“Wow, Cole Scott, huh?” Ian’s voice pulled me away from watching Cole at the keg as he filled his glass and talked to one of the guys on the football team.
“No,” I snorted. I let out a giggle.
Ian raised an eyebrow at me. “How much have you had to drink? And I thought you weren’t coming.”
“I don’t know on all accounts.” I crinkled my forehead, trying to keep the room from rotating.
“You look really good tonight.”
It was my turn to raise my brows. I giggled again as I swept my gaze over him in his dark jeans and t-shirt.
“You’re not too bad yourself.” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. I hadn’t intended them to sound like I was hitting on him, but he seemed to interpret them that way because his lips tilted up into a smile.
“I didn’t mean that,” I backtracked, wincing. “I meant you look nice. Not like I want you or something.” I was rambling, breathless.
He stepped closer to me, the smile still on his lips. “I wouldn’t be upset if you did.”
Jamie’s face flashed through my mind, and I shook my head.
“I-I…”
Ian laughed. “No worries. Looks like your boy is coming back. But if it’s not working out with him, come find me.” He leaned in to whisper in my ear. “I won’t tell anyone. Our secret.”
He pulled away and winked at me before sauntering off, leaving me speechless.
“Tell me you weren’t chatting up Ian Hall,” Cole grumbled at my side, handing a drink to me.
I pulled in a deep, calming breath and plastered a smile on my face. “You’re not blind, Cole. Of course, I was.” I took a sip of the soda he’d gotten for me. I guessed he meant it when he said he’d cut me off. But he wasn’t the boss of me.
“I really want you to rethink that and answer again. Ian Hall is off limits to you. Fox hates him. I hate him. Even Ethan’s bleeding heart hates him, and Ethan likes everyone.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Sounds like a good reason why I should like him.”
“Not if you know what’s good for you, Rosebud.”
“Seriously, Cole. My friend Jamie is practically in love with him. If I did anything out of line with him, it would ruin my friendship with her. So chill.”
“I’ll chill when I know he’s not sniffing around you, looking for a piece.”
“You’re not my boss, Cole,” I sighed, setting my soda down on the counter. “Ian is a friend. I can talk to whoever the hell I want—”
“Not him, Rosalie,” he hissed through gritted teeth, his blue eyes darkening. “I don’t give a shit if your friend has a hard-on for him. That doesn’t make him safe. Stay away from him. Got it? He’s not one of us.”
I rolled my eyes, trying to play off how frightening Cole was in that moment.
“Whatever. I’m not one of you.”
“You are tonight. Be a good girl and fall in line like you’re told.”
“Maybe I don’t want to be a good girl,” I shot back, snatching his still full cup of beer and gulping it down like I was in the desert, dying of thirst.
It was Cole’s turn to roll his eyes. “This is your one warning. Ian is off the table. He’s not your friend from here on out. If you don’t listen to what I’m telling you, you’ll be very sorry. I’ll show you how bad things can get when you disobey what you’ve been told.”
“What are you? The Godfather?” I slurped down the last few swallows of his drink and handed him back the empty cup, daring him to keep pushing me.
A muscle ticked along his jaw, but he remained silent, his eyes locked on mine. The look he gave me sent shivers through my body and not necessarily bad ones. I pushed the feelings away, citing inebriation and temporary insanity as the cause for my sudden lack of judgement.
After an intense staredown, he approached me, his arm winding around my waist again.
“I love your defiance, Rosebud. Keep it up. It’s going to be so much sweeter for me when you’re broken. You can come willingly or you can fight it. Either way, we win.”
I choked down a whimper as he gave me a quick squeeze.
The spinning intensified as Cole led me away from where we’d been standing and over to the guys, much to my displeasure.
“Hey, Sunshine.” Enzo grinned at me as Cole stopped us next to his friends.
I didn’t even care that Juliet, Melissa, and Tara, another of their crew, were glaring daggers at me. I was still hung up on Cole saying he was going to break me.
