OH GOD.
There are two of everything—I mean, three if you count how many Saints I’m seeing right now, but then again, the floor is also kind of swaying beneath my feet, so it could be that.
My mouth feels weird. Numb and tingly? How is that even possible?
“Lennon. I need to talk to you. Right. Now,” I say, grabbing her hand and tugging her away, until we’re out of earshot from her bodyguard boyfriend.
“It’s your birthday!” she singsongs, and I grab her face with both hands. Well, like, sort of her ear, and one hand in her hand, but you get the point.
“Len, focus.”
Thank God she’s the more sober one of the two of us.
She’s only had a couple of drinks, and that’s because if she got too drunk, then she wouldn’t remember all of the disgusting things Saint will be doing to her tonight—more information than I needed to know, but still.
God, what was I even going to say?
I already forgot. The lights are too bright.
My clutch begins to incessantly vibrate, and I drop my hand from Lennon to clumsily get the latch open, then pull out my phone.
UNKNOWN NUMBER: Here. You’ve got five minutes to get your pretty little ass outside, or I’m coming in.
UNKNOWN NUMBER: Do not try me tonight, Maisie. You got what you wanted and you’ve pushed me too fucking far.
Gulping, I flip the screen toward her.
Thisis what I was going to tell her.
Her brow pinches. “Wh?—”
“Wilder ishere.”
“Oh my God.” Lennon’s eyes go wide, and she glances around to make sure no one has heard, stepping closer. “What do you mean, he’s freaking here? At the busiest bar on campus? Full of students?”
I nod. “Yes. Welllllll…” I trail off and wince. “I kind of emailed him this really long email about how I don’t like his dick, and I don’t care about him at all, so then he called me, and I may have FaceTimed him and showed him my dress and told him thatIwasn’twearinganypanties?”
Lennon screeches, “Oh, you dirty girl! But, wait, I thought you were done with him?”
She gives methelook.
You know, the one where the person who knows you better than you know yourself is telling you that she knows better?
“I am done!”
When she continues to look at me with that smirk and that look that tells me she doesn’t believe me whatsoever, I groan.
“Iam. We’re just going to… talk. I can’t let him come in here. Saint and Bennett would see him, and can you imagine? God, it would be a nightmare.”
She nods. “Yeah, you’re right. You’re going to talk… with your va—” I slap my hand over her mouth, and she giggles against my palm.
“Seriously, you have to help me stage a… I dunno, a getaway? Your bodyguard cannot see him.”
Lennon’s eyes roll when I reference Saint, and I drop my hand.
“You’re sure you want to go with him? Because you’re kinda tipsy, Mais. He’s not pressuring you, right?”
“No, Len, I… Yes, I do want to go with him. For sure. I’m annoyed at him, but yes. It’s my birthday…”
