Page 87 of The Devastation You Reap

“Most of the team were at the same party as us. We were expecting to see you.”

“Oh… Um… We didn’t go to a college party.”

“So where did you go?” Jace pipes up.

“Some of Leon's friends off campus.”

They both watch my every move, clearly sensing that something is up because the football team usually party as a unit so for Leon to be missing and with other friends is unusual.

“Who were they?” Charlie asks, passing me a bottle of pills before returning to her seat, clearly eavesdropping on our conversation from her room.

“Who were who?” I ask innocently.

“Leon’s friends.”

“Oh…” I wrack my brain for something to tell them when a thought, or more a realisation slams into me. “We were with Kane Legend and his girlfriend.” I don’t know why I didn’t put two and two together last night.Probably the cocktail of pure alcohol Ellis Harris gave you,a little voice says.

“At an off campus party?” Charlie asks, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Yeah, problem?”

“N-no not at all. Just… Be careful, yeah?”

“Jeez, I’m a freaking adult. I can look after myself,” I snap, really not in the mood to be babied by my roommates. Yeah, okay, so I’m the innocent one who doesn’t usually do this stuff but that doesn’t mean I’m an idiot who’ll willingly put herself in danger.

The image of the first guy I was introduced to last night pops into my head.

Reid Harris.

A shiver rips down my spine as I remember his cold, hard eyes.

Yeah, something tells me that being anywhere near him is dangerous.

“We don’t mean anything bad by it, but rumor has it that Kane is connected to some… interesting people,” Nate says, concern written all over his face.

“It was one party,” I say dismissively, grabbing my mug from the coffee maker and disappearing back to my room.

If all they’re going to do is judge me for having the night out they’ve been trying to get me to go on since the beginning of the year then they can screw off.

I’m suffering enough as it is. I don’t need their opinions on my life.

They must get the message because none of them try to follow me and the only time I see them for the rest of the day is when I emerge from my room for food and drink.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” Nathan says, joining me in the kitchen when I’m making what must be my sixth coffee of the day.

“Yeah, whatever,” I wave him off, not wanting to make a big deal out of it.

“No, Mace,” he says, placing his hand on my forearm and giving me little choice but to turn toward him.

He studies me for a beat, his eyes dropping to my neck where he no doubt noticed the hickies darkening the skin.

“We just want to make sure you’re happy,” he murmurs, looking back up into my eyes.

“I know what I’m doing.” He quirks a brow at me, knowing that I’m lying. “Okay fine, I’m just… Going with the flow. Enjoying myself.”

“How’s the first hangover going?” he asks, thankfully changing the subject.

“It’s hell. Why do people do this to themselves willingly every weekend?”