“Hi,” I slurred out on autopilot.
Fox’s eyes swept over me, his lips set in a straight line.
“Are you having fun?” Ethan asked, taking a drink from his own plastic cup.
I glanced at Cole. “Not really.”
Cole rolled his eyes at me.
“At least you don’t actually have to look at you.” Juliet did her hair flip, a sneer on her lips. “Poor Cole.”
“Poor Cole? Poor us,” Tara added, glowering in my direction.
“Juliet. Tara,” Fox growled. “Enough.”
Juliet rolled her eyes, and Tara fell silent.
“Whatever,” Juliet scoffed. “Take the trash out when you’re done, Cole.”
She flounced away with her clones before anyone could say anything.
“She’s a bitch. Why are you with her, Fox?” I popped an eyebrow at him, wanting to know what the hell he saw in her. I figured he’d get upset at the question. Instead, he only shrugged, his eyes focused on her across the room as she laughed with her friends.
“Here, Sunshine. Try this.” Enzo pushed a small shot glass into my hand. “We’ll cele-brate.”
“What are we celebrating?”
“You being here tonight. It’s about to get lit.” His dark eyes focused on Cole, who frowned at him. Probably telling him I wasn’t allowed to have more alcohol. But if I was going to have to stay here with them, I was going to need it. They didn’t get to decide for me.
I volleyed my gaze between them, not caring what the hell they were talking about. Throwing my drink back, I finished it and was quickly handed another. I finished it only to down one more.
“That’s enough,” Fox growled as Enzo moved to hand me another. I swayed on my feet, my head spinning worse than before. “She’ll end up throwing up.”
Enzo shrugged and drank it down himself.
“Who the hell are you to tell me what I can and can’t do?” I demanded with a slur, jabbing my finger in Fox’s chest. He stared down at me, an eyebrow quirked. “I’m in charge of me!”
“Easy, champ.” He rolled his eyes. “Just don’t want you getting blackout wasted or sucking some random guy off in the bathroom.”
I wrinkled my nose at him. “If I want to do that, I can. You’re not the boss of me.”
“Like you even know how. Aren’t you a virgin?” He cocked his head at me.
I ground my teeth and stumbled back. Anger coursed through me.
“Is that what would make me cool? Losing my virginity?” I raised my voice.
Enzo pulled his phone out and recorded me. I shoved him away as he tried to get closer.
“Maybe. But we all know you’re holier than thou and would never do it. Uptight freakshow, can’t even get laid when she offers it up. No one even wants that shit for free.”
“Fox, man, come on,” Ethan butted in, glancing between us.
I shook my head, my curls bouncing. With a snarl, I pulled my hair out of its rubberband, letting the red ringlets cascade around me like a firestorm.
“I could get laid, Fox. Imagine what it’ll feel like for me when he runs his fingers through my hair. Imagine what he’ll feel like, getting to pull it while you’re down here with your bitch of a girlfriend catching some mediocre missionary-style sex.” I narrowed my eyes at him as he stared back at me, a muscle popping along his jaw. “It’ll be his name on my lips. Not yours. Never yours.
I backed away from him and gave a satisfied smirk at the anger on his face.
“I’m out of here.”
“Rosebud, wait—” Cole called out to me as I stumbled away.
“Let her be someone else’s problem,” Fox interrupted. “She’s a waste anyway. There are more in the book.”
I ground my teeth, rubbing my eyes with my fists as I staggered through the writhing bodies on the makeshift dance floor. I didn’t know why I was fighting off tears over his words.
Fox had a way of ruining anything I was invovled in. Why he cared that I was a virgin and then had to poke fun at me over it made the tears burn hotter.
“Shit. Sorry,” I hissed, stumbling back as I ran into someone.
“Rosalie, you OK?” Ian’s concerned voice sounded out as warm hands took me by the shoulders to steady me.
