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“Actually, can I come with you?”
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
PENELOPE
“There is an insanely cute guy checking you out!” Jade says cheerily, nudging me with her elbow. “You should totally go and talk to him.”
Jade’s comment snaps me out of my thoughts. I let my lip pop as I try to focus on here and now.Guys.She was talking about guys.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
After the last fiasco, when it came to flirting with somebody, I was in no rush to repeat that experience.
Liar,a little voice chimes from the back of my head, but I shove it back, not in the mood to deal with it.
“Jade’s right,” Grace agrees readily. “He’s totally checking you out. You should go for it. He seems nice.”
But that’s the problem, I didn’t really want nice.
No, I wanted tingles running down my spine and butterflies in my stomach the moment I could feel his presence around me. I wanted to feel the heat burning inside of me simply from the way he looked at me.
Stop it! You’re not thirteen any longer.
“Fine. Where is he?” I ask, my fingers clasping around the cane in my hand.
Although I wanted to bring Henry, I knew it wasn’t the best idea considering the space. The house full of drunk college kids wasn’t the best place for a guide dog. The last thing they’ll consider is being mindful of their surroundings. I didn’t want to risk Henry being injured because of my selfishness, so cane it is.
“He’s standing on the terrace, right beside the drink table.” Fingers wrap around mine, and the cup I’ve been holding is pulled out of my grasp. “And look, you need a drink.”
My mouth falls open as the cup is placed back in my hand, visibly lighter than it was only moments earlier. “Did you just finish my drink?”
“I did!” Grace chuckles. “You can’t go there to refill your drink if you have a full cup. Now, can you?”
“I thought I was going to talk to the guy,” I point out.
“No, silly. You’re going to grab a drink, but if he decides to come and talk to you, you can’t really brush the guy off, right?”
No, I guess I couldn’t.
“How will I know I have the right guy?”
“We’ll keep an eye on you and come intervene if you need it,” Jade promises.
I nod my head, my clammy fingers tightening around the cane. “Okay, I guess.”
I listen to Jade’s instructions but barely make it two steps before bumping into somebody.
Why did I think this was a good idea again? It seemed like such a mundane college experience, but now I was questioning my sanity when I added ‘going to a party’ to my bucket list. How did people find this enjoyable? Then again, I was much more sober than the rest of the crowd, so what the hell did I know?
Squeezing between people the best I can, I move across the room, or at least I hope I am when I feel the cold breeze blow through the window. Sucking in a deep breath, I step outside. Thankfully there are fewer people here, so it’s easier to move. I slide my cane over the floor until I feel it bump into something. Extending my hand, I tentatively reach forward, my fingers finding cool glass.
Bingo.
Now only to figure out what it is—
“Hey.”
I jump slightly at the sound of an unfamiliar voice and turn around to face the person. “H-Hi,” I stutter, my heart racing a mile a minute.
