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Logan’s arm goes around my shoulder, and he gestures to River to come in closer. He hugs both of us, and we lean in to hear him over the surrounding cacophony.

“I know I don’t have to say this, but I’ll say it anyway. Don’t accept a drink from anyone but me. I’ll get it for you. Pay attention to your surroundings. I’m not letting you out of my sight, Skye. River, if you decide to walk around, let me know. You have your phone on you, right?”

“Yes, Dad.”

River’s response is sarcastic, but I can see gratitude in her face. She pats her phone, stuck inside her skirt. We have the same outfit, but in different colors. Mine is blue and River’s bright pink. Logan suggested we leave our pocketbooks and jackets in the car. It would be a pain holding them all night, and if we left them anywhere here, odds are we would not find them again. I know it to be true from experience. Lost a favorite jacket freshman year this way.

Someone bumps into me, pushing me into Logan.

“Sorry,” the guy apologizes.

“Oh, dude, you got two of them. Wanna share one with me? I’ll take the brunette.”

He’s clearly drunk and not too steady on his feet. Logan’s body goes rigid next to mine. I squeeze his arm to let him know it’s okay. The last thing we need is to get into a fight five minutes into this party. Before Logan can say anything, River steps up to the guy and puts her hand on his shoulder. She leans closer to him and whispers something in his ear.

The guy is all smiles when he walks away.

The confusion on Logan’s face is a reflection of mine.

“What did you do?” I ask.

“I told him to get us a couple of beers and to go wait for me in the bathroom on the third floor. Hide in the bathtub, and I would be up in ten minutes.”

“What the fuck!”

Logan takes the words right out of my mouth.

“River!” I say.

River gives him a dirty look.

“I have no intention of going up there, but he’ll get the beers, go wait for me, get bored, drink them, and pass out in that bathtub. And tomorrow, if he remembers anything, he’ll think it was a dream. Meanwhile, he’s not bugging anyone else.”

She points at Logan.

“And Mr. Handcuffs didn’t have to badge up.”

River turns and walk around the house to the backyard.

Logan looks at me and says, “How did your parents survive her?”

“I heard that!” she calls out.

Logan gets us drinks,beer for him and River and a soda for me. I still don’t like the bitter taste of beer. There are quite a few people I know here, and every time one of my male friends gets closer to say something, Logan’s arm tightens around me. River stays near us, talking to her friends. Until Becca shows up.

“I’m going to hang out with Becca.”

“Okay, be careful.”

I don’t understand her friendship with Becca. It seems so one-sided for me. Becca has let River down more times than I can remember, but River says Becca needs her friendship. She doesn’t really share what Becca’s deal is, but I get the feeling she has a lot of skeletons in her closet.

We’ve been around for a couple of hours, hanging out, talking, people watching, and making out a little when River comes back to where we’re sitting by the fire pit. Logan is on a lawn chair, and I’m on his lap.

He’s finally relaxed, and it has nothing to do with drinking. He had just the one beer when we got here and switched to water after. I think it’s me sitting on his lap. The possessive way his hands are on my back and thigh are sending the message that I’m taken, which puts him at ease. No guys are looking at me with interest. Logan’s intense glaring at a couple of guys before made them get up and leave. It’s mostly couples around the fire.

River comes around the circle of people and kneels on the grass next to us.

“Skye, I need to talk to you.”