“Are you good with a roommate?” She twitches her head toward Gwen standing behind her. Ava and Lucky were fortunate enough to score a room together in the house, and I was that much luckier to score a room of myveryown.
“Uh—I—I…” Oh, hell no. Can this night please getbetter?
“She said yes!” Lucky barks over hershoulder.
“I said yes? In what language—pirate-ease?” This entire night is turning out to be amindfuck.
She spins back into me with a panicked look in her eyes. “Sorry.” Her lips contort with the apology. “They threatened to separate Ava and me, and, well, she’s sort of like my security blanket at this point. It’s basically sororityTetris, and you sort of ended up with another brick in your room—thenewgirl.”
“Not a problem.” So much for having the room all to my lonesome. Easy come, easy go. I give a quick glance over my shoulder and find Knox Dumb as a Box of Rocks chatting it up with Lawson and Grant. I spot Rush there, Lucky’s big brother, and Eli Gates, his buddy too. The entire lot of them breaks out into a laugh, and Rush is quick to give Knox a friendly high five. “No, no, no,” I quietly moan. They’re caving. They’re accepting him into the fold, and soon he’ll be an unwantedaccessory.
“Oh, please don’t change your mind. I promise you’ll love her.” Lucky dips on her knees amoment.
“Yes, to the roommate. No, to the fact Knox Toberman is infiltrating the ranks of my social circle and becoming an obnoxious regularfixture.”
“What?” Her bubbling laughter explodes right in my face and feels like treason. “He’s Lawson’s stepbrother. That boyisa fixture. He’s not going anywhere. Besides, Knox is a sweetheart, and he’s not hard on the eyes. I don’t see theproblem.”
“The problem is, he’s harnessed the power of an entire infestation of gnats, and I can’t breathe without inhaling hisbullshit.”
Ava pops up with a look of worry. “What’s going on? If you really don’t want the new girl, I’ll be the last person to twistyourarm.”
Lucky gives an impish grin. “It’s not the girl. It’s the guy. Knox Toberman to beexact.”
“He is a looker.” Ava shrugs as if stating the obvious. “But if memory serves correct, you’re both leashed to a plus one at the moment.” She bumps her shoulder to mine. “But, hey, if you’re looking for anupgrade.”
“Upgrade?” I squawk so loud. Never in my life has my relationship come under more scrutiny in a single hellishnight.
Lawson steps between us a moment and offers Lucky a kiss to the lips. “Headed to the little boys’ room. Be back inasec.”
Lucky melts upon his departure. “Little boys’ room.” She giggles. Traditionally, Lucky isn’t a giggler, but Lawson has the power to reduce her to a puddle of hormones whenever he’saround.
Ava waves her hands wildly, desperate to get my attention. “I’m teasing! I swear I am. Justin is—” She looks to Luckyforhelp.
“Great,” Lucky finishes for her with all the enthusiasm of a dentaldrilling.
“Look, I get it. The two of you just need to get to know him better. To know him is to love him. And he’s a looker too.” I frown over at Ava for even suggesting I might be gawking at the beefcake that is Knox Toberman. “Besides, Knox has a girlfriend. She’s usually dripping all over him. Figures. The one second she takes her eyes off him, he’s off trying to shuck someone else’s corn.” I scowl over at him a moment. “Hey? Did I just liken myself to avegetable?”
Lucky grunts at the thought. “You’re no vegetable, and Knox is no cheat. It’s that skank he’s leashed himself to that’s been hitting onLawson.”
Ava and I gasp so loud it sounds as if the universe justunzipped.
“No,” I say as if I’ve just stumbled upon the juiciest bit of gossip. Then just as my giddiness hits its zenith, my heart plummets for the guy. I shake the thought away. “Anyway, I think they’re both cheats. It sounds like he was wrong. It’s not my relationship that’s coming to an end soon.It’shis.”
Lawson struts by us on the way to the male centric version of our social circle, and soon the entire lot of them is headed this way. If my life were a musical, this is the part where I would lead the girls into a song of torment while tossing out criminal threats of violence toward Knoxhimself.
Lawson grimaces at me a moment. “You guys better come along too.” He whispers something into Lucky’s ear and sheseesred.
“Holy shit.” She grips me by the arm, and our small crowd jostles an entire sea of red Solos until we come upon a dark corridor that leads behind the kitchen. Lawson shoves his finger to his lips before yanking Knox from the tangle of bodies. Lucky gives me a shove right along with him and the lightsswitchon.
Then Iseeit.
Holy shit isright.
My heart stops. The world sways unnaturally beneath my feet as I struggle to catch my breath. A hard roll of nausea bounces through me as I try not to lose mydinner.
Slow to break from their embrace are Justin and a blonde skinny bitch, both of their faces smeared with her bright red lipstick like a couple of demonicclowns.
A Mack truck could run me over and I would neverfeelit.
