“She doesn’t drink.” Austin’s voice cut through the room, low and sharp. It wasn’t the same low I’d heard in the car. This one wasn’t intimate. It was protective.
“Since when?” Killian asked, still not looking at Austin. His eyes stayed on mine, curious in a way that felt deliberate.
“Uh,” I started, but Cherry beat me to it.
“Since, like, fucking forever,” she said, clearly enjoying herself.
Killian’s grin faltered for half a second before snapping back into place. “Oh,” he said lightly. “Well, I could get you a soda—”
“She’s good,” Austin interrupted again. He didn’t bother to soften it. The rudeness in his tone landed hard, spreading an awkward silence through the space like spilled alcohol. Everyone felt it. Everyone except Killian. Killian just smiled, slow and knowing, like Austin’s hostility was exactly what he’d been aiming for.
“Let’s play a drinking game!” Cherry shouted into the room, her voice cutting through the tension and saving us all from whatever that moment had been turning into.
“Cherry,” I said quickly, leaning close to her face and keeping my voice low, “maybe we should have some water first.”
“I’m good!” She leaned into me the same way I’d leaned into her earlier, except she didn’t bother lowering her volume. The words blasted directly into my ear. I winced as I looked at her properly. She was swaying even though her feet were planted firmly on the floor.
Cherry wasn’t new to alcohol. Not even close. But even for Cherry, this was too much. Whatever she’d been drinking tonight, she’d gone past the line where it stopped being fun and started being concerning. I glanced over at Levi. He was holding an unopened beer, his fingers tight around the bottle. When our eyes met, I saw the same worry mirrored there. Without a word, he set the beer down untouched. That told me everything I needed to know. Our time at this party was limited.
“Blair,” Killian called again, his voice carrying through the noise. I turned slowly, genuinely confused about why he was so intent on getting my attention. Couldn’t he see that I was occupied? That I was standing with another boy’s arms wrapped firmly around me?
“What’s up?” I asked, keeping my tone neutral despite the unease creeping under my skin.
“We went to The Pitt last night,” he said, slower than usual, the alcohol thickening his words. “Thought you and Cherry would be working. Didn’t see you.”
“Oh.” I glanced at Cherry, who was watching the exchange like it was a live show. “Maybe we were on break. I’m not sure. Sorry.”
“Killian,” Cherry slurred suddenly. My stomach dropped. I knew that tone. And I knew whatever came next wasn’t going to begood. “Blair doesn’t like you anymore,” she announced loudly, with zero hesitation. “She has a new boy.”
The room didn’t go quiet. But everything shifted. Killian’s face went dark instantly, his eyes widening at the word‘anymore’like it had punched him square in the chest. He wasn’t the only one. I felt Austin’s head snap up behind me at the same word, his body going rigid.
“Alright, Cherry,” I said quickly, stepping in before anything could explode. “Let’s get you some water.” I looked to Levi, who didn’t hesitate. He grabbed an empty cup and filled it at the sink. The chatter around us swelled, people refocusing on their own conversations, mercifully letting the moment dissolve back into noise. I leaned back into Austin, grounding myself against him. He didn’t ask me a single question about what Cherry had said. I didn’t feel jealousy coming off him. Not suspicion. Not accusation. And I was grateful for that. Because there was nothing for him to be jealous about.
Cherry refused the water at first. Levi sighed, then got creative. “For every shot of water you drink,” he told her patiently, “I’ll take one of your vodka.”
She perked up at that. She didn’t notice, maybe she couldn’t notice, that Levi never let a single drop of vodka touch his mouth. Every “shot” disappeared behind his head, dumped out quietly while she swallowed water and smiled like she’d won. Slowly, the awkwardness began to dissolve. Austin didn’t release his hold around me, and for once, I didn’t mind. I started to think that the anxiety I’d felt in the car had been misplaced.
This wasn’t bad. It was actually fun. I found myself laughing as Cherry danced with her hands thrown into the air, her eyes closed, her body moving without thought or care. For a brief moment, regret flickered through me. Regret for all the nightsI’d spent alone in my room instead of being out with her. For all the life I’d convinced myself I didn’t need. And then the regret stopped. Austin’s voice cut through the air like a blade. It was dangerous in the way it boomed over the music, loud enough that the room seemed to snap into silence around it.
“Man, I’m trying not to fuck you up right now,” he said, his voice calm but lethal, “but if you don’t stop looking at my fucking girlfriend like you’re trying to see through her clothes, we’re going to have a problem.” The confidence I’d admired in him was still there. But it had sharpened into something else entirely. “And by problem,” Austin continued when Killian didn’t respond, “I mean my fist is going to hit your face so hard you won’t be able to see anything at all ever again.”
“Austin.” My voice came out barely louder than a breath. Shock rippled through me. Not just at what he’d said, but at how easily it had left his mouth. The way he’d claimed me. The way it made my skin crawl, like I was something owned. Something he had the right to defend with violence.
Killian’s face was flushed. I couldn’t tell if it was fear or humiliation. I didn’t wait around to find out. I grabbed Austin’s hand and pulled it away from my body, separating us for the first time since we’d walked into the party. Anger surged up through me fast and hot, igniting in my stomach and spreading into my chest. Austin didn’t resist as I dragged him through the crowd. People moved aside again, instinctively, like they didn’t want to be anywhere near us. I pushed open random doors without thinking, searching for somewhere empty. Somewhere quiet.
When I finally found an unoccupied room, I pulled Austin inside and shut the door behind us. He still didn’t speak. He didn’t look confused or apologetic. His face was unreadable, like he was waiting. I locked the door and glanced around. It looked likean office. A single desk. A chair. A computer pushed to the side like it hadn’t been used in years. I took a breath. Then another. Shaking my head as I exhaled.
“Austin,” I said, finally meeting his eyes. He looked right back at me. And that was when I saw it clearly. Anger. The same anger burning in me. Seeing it there only made mine flare hotter. “Austin,” I said again, slower this time. I wanted him to explain himself. I wanted him to understand exactly why what he’d done wasn’t okay.
I wasn’t his to claim. I wasn’t something he got to threaten people over. And I wasn’t a prize to be guarded by fists and fear.
“What, Yellow?” Austin asked. He was struggling to keep his voice steady, anger threading through every word.
“What?” I echoed, lifting my hands between us. “What the hell was that?”
“Yellow,” he sighed, reaching for me, but I pulled my hands away before he could take them. “The way he was looking at you—”
“Austin, you can’t threaten to beat someone up just because they looked at me,” I snapped, frustration spilling over.
