Page 24 of Stay With Me

Chase threw a hand in the air. “Pfft. Bye, Felicia.”

“I don’t know. I’m kinda feeling the challenge.”

Chase groaned. “Are you fucking serious?”

Nick shrugged.

“Ah jeez. She totally fucking got to you.”

“No, she didn’t!Nobodycan get to me,” Nick insisted. “But this is getting a little too easy. Westlake daddy’s girls and sorority chicks are like shooting fish in a barrel.”

“And what’s wrong with that?”

“I like a challenge.”

Chase grunted. “You’re such a little bitch.”

“Hey, fuck you too.”

Chase put on an effeminate inflection and flicked his wrist. “Not ‘til you take me on ten dates, stud.”

Nick laughed. “It won’t be ten dates. It’ll be this weekend.”

“How do you know that? You think she’s gonna change her mind or something?”

“I laid the groundwork for an opportunity last night.”

“Did you now?” Chase patronized.

“Yup,” Nick stated smugly as he whipped out his phone. “Watch and learn.”

Chase folded his arms across his chest while Nick placed the phone up to his ear and smirked.

“Hey there, you pretty little thing.”

Chapter Seven

Samantha

Samantha slipped inside her parents’ house and the dull roar of bustling activity caused her to grip the sides of her temples and groan.

The dreaded hangover. This was why she usually never drank more than a glass of wine or two during her nights out. After the night she’d had, however, the pounding of her head was well worth it. She was now totally—and maybe a tiny bit naively—convinced that Nick was Mister Right. Any douche bag male would have certainly taken advantage of her drunken state and lowered inhibitions, but Nick had responded in a perfect, gentlemanly fashion.

Her tummy flipped with butterflies—and a bit of morning-after nausea—at the thought of him.

“Hi, honey,” her mom, Kelly, greeted her as she stepped into the large kitchen.

“Hi, Mom,” she said, pouring a cup of coffee.

“Are you all right? You look a little pale.”

“I’m fine. Probably should have skipped the afternoon margarita yesterday.”

Jenna laughed as she walked away from the table, out of earshot of Ava, Justice, and Lizzy, who were munching away on waffles and scrambled eggs. “Samantha had a date last night so I’m sure she cut loose.”

Normally, Samantha would have scoffed and told her sister to shut up, but since she was still a bit woozy from the night before, not to mention totally smitten, she just giggled childishly.

Kelly gave her a delighted look. “Samantha! With whom?”