“No. I mean, yes. Great. I love parties,” my voice cracked as I locked eyes with him. He frowned at me.
“Come on.” He pulled me through the crowd and out the patio door. The cool night air woke me as he led me to a railing off to the side. The sound of the party hammered loudly behind us. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I shook my head.
“Liar.”
I cast him a half-smile. “Same shit. Different day.”
“Ah, yes. The elite.” He leaned against the railing beside me and looked up at the moon. “They hate me too.”
“So I’ve heard.” We both grew quiet before I spoke a moment later, “Why do you come here if they hate you?”
“Free beer. Weed. The opportunity to talk to pretty girls.” He winked at me, making my face heat. “They’ve yet to kick me out of one of their parties, but they don’t hide the fact I’m not welcome.”
“I wouldn’t bother coming,” I muttered.
“I do it because it pisses them off.”
I let out a sigh. “Well, you’re a doing a great job.”
Ian nodded, his eyes narrowed as he looked around. “Getting under Cole’s skin is a hobby of mine. The guy’s a douche. Rich, pretty boy who gets whatever he wants.”
It seemed there may be a story behind his words, one that was probably too heavy for my current inebriated state.
Ian let out a sigh and glanced over at me. “How about a drink?”
I shook my head. “I’ve already had way too much.”
“No such thing, Rosalie. Besides, you and I should have a little fun tonight.”
I scoffed. “You mean hanging outside an elite party being pissed off isn’t fun?”
Ian moved closer and brushed his thumb against my bottom lip. “That’s not the kind of fun I’m talking about.”
I swallowed hard and let out a nervous laugh. He switched gears so fast my head spun. “I-I can’t. I’ve never … and Jamie.”
“Are you telling me no?” He leaned in, his eyes locked on mine. When I didn’t move away from him, he closed the distance and brushed his lips against mine. My breath hitched in my chest.
“Prove them wrong, Rosalie.”
“I-I can’t. Jamie. She-she’d be upset. And-and you and I are friends. I don’t feel that way…”
Ian let out a sigh and pulled away from me. I thought he was angry by how stiff he’d gotten.
“I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, Ian—”
“No. You didn’t.” He cast me a quick smile. “How about that drink instead?”
I nodded, giving in. One drink wouldn’t hurt.
“I’ll go grab us some. Wait for me?”
I nodded again. He turned and left me standing there. My head still spun. Hopefully, one more drink wouldn’t end up with me puking in Cole’s mom’s begonias.
“Here,” Ian said, returning with two cups of beer. “Drink up. Let’s forget about all the shit and just relax. What do you say?”
“Sounds good.” I breathed out a sigh of relief at his lack of irritation. I took a sip of the beer, Ian’s eyes locked on me.
“It tastes better if you drink it faster. Nothing worse than piss warm beer.” He tipped his cup back and downed half of it.
I chuckled and did the same, nearly draining the cup.
A smile turned his lips up. “See? Much better. You’ll start feeling good in a minute.”
“I doubt it. I’m already dizzy as hell.”
“No worries, Rosalie. I’ll be here to catch you when you fall.”
I let out a chuckle and rubbed my head. When I shifted my weight, I wobbled. I must have drunk that last beer too fast. It had gone straight to my head.
“You OK?” he asked softly.
I let out a shaky breath as the world lurched. My hands clutched the railing. Ian’s warm hand on my back was like sparks being pounded into my flesh. My body felt hyper-aware, yet sluggish and foreign.
“I-I feel weird,” I breathed out. I blinked my eyes, my vision tilted and blurry.
“Come here,” Ian murmured.
It felt like I should protest, but my brain no longer felt connected to my mouth. His warm embrace had me nuzzling against his chest.
“Wha—?” I slurred, a strange buzzing tearing through my body as he tried to steer me away from the railing.
“Come upstairs with me, Rosalie,” Ian whispered in my ear.
