Page 49 of Vicious Little Snakes

She shrugs, letting her fur jacket fall off one shoulder. “Probably, but now I have a new one.”

“We’ll see.” I chuckle, giving her a wink.

Her mouth pops open. “Liam Brooks. Are you playing hard to get?”

“Nah, I’m a slut.”

She laughs, pushing my shoulder, “A true whore.”

“Takes one to know one.”

She laughs harder this time, taking my hand in hers. “I missed that quick wit. Everyone always thinks Grey’s the one to watch out for. But nope. I’ve always known it’s you, Liam Brooks.”

The elevator stops, doors opening, and I give her my arm, happy for her company. “It’s really fucking good to see you again, Arden.”

“It’s nice to be seen. There’s nothing like a DUI and a tiny little nothing hit and run to make your parents lose it and ban you from coming back.”

“Yeah, but Oxford has to be pretty spectacular.”

Arden is a year older and always ran with a crowd even older than her. She’s legendary.

“Well, anything’s better than Madison Prep. The only thing an all-girls school is good for is learning all the ways to kiss.”

Voices interrupt our bubble, growing louder as we get closer. An elegantly dressed pair makes out indiscreetly against a wall, and Arden wags her brows, nudging my shoulder.

I smirk at the salacious pair, music beginning to vibrate my chest. “All the ways? There’s more than one way to kiss?”

Arden presses against my body to avoid running into a group of kids milling outside the opened doors of the entrance.

Her chin tips up, beckoning my ear, whispering, “There’s more than one place.”

I clear my throat and turn to her face, our lips almost touching.

“You’ll have to show me sometime.”

She twinkles with amusement, puckering her lips at me, making me smile again. I pull back, changing the subject.

“Speaking of the hit and run, how is your ex?”

“Eating soft foods without a straw. It’s a real comeback story.”

My laughter’s drowned out by the pulsating music as we stand atop of a dozen or so stairs. They lead to the main floor, but we stay put because I’m awed, same as Arden. I can only describe the scene as a proper “Gatsby-esque” party, like that meme with Leo holding the champagne glass.

This is fucking epic. Caroline outdid herself.

Crystal hangs from the ceiling, girls in shiny outfits are dancing atop black pianos, and it feels like there’s glitter in the fucking air. It’s a bacchanal, not just a party. She’s fit at least a hundred couture assholes into this ballroom, but it doesn’t feel cramped.

The glass walls surrounding us let the city lights shine through, and the ceiling looks like there are raindrops set against the night sky. It even makes the black dance floor look like liquid.

“Holy fuck.” I smile, looking over at Arden.

“Uh, yeah. Not exactly boring.”

Lights shine down, spotlighting us standing arm in arm. The beat drops, and Arden squeals as tiny gold stars rain down on us. This is like a fucking movie.

“Wow. This girl knows how to throw a fucking party. I need to meet her. My PR told me I needed to be seen here…I thought they were full of shit. But damn, they were right.”

My brows draw together as Arden pulls her arm from mine, searching the crowd.