Page 7

CHAPTER

THREE

ERIN

A security guard peers down at his list and barks, “Name?”

Behind us, our senior classmates are lined up, waiting to be admitted. Outside the Theobald mansion, rows of sports cars fill the street.

“Mia Moldova,” she says confidently. “And Erin Acacia.”

“Erin’s not on the list,” he replies with a deadpan expression, crossing his arms. “No name, no entry.”

“Shit.” Mia scowls and puts her phone to her ear. “I’ll call Ol to fix this.”

“It’s okay,” I say, cringing as the guard’s glare deepens. “We can go.”

“We’re not going anywhere,” Mia says firmly, then curses into her phone. “No answer. The little shit!”

Maybe this is a sign I shouldn’t go to parties. We’ve fallen at the first hurdle. I should never have come. I don’t belong here. Staying home is safe. Comfortable. Easy.

A figure appears like a knight in shining armor out of nowhere. “What’s going on?”

I take a second to realize it’s Nate. He’s wearing a white shirt, the top few buttons undone, and a pair of pressed chinos.

“We have a gatecrasher.” The guard points at me. “She’s not on the list.”

My cheeks flush scarlet.

“It’s okay, Jay,” Nate says, flashing me a smile that shows off his cute dimples. “Erin’s with me.”

I am?

The guard echoes my own thoughts aloud. “She is?”

“Yep,” Nate says. “Right, Erin?”

Mia nudges me in the ribs and gives me a ‘speak the fuck up’ look.

“Y-yes,” I stammer. “I am.”

The guard shrugs and waves us past.

“Ignore him,” Nate says, squeezing my shoulder in reassurance and making my skin tingle. “Ol’s security loves throwing their weight around, but they’re harmless.”

“I’m going to kill Oliver,” Mia huffs as we climb the stone steps to the gigantic oak door. “Erin’s my best friend. I asked him to put her on the list.”

“In his defense, I’ve never been to any of his parties before,” I point out.

“So?” she fumes. “He should know better.”

“I’ll deliver the message that you’re not happy with him,” Nate jokes. “Again.”

I snicker. While I hear about their relationship drama from Mia, Nate must get the other side of the story from Oliver. As much as I love her, the girl is high maintenance.

“Thanks for…” I begin, daring to look at Nate before we enter.

My sentence trails off when a loud chorus of cheers bursts out. A group of football players chants Nate’s name as soon as they see him. “Holt, Holt, Holt!”

“You better go,” I say.

“I’ll find you later,” he says, catching my eye and winking. “Maybe you can save me a dance?”

I don’t have time to reply before one of his teammates pulls him into the throng of whooping high school students.

“It looks like someone was happy to see you,” Mia teases.

“Shut up,” I say, unable to keep the smile out of my tone. “Holy shit…”

My jaw drops at the sheer scale of the first floor. It makes my house look like a trailer. The entire downstairs is open plan and modern in design, with vast glass windows that flow around the sides. A sleek white staircase in its center splits into two, leading to different wings.

“Pretty amazing, right?” Mia says. “This place has ten bedrooms, and the basement has a cinema, indoor pool, and spa. There’s even a basketball court. Oliver’s dad had everything custom-made.”

“It’s insane,” I say. “Doesn’t his dad mind having the whole senior class over?”

It’s damage waiting to happen in a building that cost him millions of dollars.

“He works away a lot, and Oliver’s mom is staying in France with her sister.” Mia shrugs. “Rumor has it they’re getting divorced, but Oliver doesn’t care as long as he gets the place to himself most of the time. Let me show you around…”

It resembles a night club more than a family home, with strobe lights bouncing off the walls.

Rows of wineglasses and shots in every color cover the surface of an ornate bar.

A U-shaped velvet sofa, large enough to seat at least twenty people, is directly in front of us, and a DJ booth playing house music is to its left.

Beyond that, a sliding glass door opens onto an outdoor pool area where people are dancing.

