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“Not drinking tonight?” Simon asks me, following behind.

“Just taking it slow,” I lie. There is no way in hell I’m letting my guard down here.

“Hmm,” he murmurs, watching two drunk girls come into the room as he takes a long sip of his drink. One winks at him, gaining his attention. He must do the math in his head and realize his chances are higher of getting laid with one of them, so he bails on me.

I attempt to find Aspen, calling out her name as I try to retrace her steps. When I finally find her, she steps out of the bathroom with Damian, rubbing her nose where there’s a trace of white powder on it.

“What the fuck did you just do?” I ask her, gripping her upper arm and pulling her toward me.

Her eyes flicker with guilt, but when Damian tugs her back against his chest, she doesn’t fight him.

“Lu—”

“Leave her alone, Lu.” Damian scowls.

One thing about me—I’m calm. I’m chill. I’m upbeat.

Until…

I lose my temper.

He doesn’t see the punch coming, not until his nose cracks and blood pours from him.

“Lu!” Aspen screams, bending to her knees to try to help him stop the blood flow.

“We are leaving… now!” I tell her, trying to lift her.

But she fights me.

I pull out my phone and send Hayden a quick message, telling him I need him and where we are.

Aspen is too busy trying to help Damian to notice.

Hayden

Be there in five. Don’t move.

Relief fills me. I’ve never tried any drugs, and as far as I know, Aspen hasn’t either. Yeah, she drinks a lot more than me, but because my parents are alcoholics, it doesn’t appeal to me as much as it might to others our age.

“Come on, Aspen, we’re going home.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she replies, standing back up with Damian. “I’m going to stay here tonight.”

I still. “We come together, we leave together.”

Her brow furrows, and her voice softens. “Not this time, Lu.”

When Hayden storms in, he’s not alone. No, he’s got a blonde on his arm, and it’s clear what I’d interrupted. He has lipstick on his neck, and the top button of his jeans is undone.

My chest suddenly hurts, and I absently rub it.

“What’s going on?” he asks, checking us both over to make sure we’re okay.

“You called him?” Aspen snaps, laughing without humor. “Fucking hell, Lu. And you wonder why I don’t tell you everything anymore.”

“Who the fuck is this?” Hayden asks Aspen, his fists clenching.

“This is my boyfriend,” Aspen admits, shifting on her feet. She’s close to her brother, and I know she doesn’t want him to find out about this. “I’m staying here tonight, Hayden. Take Lu home.”