She babbles, "On a scale of one to ten, how surprised were you?"
I stare at her.
What a dumb question.
Her smile grows. "You must still be in shock."
I clear my throat, admitting, "Yeah, I'm in shock." But it's not about the party.
How did I not notice Willow before?
She's Jacob's daughter.
Jagger and his brothers will kill me.
"Hey, Wyatt," a breathless female voice interrupts, and a hand wraps around my bicep from behind.
Chelsea's eyes narrow. "Hazel."
I turn my head and refrain from groaning.
Willow's annoying friend beams at me. "I wanted to come give the birthday boy a hug."
I have to get out of here.
"Can you two excuse me, please?" I say, tipping my hat. Then I glance into the tents, searching for Willow.
Jagger slides his arm around me and hands me a red Solo cup. "Thought you might need one of these."
"What is it?" I question, glancing at the fizzing cola.
"Drink it," he orders with mischief in his eyes.
I obey, grimacing as the whiskey overpowers the soda.
"Don't be a pussy," he taunts.
I down the cup's contents, hoping it'll cool the fire smoldering inside me.
"All you gotta do is make the rounds for an hour, then you can sneak off with Chelsea," he directs.
I clench my jaw.
"What's that look for?" he asks.
"Nothing. How do I get a refill?" I ask.
He grunts. "Mason has a flask. He'll fill you up."
"Great." I scan the party again.
"Jagger. Are you going to let the birthday boy have all the fun?" Hazel cuts in.
I groan, irritated once again.
Jagger turns and looks her over, his lips curling in approval. "Meaning?"
She giggles. "He shouldn't get all the hugs, should he?"