“Mia!” Oliver, the man of the hour, greets us. Judging from his slurred speech, he’s already hit the liquor hard. “You made it. You look…” His eyes trail up and down her body, and his Adam’s apple bobs in longing. “Incredible.”

I shift my weight from one foot to the other awkwardly, trying to ignore the simmering sexual tension between them, when Oliver notices me.

“Erin?” He blinks hard. “Is that you?”

“Who else would it be, asshole?” Mia cocks her hip.

Despite her sassy attitude, I can tell she’s pleased her outfit got the reception it deserved.

Oliver’s not the only guy to have noticed her arrival; the hockey team is shamelessly checking her out too.

Who can blame them? “Excuse us, we’re getting a drink. ”

She barges past, leaving him staring after us.

“Everyone’s staring at you,” I mumble.

She laughs. “They’re not looking at me.”

My skin prickles as we move through the crowd of dancing bodies. I mimic Mia, holding my head high and smiling, but I’m freaking out on the inside. I’m not used to the attention. I’d prefer to watch from the shadows than be an active participant.

A guy I don’t recognize wolf-whistles. “Looking good, Erin.”

“Who is he?” I whisper.

“Some jerk from the football team,” Mia replies. “Although he’s definitely not the only guy thinking that. You’re on fucking fire tonight.”

While most guys seem incapable of looking at our faces, the girls have a less favorable reaction.

Stonybridge Academy is full of cliques, and neither of us fit into them.

While Mia could have been part of whichever she wanted, she avoids affiliating herself with any one group.

The girls can’t disguise their surprise when they see me, scanning my outfit like they’re looking for a defect.

“Who are all these people?” I ask.

As well as the familiar faces I see around Stonybridge’s corridors, there are many I don’t recognize.

“A bunch of people from Rydell Prep are here,” she says. “I don’t know why Ol bothers asking them, especially the football players. They’re sleazebags.”

Rydell Prep is the rival school in the next town and is full of equally wealthy assholes.

We slot into a gap that’s opened at the bar.

“Shot?” Mia holds up a fluorescent green liquid and sniffs it. “Mm, apple.”

“I’m not sure.”

Aside from a few sips of champagne at a wedding, I’ve never drank alcohol before.

“You don’t have to,” she says. “But it might help take the edge off.”

Anything is worth a try. I take the shot and drain it. It tastes like an apple flavor Jolly Rancher with a sour edge.

Mia waits for my verdict. “Well?”

“It’s okay,” I say, reaching for another. A blue one this time.

“Are you sure?” Mia asks.

I pass her one and arch an eyebrow. “I thought you said you wanted to party?”

She laughs and accepts the drink. “I never expected you to be the bad influence.”

I hold up the shot in toast. “To Sarah.”

Commemorating her on my first night out feels right. If the stories I’ve heard are anything to go by, she’d be the first to drink the bar dry and dance on the tables. Sarah lit up every room she walked into. Having fun is what she lived for.

Mia clinks her glass against mine. “To Sarah!”

The night passes in a blur. It turns out Mia was right about alcohol taking the edge off. Without the countless shots, I’d never have let Mia persuade me to join her on the dance floor.

The room spins, and my hips writhe to the music. Mia takes my hand and spins me around, pulling me back to her, laughing. Instead of feeling claustrophobic in the crowd, the heat of the other dancers brings me a sense of safety. Nothing can happen to us while we’re here, together.

I stumble a little on the next move, almost twisting my ankle in my black heels. Damn them. A powerful arm around my waist stops me from falling, and I look to see Nate grinning down at me. My savior.

“Easy there,” he says. “You promised me a dance, remember?”

I look at Mia, but she’s conveniently vanished, leaving us alone.

“I… um…” Even though we’re neighbors, we’ve never had a proper conversation. “I guess so.”

Nate puts his hands on my hips. As if by magic, the previously bassy music switches to a sexy, slow song.