“I feel weird. Ian. Some-something’s wrong.”
“Come upstairs,” he called out again, sounding far away even though he was beside me. “You can lie down. I’ll take care of you.”
Lie down. Yes. I needed to lie down.
I went wordlessly with him, the sounds and lights from the party strobing slowly around me.
I stumbled at the stairs, sounds roaring in my ears. When I glanced behind me, Fox stood in the middle of the crowded dance floor with Enzo, both staring up at me as I ascended the steps. I wanted to call out to them, but for what I wasn’t sure. I feared if I let go of Ian, I’d crash down the stairs to my death, so I turned my head and continued to follow Ian to the hallway.
We stopped outside a door. Ian rapped on it twice before pushing it open and bringing me inside.
“Can you take me home?” I mumbled, swaying where I stood.
Ian let out a soft chuckle as he closed the door.
“In a few minutes. Let’s just relax in here.”
I didn’t pull away as he led me to the bed. I sank down onto it and put my head in my hands.
“How much did you have to drink?”
“Too much,” I muttered. “Plus what you gave me.”
“Come here.” Ian pulled me onto my back beside him.
“My head’s spinning,” I whimpered. “I feel strange.”
“You’re really drunk. That happens. It’ll go away in a few hours.” He shifted beside me, so he was propped up on his elbow staring down at me.
“What?” I whispered, wiping at my eyes again, hoping to fix my blurry vision. It looked like there were two of him looming over me.
“What about earlier? You never told me why you were so upset,. What made you cry?” He pushed a wild curl away from my face.
I shook my head, wincing as the spinning reached a new level of intensity. “The horsemen. Fox made fun of me because I’m a virgin. Called me freakshow.”
Ian paused for a moment. “You’re a virgin?”
“Damnit,” I groaned. “I can’t drink anymore. I say stupid shit.”
“It’s not stupid. I knew you didn’t date, but I figured you opted to get it on the side.”
I shook my head morosely. “No. I definitely don’t.”
“We could fix that.”
I blinked rapidly as I stared up at his two faces. He reached out and tilted my chin up. My head was so heavy.
“We-I-I can’t. Jamie—”
“Rosalie, it’s just us in here. No one has to know. And Jamie has nothing to do with this.”
“She likes you. A lot.” I swallowed thickly as I stared up at his blurry face.
He crinkled his eyebrows. “Well, I like you a lot. And we’re alone in here together. We should take advantage of that.” His lips met mine is a soft, warm kiss. His warm handed caressed my upper thigh.
My brain commanded me to move, but my body wasn’t responding. Something was seriously wrong. Being drunk wasn’t supposed to feel like this. I didn’t kiss him back. I lay beneath him stiff, my mind racing with wild thoughts.
“Don’t be like this, Rosalie. We could have fun. Me and you. One wild night together. Our secret. We’ll both get what we want.”
“What do you want?” I whispered. My tongue was thick in my mouth, making the words sound funny.
“You for a night. I’ve wanted you for a long time.” He thumbed my bottom lip, his eyes dark. “I won’t tell anyone.”
“But Jamie—”
“Shh,” he hushed me, pressing his lips against mine once more before kissing along my jawline. “Jamie isn’t here. Just me and you. Let’s help each other.”
“You’d keep it a secret and won’t tell her?” I asked, barely able to keep my eyes open. I wasn’t even sure what I was saying. I didn’t like Ian that way. I needed to get up. Why won’t my feet move?
“Hell no,” Ian murmured. “But it doesn’t matter anyway. I’m not with her.”
“Mmm. I don’t think so. I don’t want to.” I breathed out, forgetting why I was there or what I was doing. My eyes flickered close. Behind my lids, I imagined Fox. But instead of him sneering at me, he was smiling at me. I wished he wanted to kiss me. My body felt heavy. Numb.
