Callen ran another hand through his shaggy brown hair, blue eyes lighting up with his smile as he stretched out a hand and said, “Nice to meet you, Dany. I appreciate you keeping Andrew company while I wrestled this one out the door.” Callen pulled Damien into his side and mussed his hair playfully. “This is my little brother Damien. He just graduated high school and has been a little nervous to get his feet wet at the party scene.”
Damien sported the same brown hair his brother did, but where Callen’s was straight and shaggy, Damien’s strands curled, sticking out wildly in places that gave him a rogue boyish charm I was immediately drawn to. He looked like a little brother and it made me want to hug him tight. After an hour at this party, I knew all too well what it felt like to be the odd man out.
“Nice to meet you guys,” I said cheerfully. “It was more than a burden to entertain your friend in your absence. However, I’m sure it wouldn’t take much to make amends.” I threw my most charming smile their way, leaning on a heavy desire to please Andrew by showing open acceptance for his friends.
Callen threw his head back and laughed, both of his hands still resting on his friend’s shoulders. “I like this one, Andy! She’s got jokes.” His laughter died down as he paused to look me up and down. I shifted on my feet, feeling a growing sense of discomfort for the way his eyelids lowered under the weight of his stare. “And looks.”
Movement caught my eye and I glanced Damien’s way just in time to see him take an unintentional step backward, almost as if he wanted to run away as much as I did.
I cleared my throat, leaning into Andrew’s side for a small ounce of comfort while seeming to take great interest in the wooden mantle above the fireplace. The air betweenthe four of us grew tense with each moment of yawning silence.
Though I didn’t want to, I broke my staring contest with the chestnut piece to look up at Andrew through lidded eyes. The intensity with which he looked at Callen was even more unsettling than his predatory assessment of my body.
A shiver rattled my bones and instinctively pulled me a step away from Andrew. When my grip loosened on his arm he didn’t even notice.
Just as oddly as it had begun, both men snapped out of it and donned that easygoing frat boy smile again.
Callen looked at Damien and said, “I’m gonna go get us some drinks.”
“I— I’m all right Callen. It’s okay. I don’t really want—”
“Don’t be stupid,” Callen interrupted Damien’s stammering. “It'll help you take the edge off. Nobody wants to bethatguy at a party. I’d hate for everyone to find out that my little brother is a pussy.”
Callen’s tone was still light, but there was something about the gleam in his eye that made his words sound more like a threat and less like a joke.
I watched him weave his way through the crowd, my hackles still raised in silent warning, screaming for me to bolt.
“Don’t worry about him,” Andrew leaned into me and whispered in my ear. “He can be a little intense sometimes. Pretty sure he pre-gamed too.”
“What does that mean?”
“Damn, baby. I didn’t know you were that innocent.” Andrew laughed, but I didn’t think any part of what I said was funny. “I just mean that he probably started drinking early. I bet he had a buzz before he even left his house. Isn’t that right Damien?”
I jolted a little at his name, having forgotten that the more meek brother was still standing beside us.
“Yeah,” he answered with a slight tremble. “I guess so.”
Andrew nodded with narrow eyes and said, “Keep Dany company, would ya? I’m gonna go get another beer.”
His arm fell away from where I held it and he didn’t look back as he followed Callen’s path through the party goers.
Uncomfortable was an understatement for the silence hanging between Damien and I. I didn’t really want to talk to him. Anxiety was creeping upmy throat, and I just wanted to go home.
“Um, do you come here often?”
The ridiculous question pulled me out of the mini panic attack brewing inside. “Excuse me?”
Damien looked down at his feet, running a hand through messy hair before asking again. “Do you come here often?”
“To college parties inside frat houses where the shag carpet gives you a contact high two towns over? No, Damien, I don’t.”
How was he supposed to know that? I didn’t fucking know, but it was a stupid question that aggravated my mood growing more piss poor by the second.
He didn’t try to speak again, though he also didn’t leave my side.
“Don’t you know anyone here?” I asked, half hoping it would jog his memory and he would leave.
“This may come as a shock to you; I don’t frequent frat parties either.” Damien’s shifty gaze centered on mine for a second before he looked away again, swallowed, and said quietly, “I’m just a sophomore in high school.”
