Rosalie
“And that’s how it’s done.” Gabriella takes a seat at our table, throwing down a piece of paper with a number scrawled on it.
She bet Madeline she could get a guy’s number in less than a minute, and even though she seemed confident, I didn’t think she’d be able to pull it off. I mean, sixty seconds is nothing, but she managed to do it.
Madeline’s jaw drops. “Unbelievable. That took less than thirty seconds.”
She shrugs, bringing her glass to her mouth and taking a sip of her drink. “I’m just that good.”
Leila snorts. “No, he’s just that horny.”
“True,” Gabriella replies.
Madeline studies the piece of paper. “You cheated.”
Gabi raises her brows, looking offended. “What do you mean I cheated?”
“You probably told him about the bet,” Madi says. “I’m not paying you.”
Gabi shakes her head. “No, I won that fair and square. Now give me my $20.”
Madi scoffs and takes out a twenty from her purse, handing it to Gabi, who takes it from her with a grin as she tucks it into her bra.
The door opens, and in come a group of guys, the laughter and deep voices filling the room. My eyes instantly snap up, trying to find Grayson.
I need to relax. It’s been two days. It’s not like I need to be around him every second of every day, no matter how much I want to. I can’t stop picturing his face when he found me high and out of my mind.
The way he almost broke down, his voice cracking. I don’t know what I would have done without him there. And once he left, I felt empty again. I need to not think about him.
But it isn’t working. Every time the door opens, my head snaps up, trying to see if Grayson walks in. I don’t know why my mind is consumed with him. He’s not my boyfriend; that’s clear. He’s just a friend that gives me orgasms sometimes and takes me on adventures, which is totally normal, right?
I don’t know how Leila and Gabi do it. How they hook up with different people so often and never catch feelings. I don’t understand how they’re so comfortable in sharing such a vulnerable part of themselves with just anyone.
I know I went to Grayson’s house, willingly looking for him to take my virginity without even knowing the guy, but I’m so glad he denied me. The first time we ever hooked up was so much more fun and easier to let go because I knew him, and I trusted him.
“You looking for anyone in specific?” Leila asks.
I cock my head towards her. “No.” I furrow my brows, wondering if she can see through my lies.
Her eyes narrow a bit, and I swallow. “Really?”
She seems suspicious. What would she be suspicious about? I haven’t told them about Grayson, and it’s not like we hang out together around campus. We’re always alone. The one time we went to a bar together, the only people who had seen us were the football team. She had nothing to be suspicious about.
I keep telling that to myself as I swallow the rest of my drink. “Yes,” I say, looking at the bottom of the empty glass.
“Okay,” she says, sipping her drink. Her tone sounds like she doesn’t believe me, which I don’t know what to do with. Do I sit here and try to convince her of the fact, or do I leave?
I choose the latter, standing up from the table. “I’m going to get a refill. You want another drink?” I ask Leila.
Her glass is still half full, so she shakes her head. “No, I’m fine.”
I nod, turning to Madeline and Gabi. “Do you guys want anything?”
They both shake their heads, and I turn, heading for the bar.
I recognize the bartender. He’s got a grin on his face as he hands a drink to a gorgeous brunette at the end of the bar. Jesus, he’s a flirt. I mean, you would have to be with the kind of attention that he gets. He’s handsome, tall as hell, and a basketball player. I can only imagine how many girls claw at his feet. And now has the ability to get me drunk, which makes him even more enticing.
He sees me approaching, and his eyes lock with mine. He gives me a warm smile, and I return it. This guy’s smile could bring anyone to their knees. “Rosalie, right?” he asks.
“Yep, Aiden, right?”
He laughs. “Yes, that’s me.”
“So,” I say, taking a seat on the barstool. “You moonlight as a bartender?” I ask him.
He shrugs, leaning on the bar. “When I need to.”
“Great, then I’d like a margarita, please.” I slide my fake ID towards him that the girls had gotten me. It looks real, and hopefully, Aiden won’t suspect anything. He raises an eyebrow at me. I think he knows I’m not twenty-two, as the ID suggests, but he doesn’t seem to care.
