’m not sure how long we dance; it could be minutes, or it could be hours. My cheeks are flushed from the heat. Sweat trickles down my spine as the songs blend together.
Slowly rolling my hips, I turn around and blink my eyes open to come face to face with a guy. He watches me dance unashamedly, a Solo cup clasped in his hands. He’s handsome—a few inches taller than me, his dark hair disheveled like he ran his fingers through it. A guy next to him says something that makes the corner of his mouth lift.
Yup, definitely handsome.
Marcus leans over my shoulder, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. “James just texted. He’s outside. Want us to walk you home?”
I shake my head, my eyes still on the guy across the room. “Nah, you go.”
He turns around to check out who I’m watching. “You sure? I don’t want to leave you here all on your own.”
“I’m not alone.” I tilt my head to the side. “I’ll have company.”
