Page 59 of Palm South University: Season 2
“CAR BOMBS!” MATT, THE PRESIDENTof Omega Chi, yells as we burst through the open doors of Irish Kevin’s. Skyler and her sisters weave past us and make their way to the front of the stage where a small band is set up. They’re doing covers of popular songs and taking requests in the form of cold hard cash, and Skyler is the first to pull out a twenty.
She waves it in the air and calls out, “Sweet Caroline!” The bar cheers and the tall, lanky guy behind the mic starts flirting with her as she drops it in the jar. When he takes note of all her sisters filing in around her, I just shake my head.
He has no idea what he’s in for.
“I can’t believe so many of us are still hanging in after day drinking at Smathers all day,” I say to Matt as we slide up to the bar. The bartender is already pouring up our car bombs.
“Shit, you know how it is when Omega Chi and KKB get together.”
“Fucking insanity?”
He waggles his eyebrows, handing me a car bomb and tipping his toward me. “Damn straight.”
Matt’s sporting a sunburn along with the rest of us, though his shows as lobster red and mine as dark chocolate. The tightness of my skin only reminds me what a kick ass day it was as we drop the shot of Bailey’s into our mugs of Guinness and chug. Slamming them back down on the bar, Matt throws me a high five and wades through the crowd to where Skyler is. Poor guy, he’s been trying since we got here to move in on her since she’s not with Adam anymore. The thing is, I don’t think she plans on giving Matt another round in her bed — especially not with literally thousands of other choices on Duval Street.
I whip out my phone to check for texts from Shawna, frowning when the screen is blank. We were writing back and forth all day today, but she stopped responding a few hours ago, making me realize just how much I wish I would have dragged her ass with me. Trying not to dwell on it, I tuck my phone back in my pocket and lean against the bar. When I notice Erin a few barstools down, eyes low as she watches the rest of her sisters in front of the stage, I pay the bartender for two beers and slide down next to her.
“You should go join them,” I shout over the band singingWagon Wheel. Erin’s eyes flick to mine, her brows pinching together before she turns away again. Her makeup is flawless, her dark blonde hair pin straight beneath the snapback she and her sisters are all wearing. On the outside she seems put together and fine, but all it took was that one second of looking into her eyes for me to know she’s not. I already feel like walking over to her was a mistake.
“I’m just hanging back for now,” she says softly, forcing a smile. “How are you, Bear?”
“Fan-flipping-tastic. Here,” I say, thrusting the beer I’ve yet to drink from toward her. “Special delivery.”
She eyes the glass in my hand, readjusting to lean her opposite elbow back on the bar. It’s then that I notice she’s shaking slightly. I internally groan, cursing myself for thinking she would be able to keep it cool after our hook up last semester. I still don’t even know how that shit happened, but Erin clearly can’t let it go. It’s like she thinks I’m going to jump on stage, steal the mic from the band and shout out to everyone that we fucked like porn stars in the KKB house.
“Thanks, but I’m not really… I don’t want to drink.” Her honey eyes find mine as she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “I tend to lose control when I do.”
Pursing my lips together, I fight the urge to roll my eyes and shrug, instead. The girl is fucking ridiculous. “Whatever you say, peach. More for me.” I tip back the glass I was holding out for her and drain it, popping it back onto the bar next to her.
“Bear!” Skyler bounds toward us, an infectious grin on her face. “I have a surprise for you.” She drags out the last word, her buzz clearly still in effect.
“I feel like I should run.”
She laughs, grabbing me by the wrist and dragging me through the bar back to Duval Street. “Trust me. You’re going tolovethis surprise.”
I follow her, my eyes on the neon KKB letters on the back of her hat as she steers us through the crowd. When she finally tugs me out into the warm night air, she drops my wrist and plants her hands on her hips, victorious smile still intact.
“Why are you grinning like you shit in my bed?”
Skyler just wrinkles her nose, but then her eyes jet to the space behind me. I barely have time to turn around before I’m tackled. I hold the offender tight as their legs wrap around me, and that’s all it takes for me to realize who it is.
I’d know those legs anywhere.
“Surprise!” Skyler yells behind me as I grip Shawna tighter, inhaling the floral scent of her black and purple locks. She squeezes me tight in return until I drop her gently to her feet.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
She shrugs, tucking her hands into the pockets of her tiny ripped jean shorts. “I got tired of texting you, so I called Skyler and she told me where you’re staying and helped me set this up. Hope you don’t mind me crashing your bed.”
She winks and I pull her under my arm, kissing her temple before whispering in her ear. “As long as you don’t plan on getting any sleep, I think we’ll be fine.”
Shawna shivers under my touch and I grin against the skin of her neck.
“Uh, okay, looks like my job here is done. Have fun, you two!” Skyler quickly hugs Shawna and steps up on her toes long enough to kiss my cheek before skipping back inside, her beachy waves swinging behind her.
“Should we head in?” Shawna asks, thumb pointed toward the bar.
“I have a better idea.”