He nods, stepping back. “Coming right up.”
He makes the drink in a flash. One minute I’m looking behind my shoulder at that damn door again, and the next, I turn my head, seeing the drink in front of me.
I hand him the cash, and he shakes his head. “No need,” he says. “It’s already been paid for.”
My brows furrow. “By who?” If he’s about to tell me he paid for my drink, it’s about to get awkward as hell. He’s attractive, sure, but I’m hooking up with his roommate, who I’d rather be with right now.
He smirks and gestures to my left with his head.
I turn and see a guy sitting next to me. “By me,” the guy says. His striking green eyes wink at me as he flashes a grin. “Hi.”
His hair is tousled with dark blonde strands. He looks like a model or a surfer. He’s attractive, sure, but I feel nothing when I look at him.
“And your name is?” I ask him.
“Mark,” he says, scooting closer to me. “What’s your name?”
I bite my tongue, holding out the $10 in front of me. “Not interested,” I say. I don’t want to be rude. I don’t want him to get the wrong idea.
He chuckles, not taking the money from me. “How weird. My last girlfriend’s name was the same, and we ended up dating for two years.”
I lift my brows at him. “Really? You’re asking me out by talking about your ex?”
I can see why Gabriella got that number so quickly. If this is what guys think are good pick-up lines, I’m suddenly not so surprised they gave in so easily to Gabi.
He shrugs. “I thought a joke would help break the ice.”
“Consider it very much intact still.”
I slide the money over to him, but he makes no move to retrieve it. “Playing hard to get, huh?”
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Seriously? “Nope,” I tell him. “Just not interested, so take the money, I wouldn’t want you getting the wrong idea.”
“Not interested,” he muses, scanning my face. “And why’s that?”
“Because I have a boyfriend,” I blurt out. I bite my tongue, not wanting to say anymore. The idea of having a boyfriend doesn’t scare me. What does is that Grayson’s face popped into my mind when I muttered those words. He isn’t my boyfriend, he’s nothing. I need to keep reminding myself of that.
Mark finally gives up. He slides the money back to me. “Keep it,” he says, taking a sip of his drink and then sighs. “He’s a lucky guy.”
I smile, trying to make him feel a little worse about being rejected. “Thanks.”
With that, I stand up and make my way back to the table, where Leila is already looking back at me with that same suspicious look on her face.
“Who was that?” she asks when I sit beside her.
I shrug. “I don’t know. He bought me a drink and tried to ask me out.”
“And you said no?”
I take a sip of my drink. “I said no to him, I said yes to the drink.”
“Why did you say no?” Gabriella asks. “He’s cute.”
“Not interested.”
“Hmm,” Leila murmurs.
I sigh, turning to face her. “What is it? I know you have something you want to ask me, so do it already.”
“Does the fact that you’re not interested have anything to do with Grayson Carter?” she asks, making my face drain of its color. How the hell does she know about Grayson?
“What?” Gabriella shrieks. “Grayson Carter?”
“What’s going on with you and Grayson Carter?” Madeline asks, sounding as shocked as Gabi did.
“Nothing,” I lie. “Nothing’s going on with Grayson.”
The girls don’t take my bullshit. They give me a look of disbelief and then turn to Leila, who seems to know something since she’s smiling.
“He called me yesterday,” she says. “And ended up giving me what could only be described as a lecture about the danger of drugs.” She smiles at me. “I didn’t know whether to be pissed at him or grateful. He seemed like he was really worried about you.”
I swallow. “He told you about that?”
She nods, her eyes softening as a slight frown forms on her face. “He told me you freaked out and ended up having a hallucination, and he found you having a panic attack.”
“What?” Gabriella shrieks again.
“Is this true?” Madi asks.
“Yeah,” I admit with a nod.
Madi’s face turns pained. “You gave her drugs?” she asks Leila.
“She asked me for it,” Leila says. “I didn’t think she’d be able to smoke a joint, so I got her some edibles. I thought they’d be better.”
“How did you even get it?” Madi asks.
“I asked this kid in my business class who always comes in high. He cooked up a batch of brownies and gave me a few.”
