“You’re such a devious man.” I graze his leg with the tip of my shoe. “Unfortunately, I love that about you.”
“You have no idea how much power you hold over me, my dear.”
“You’re lying.”
“Never.”
I raise a brow at the lie.
“Never again,” he corrects.
28
Visha
The sound of pop music rattles against the walls and strives to make more bodies sway.
Xander shakes his hips as though he’s Shakira’s long-lost sister which makes Sarah cackle out loud, almost toppling over a stray purse. Sweat drips down my spine and forces me to settle down on a nearby flat surface to catch my breath.
“You good?” Liv shouts over Ariana Grande singingBreak Free.
I nod fervently, fanning myself. “Just thirsty! It’s too hot in here.”
“Wanna get out for a bit?” she asks, gesturing at the backyard where countless teenagers are hanging out.
It seems as crowded and stuffy in the yard as it feels in here, so I decline. “I kinda wanna head upstairs, you know? Get away from the crowd.”
“Sure!”
We push through the people swaying to the beat ofCalifornia GirlsbyKaty Perry getting louder by the second.A girl steps in front of me, blocking the path to the stairs as she shakes her butt energetically.
Throwing her hair back, she inches too close into my personal space. “Wanna dance cutie?”
Her long blonde hair jumps as she moves and cascades in shiny curls behind her back. The party lights reflect on her tanned skin but to me she looks like any other girl.
I lift my hands in front of me and offer her an apologetic smile. “Nah, but thanks.”
She frowns, visibly offended by the rejection and grabs my arm, preventing me from leaving. “Excuse me? How dare you.”
“You’re excused.” I yank my arm out of her grasp. “What’s your problem?”
She scoffs, dramatically flicking her hair back. “Do you know who I am?”
“Should I?” I shoot back, confused by this nonsensical exchange.
Olivia steps in and glares daggers at the blonde girl. “He’s with me, so move bitch.”
Way to go. She’s probably the crudest and rudest one among our friend group but in moments like these, I’m thankful for her bad attitude.
“What the fuck? You can’t speak for yourself, so you get your skank to defend you?”
I pull Olivia aside and grab that spray tanned copy-pasted chick by the arm. “Don’t you dare call her a skank again, you Trump lookalike. If I looked like you, I’d hate myself too. Just because you can’t get what you want doesn’t allow you to act like a spoiled bitch.”
She gasps and slaps me across the face. The sting of the impact rings in my ear but I forcefully brush it aside. This is nothing compared to the beatings I’ve suffered.
“I’m gonna kill this bitch.”
“Hold on. We don’t want any problems with the cops, Liv.”
