Where the fuck did they go? Upstairs? Outside? My stomach churns at the thought of Troy with his hands all over her. Or worse, her glossy lips wrapped around the dick that was in my mouth a week ago. The dick I can’t stop thinking about.
“So much for bros before hoes, huh?” Liam says, pulling me out of my spiral.
“Yeah, well.” I force a laugh. “What can you do?”
“Well, since your roommate’s ditched you, can I get you another beer? I was about to get a refill.”
Wait, is this guy flirting with me?The way he’s looking at me, the slight smile on his face, the way he’s leaned in a little too close. Oh, fuck. He is.
And objectively, this guy is hot. Not in Troy’s broad, jock-like way. He’s leaner, with a narrow waist and defined shoulders that show through his shirt. Sharp jawline. Nice hands. There’s a grace to him, an ease in the way he holds himself. And he’s smart. And funny. This is exactly what Troy said I should be looking for. An opportunity.
For a second, I’m tempted. To say yes. To let him lead me to the keg, flirt back, see where it goes. Have a little adventure of my own. See if it feels the same with some other guy as it did with Troy.
But I can’t. I’m too messed up. My head’s twisted. I can’t do this with some random dude. Not when I’m still processing the fact that I’m even having these thoughts at all. And definitely not when all I can think about is Troy and where the fuck he went.
“I’m good, man. Thanks, though. I think I’m actually gonna head out.”
Liam’s smile falters. “Oh. Okay. Well, it was good to meet you, Connor.”
“Yeah, you too. Sorry.”
“No worries. See you in class.” He gives me a small, disappointed nod before turning and melting back into the crowd.
I feel like an asshole. I could have at least taken the beer. But my brain is already in overdrive, a single thought running on repeat: find Troy.
And that’s exactly what I do. I ditch my empty cup on a table already overflowing with trash and push through the throng of people. I head upstairs, making my way to the narrow staircase, dodging a couple making out against the wall. The music thuds from below, but up here it’s muffled.
I open doors. A bedroom with three girls sitting on a bed, talking. A bathroom with a line of guys waiting. A closet. A room with some dude passed out on a beanbag chair. I’m about to give up, to go back downstairs and call it a night, when I hear it. A familiar laugh.
It’s coming from the room at the end of the hall. The door is slightly ajar, a sliver of light spilling out into the dark hallway.
I shouldn’t. I know I shouldn’t. This is pathetic. This is fucked up. Who knows what kind of compromising position I’m about to find him in. But my feet carry me down the hall anyway, my heart hammering against my ribs. I have to know. I have to see.
So I push the door open and look inside.
5
Troy’s sitting on a king-size bed, leaning back against the headboard with his shoes kicked off. Still fully dressed. The blonde is perched on the windowsill with the window cracked open, a cigarette between her fingers, smoke drifting out into the night.
They both turn to look at me as I step into the room. I must look like a total psycho, standing there in the doorway, breathing hard from my frantic search.
“Connor?” Troy’s brow furrows. “What’s up? You okay?”
I’m not okay. I’m not even close to okay. But I can’t say that. I can’t tell him that I was frantically searching for him because I was terrified he was pushing that big dick into someone, and that the thought made me want to put my fist through a wall. That would be insane. So I say the first thing that comes to mind.
“I need to talk to you.”
The blonde looks from me to Troy, a flicker of annoyance on her face. “Can it wait? We’re kind of in the middle of something.”
“Yeah, man,” Troy says, glancing at the blonde with a grin. “Got plans here. Me and Ashley were just about to get to know each other a little better.” He winks at her.
Ashley smirks back at him, stubbing out her cigarette on the windowsill. “We sure were.”
In that moment, something inside me snaps. The possessive, ugly feeling that’s been simmering in my gut boils over. I can’t watch this. I can’t let this happen.
I look at Troy, and my voice comes out colder than I intended. “Now. It’s important.”
Ashley’s eyes narrow. “Are you serious right now? Who is this guy?”