“Are you okay?” Gabi asks me.
“Yeah,” I reassure them. “I’m fine. It was just scary.”
“I texted you,” Leila says with a frown. “I went over to your apartment, but the concierge said you weren’t inside, so I left the package with them and texted you to let you know.” She shakes her head, her brows pulled together. “I’m so sorry. I should have been there with you.”
“My phone was dead,” I tell her. “I didn’t see the text.” The next morning, I woke up with Grayson lying beside me, sleeping next to me. I thought he would have left after we hooked up, but he stayed. And when I checked my phone, Leila’s text was there, telling me she got me pot brownies and to wait for her. I told Grayson about it, but I would never have thought he’d call Leila.
“It’s all my fault,” she says. “I should have been there. I didn’t know you’d react like that.”
I don’t blame Leila. It wasn’t her fault. It was just bad timing. The text was enough, it was just bad luck that my phone was dead, and I didn’t end up seeing it.
“Me neither. I didn’t know they were edibles, and I was starving, so I had two.”
Leila closes her eyes, a pained expression painted on her face as she mutters ‘Mierda’ under her breath.
“This makes me want to do drugs even less than before,” Madeline says.
“Not everyone has a bad reaction like Rosie did,” Gabi says, leaning back on her chair. “When I smoked weed, It was great.”
“Yeah.” Leila agrees. “I just felt relaxed.”
I exhale. “What I felt was the furthest from relaxed.” It sucks that I had a bad reaction to it the first time I tried it.
“Why did you ask Leila for drugs?” Madi asks.
I shrug. “I don’t know. I just wanted to try it, I guess.”
“And Grayson Carter?” Gabi asks. “What’s that about?”
“Nothing,” I say, sipping my drink. When I look up, all of them are staring back at me, waiting for me to explain. I sigh. “He just happened to be there. He’s helping me with something.”
“With what?” Leila asks.
“Something,” I say with a shrug.
“Are you hooking up with Grayson?” Gabi asks.
I don’t reply. Instead, I take a long sip of my drink, wanting to avoid answering.
She gasps. “Oh my god, you totally are.”
Leila laughs. “Who are you, and what have you done with Rosalie Whitton?”
“I want to reinvent myself,” I tell them. “I’m becoming a different version than the Rosalie Whitton you know.”
“But I love her,” Leila says. “She’s my best friend.”
I shake my head. “She’s boring.”
“Rosie. You couldn’t be boring if you tried.” Leila says, repeating her words from the party.
Madi nods. “I second that.”
“I third that,” Gabi mumbles, holding up her hand in the air.
“That doesn’t make sense,” Madi says to Gabi.
She rolls her eyes. “You know what I mean.”
“I never know what you mean,” Madi says, making us all laugh.
“Do you have plans tomorrow?” Leila asks. “I was thinking of going to the party the football team is hosting.”
I groan. “I can’t. I have to go to New York.” I close my eyes, regretting my decision to say yes to attending the event.
“I’ve always wanted to go to New York,” Madi says. “Fashion capital. It sounds amazing.”
I nod. “It is when I don’t have to be around my mother. She drains me.”
“Then don’t go,” Gabi says. “She can’t exactly ground you.”
I nod. “True, but she’s relentless. She’ll never stop. It’s better if I get it over with than have her yelling in my ear for hours.”
Gabi glances at Madi’s phone that’s sitting on the table. “What time is it?” she asks.
Madi checks her phone, then turns to Gabi. “Then-thirty, why?”
Gabriella stands from the table, picking up her drink and downing it before placing it back on the table. “Because I’ve got to go.”
“Where are you going?” I ask.
“Nowhere. I’m just tired.” She opens her mouth to imitate a yawn that’s obviously fake. “Good night,” she says before turning around and heading out of the door.
We stare at the door that closed behind her, wondering what the hell just happened. Leila and I look at Madi, waiting for her to explain.
She shakes her head. “Don’t ask me,” Madi says. “I can’t keep up with her.”
We all laugh at Gabi’s theatrics, but in the back of my mind, I keep thinking about tomorrow, dreading going to New York, dealing with everything I’m trying to run from.
