I deflect. "There's no way you like parties. You aren't exactly friendly; you hate being touched."
As attractive as he is, there's no way he goes to parties like this one without people trying to crawl all over him. It has to be exhausting.
"Mmm, that's not exactly true. I like them, just not in the way you'd think. And there is one place I don't mind being touched."
Ignoring the last bit, I gesture to Kira, now on the other side of the room with a beer bong in her mouth. "Still think it's her?"
"Definitely not," he says, watching her for a few seconds before adding, "She doesn't really seem like your type."
I cock an eyebrow. "I'll have you know that I'm actually averyfun girl when the three of you aren't around, sucking the life out of me."
"I don't like her. She's too peppy."
"Really? I don't know; it's kind of nice to be around someone whose spirit hasn't been ground into pulp by the rest of the world yet."
"It'll get to her, eventually. I'm going to get some air. You want to come?"
"…In the backyard?"
"That's a no, then?"
"Yeah."
He shrugs and walks off. "Let me know if you get any more texts."
Great. I guess he's on babysitting duty.
I huff, bringing my cup to my lips before noticing it's empty.
"Saige!" Kira stands on the sofa with the beer bong in her hand. "It's your turn—get over here."
Well, Ididtell Nolan that I was a fun girl…and I'm out of beer.
I make my way over to them, grabbing the end of the hose, but before I bring it to my mouth, someone stops me.
"Saige Ripley? No way. Does Elias know you're here?"
Oliver Jenkins and a few others from Elias's high school crew stand to my left. I guess I let my guard down; I wasn't paying close enough attention and hadn't noticed any of them, but I do now. Rhys is with him—he played hockey with Elias and Dax—and two other girls whose names I'm too drunk to come up with, but whose faces I definitely recognize.
What happened with Sasha earlier lulled me into a false sense of security. I should have known if he invited her, there would be others, too.
"Ew, she's going to put her mouth on the beer bong!" one of the girls says.
"You girls are lucky we got here in time," Oliver says. "Saige has a highly contagious case of herpes. You don't want her or her dirty mouth anywhere near you."
Tears prick the backs of my eyes. And to make things worse, when I look back at Kira, she pulls the beer bong away from me.
She's worried it might be true. And we've been sharing drinks all evening.
"I don't have herpes," I say weakly, averting my gaze.
"You better get out of here, Saige," the blonde one says. "I'm going to tell Elias you're here, and he'll make you leave."
"Or he'll let me do it," the first girl says. "He let me and Dax throw you out of your own house on his birthday. What do you think is going to happen when he finds out you're here?"
"Oh, that was hilarious! He locked her out in the rain all night."
"I know, right? I heard she slept on the floor of the garage."