Our bodies are pushed together, as more people join the floor, until my breasts press against his chest. All I can think about is the warmth of his fingers and the fluttery feeling between my legs.

Nate bends to whisper, “You look amazing tonight.”

“Thanks,” I reply, batting my eyelashes in a way I hope comes across as flirty and not like I’m trying to blink something out of my eye. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”

“Every guy in the room is wishing they were me right now,” he says.

A cheesy, yet cute line.

“Oh, really?” My playful side comes to the surface. Usually, I’m shy and reserved, carefully picking every word before I say it, but the drinks have relaxed me. “And why is that?”

“Because they all wish they were dancing with the most beautiful woman in the room,” he says.

“Does that line usually work?”

“Yes,” he says with a lopsided grin, pulling me closer. “But I’m not just saying that with you. I mean it.”

His hands slide to rest on my lower back.

My body acts of its own accord, swaying and wrapping my arms around his neck.

We’re close enough for me to feel the growing hardness in his pants.

Knowing I’m having this effect on Nate Holt, the captain of the football team who all the girls want, gives me a newfound sense of power.

“You’re a mystery, Erin Acacia,” he says. “You have no idea how many times I’ve wanted to speak to you.”

“Why haven’t you?”

“Are you kidding?” He laughs. “You’re fucking gorgeous and at the top of our class. Don’t you realize how intimidating you are?”

“Intimidating? Me?” I snort in disbelief. “You’re the most popular guy in school. Every girl has a crush on you.”

His head dips closer. “Every girl?”

Our lips are inches away from touching. I stand on the tips of my toes. Just as we’re about to kiss, a stumbling jock knocks into me, spilling a full glass of beer down my front.

Nate grabs the drink-spiller by the front of his shirt. “Watch where you’re going, dickwad.”

The drink-spiller cowers and musters a feeble apology, while a group of girls cackle. It was no accident.

“Are you okay?” Nate asks.

“I’m fine,” I insist, even though I smell like a brewery. “I’ll grab some paper towels to clean the mess.”

“I’ll come with you,” he says.

Before he has the chance, he’s swarmed by guys shouting, “Captain! Drink! Captain! Drink!”

While Nate gets swept into the chaos, I slink away to find a restroom, getting jostled back and forth as I weave through the gaps. My earlier euphoria takes a nosedive. People are too close. My head throbs from the pounding music. Everyone has drunk more than they can handle, including me.

Away from the safety of the dancers, the floor feels like it’s turned to Jell-O. Each step takes more effort than the last, and I walk like an astronaut taking my first steps on the moon. Mia is nowhere in sight, and I decide against calling her. I don’t want to ruin her night.

“Do you know where the bathroom is?” I ask a nearby couple. They’re too busy eating each other’s faces to give me any directions.

I take deep breaths to steady myself, which only intensifies my dizziness. I make it to the stairs and lean against the banister to balance, then I hear his voice…

“Erin?”

I squeeze my eyes shut, hoping I’ve imagined it, until his firm grasp closes around my forearm. He grips so tightly it’ll bruise.

“Erin!”

I open my eyes to see my father. I’ve not seen him this angry since the aftermath of one of Sarah’s partying antics. His nostrils flare in fury.

“Dad,” I stammer, “w-what are you?—”

“We’re leaving,” he declares menacingly. “Now.”

Onlookers snicker as he drags me from the house, yanking my wrist so hard my shoulder almost dislocates.

“Please, Dad,” I whimper. “You’re hurting me. I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean?—”

He marches me down the steps to his waiting car, ignoring my pleading.

“Dad—”

How did he even get past security? Surely he wasn’t on the guest list?

“Don’t say another word,” he hisses, throwing me into the back of the car.

My lip trembles as the door shuts. Stupidly, I reach for the handle, but it’s already locked. Of course it is. He’s done everything possible to keep me confined. He won’t stop now.

“After all I’ve done to keep you safe, this is how you repay me,” he rages, getting into the driver’s seat and revving the engine. “It’s time I taught you a lesson.”