A mouth on mine pushed any grasping of coherent thought out of my mind. My wish was coming true. Maybe he changed his mind. Maybe he wanted me. If he did, I could show the guys I wasn’t a waste of time.
I kissed him back, threading my fingers through his hair. The only thing I could focus on was proving Fox wrong. Showing him I was worth something. A soft moan escaped my mouth as kisses were peppered along my collarbone, taking the straps of my tank top down in the process.
“You’re so amazing,” a voice murmured, his mouth on mine again.
My sluggish hands seemingly acting on their own, tugged at his shirt, effectively removing it from him. I wished I wasn’t so drunk so I could see him better. But he was just a flesh colored blob of muscles. They were nice muscles. I fumbled with the button on his jeans as he removed my top. My fingers weren’t cooperating. But he helped me out. We managed to get beneath the blankets, him grinding himself against my center, my hips rising to meet his movements through our clothes.
“Fo—” I choked out as his hands moved beneath my panties and ran along my slit. What I was able to actually feel, felt so good.
“Rosalie,” he grunted, rubbing my clit in slow, deliberate movements.
I writhed against his seeking touch, breathing hard as a bout of tingles formed. Reaching out, I rubbed my hand against his hard length as he moaned into my mouth through our fevered kiss. I wanted to make him feel good. Maybe then he’d want me.
“Well, well, well,” Cole called out. “Looks like you two are having a good time.”
“What the hell, Rosalie?” Fox roared behind Cole.
I blinked rapidly. How did Fox get behind Cole when he was on top of me? That must have been some potent beer if I was seeing Fox in two different places. With clumsy hands, I touched the head burried in my neck. My vision cleared for a split second. Oh no.
“Ian, what are you doing?” I gasped, clutching the sheet to my body.
He toppled off me onto the bed, letting out a groan of frustration. The hot tingles in my body were doused in cold dread. It hadn’t been Fox kissing and touching me. How didn’t I know it was Ian?
“Get the hell out of here before I tear every fucking appendage from your body,” Fox snarled.
I squinted through blurry eyes to see Enzo, Ethan, Cole, and Fox glowering at me and Ian, who was now buttoning his pants and putting his shirt back on. Fox’s attention focused on me more intensely, like he was trying to figure something out.
“What the hell are you guys trying to do?” Ian demanded. “The door was closed. Don’t you pricks knock?”
“My house. My rules,” Cole shot back. “And Rosalie isn’t allowed to get fucked in my house without my permission.”
“You’re an asshole. Come on, Rose—”
“Rosalie is staying here. You’re leaving,” Fox declared. He moved over to the side of the bed I was on.
“You’re crazy if you think I’m leaving her with you guys—”
“Listen, pal,” Enzo broke in. “You have two choices. Do what we just told you or get your ass kicked. It’s four on one. You be the judge of how that would turn out.”
“Leave him alone,” I slurred, my eyes shuttering closed before I forced them open. I had double—no, triple—vision. “It was a mistake. I didn’t know it was him.”
In the corner, Enzo was pointing his phone at us. Wait. It was Fox’s phone. I recognized the blue case. I’d seen him with it countless times. I didn’t know why the phone was aimed at me, but something told me I wasn’t going to like what it was when I became lucid again.
Fox tilted my face up toward his. A frown turned his lips down. “Rosalie, what did you take?” he whispered.
“N-nothing,” I stammered, swiping my hair off my face. “I was just drinking beer.”
Fox’s expression turned murderous, and he strode over to where Ian still hovered in the room. Fox gripped Ian’s shirt. “Did you fucking drug her?” he growled.
Drugs? What did Fox mean? Ian gave me something? Was that why I was so confused and couldn’t get my body to cooperate? Tears gathered in my eyes and started trickling down my cheeks. Groaning, I clutched at my head as the room spun. I didn’t even notice Ian leaving.
“Rosalie?” Ethan pushed my mess of hair over my shoulder as he knelt in front of me.
“Mm?”
“Let’s get you out of here, OK?” He dragged my tank top over my head, making sure I was covered.
“Home?” I looked at him hopefully, swallowing the vomit threatening to erupt from me.
“Take her to Cole’s room. He has a bathroom in there in case she gets sick.” It was Fox’s voice. “I’ll make sure that prick left.”
Warm, strong arms were around my waist, guiding me through the door. The loud music from the party hammered at my ears, my head spinning worse than ever. I squeezed my eyes closed to ward off the onslaught of lights as I tried to stumble down the hall.
“Easy,” Ethan murmured in my ear. “It’s hard to walk with your eyes closed.”
I mumbled out a reply that didn’t sound remotely close to words. The click of a door opening met my ears. Ethan led me inside as I leaned heavily against him.
“Come on, sweetheart,” he coaxed as he led me deeper into the room. “There you go. Have a seat.”
My butt met the softness of a mattress. I swayed in my spot, moaning.
“Do you need the bathroom?” Ethan knelt in front of me and tilted my head up to look at him before I gave it a slight shake. I was met with a vision of three of his handsome faces. I gave him a wobbly smile.
“You’re so handsome.”
His lips quirked up into a smile, his green eyes sparkling.
“You’re really drunk.”
“I’m mad too.” I blinked my eyes, trying to regain normal vision. “Fox ruins everything.”
“He does have a tendency to show up at the worst times, huh?” He pushed my tangles away from my face.
“I don’t get it. He doesn’t like me. He doesn’t want me to be a virgin because it makes me a loser or something. But when someone was showing me attention he was right there to ruin it.” I started weeping. “Besides, I thought it was Fox. Thought he’d changed his mind. And I was about to lose my virginity to the boy I loved long ago. Not be a loser anymore, but then real Fox stopped imaginary Fox from taking me,” I blubbered, barely coherent.
Ethan let out a soft chuckle. “You really are out of it. And to be fair, Rosalie, I think real Fox did you a favor. Losing your virginity isn’t something you want to happen under the influence of anything, especially drugs when you aren’t in complete control of yourself. And Ian probably isn’t the best guy to lose it to even sober.
“I know,” I muttered. “He’s not one of you guys.”
“Right. He’s not one of us.” He reached out and gave my hand a squeeze.
“Why are you the nice one?”
He laughed again, this time louder, his hand still squeezing mine. “Is that what I am?”
“Well, you’re less dickish than the other three.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
We were silent for a moment, the music from the party wafting around us.
“Are you going to take me home?”
“No. Fox wants you to sleep it off here. I think that’s best too. We can look out for you if you’re here. Make sure there are no bad side effects. We’ll keep you safe.”
“I don’t need you to look out for me. You’re the bad guys—”
“Shh,” he instructed, placing a finger to my lips. “You need to rest. I’ll be right back, OK?”
I attempted a nod but it only made my head spin more. Instead, I just sat on the bed with my head hanging down as Ethan got to his feet and left. A moment later, he was back, tilting my face up and holding out two glasses of water.
“I can’t drink two glasses.”
“It’s one glass, sweetheart.” He laughed, offering me the drink. “You need to drink it. It’ll help.”
I took it without further questioning and swallowed down a mouthful, grateful for the coolness as it blanketed my insides. A contented sigh left my lips as I handed the glass back. Ethan placed it on the table and turned back to me, gently pushing me down onto the bed.
“Are you going to touch me?” I whispered as he lay beside me. I was surprised when a warm blanket was placed over me.
“No, sweetheart. I don’t make a habit of screwing drunk women. I prefer my ladies lucid and wanting.”
“I knew you were the nice one.” I closed my eyes, letting out a breath as the spins took over.
He chuckled softly again, pulling me to him. “Sleep. I’ll make sure you’re OK.”
I think I mumbled out another reply, but I couldn’t be sure. My world went dark, Ethan’s arms wrapped tightly around me.
