“Mav,” I breathe.
“Where you headed?”
“Home.” I clear my throat. “I’ve got a headache.”
His gaze lingers on me but he doesn’t say anything.
“I’ve got that prescription strength Ibuprofen,” one of the guys—Gabe, I think is his name—offers. “Though, you probably shouldn’t mix it if you’ve been drinking.”
Noah shoves his head, and they all laugh. “Well, feel better, Coop,” he says, stepping around me.
“Thanks.” I fold my arms across my chest as the rest of theguys trail after him. Except one. I stay rooted to the spot, waiting for Maverick to follow but he doesn’t. He doesn’t say anything either, and when I look up, his attention is fixed on the house behind me. The cocky tilt of his lips has vanished, replaced by a clenched jaw and narrow eyes.
I should use the opportunity while he seems to be distracted with something to excuse myself and escape, but I take a look over my shoulder just in time to catch Nathan and his girl leaving the room.
6
maverick
“I’ve got to go.”
Chloe takes a step, and I reach my arm instinctively, stopping just short of touching her. Base thumps from inside the house while voices ring out around us, but I still catch the quiet sniff she tries to hide. Part of me is silently begging at her to look at me, while the other part isn’t sure I can handle seeing her cry over someone who doesn’t deserve a lick of her attention again. It doesn’t matter, though, because she never looks up. She keeps her eyes trained on the grass in front of her feet, mouth twisted to the side, like she’s barely holding it together.
I lean in just enough to murmur against her ear, keeping my voice gentle despite the fire I now feel inside me. “Don’t let him run you out of here.” I linger, close enough to hear the way her breath falters, and I’m completely unprepared for how sharply I feel it in my chest.
Chloe rolls her shoulders, lifting her chin and finally brings her eyes to mine. She smiles, and even though it’s beautiful, I can tell it’s forced. “I’m not.”
She steps past me before I can say anything else and cuts across the lawn, leaving me standing here until she’sswallowed by the night, and I have no other choice but to turn back toward the house.
A drink is shoved into my hand before I’ve even stepped over the threshold and I pull the tab without thinking, taking a long pull. Bass rattles the flimsy walls of the house, red lights cover all the bodies in the room, and the night air from out front is officially gone, replaced with stale heat and cheap alcohol.
I scan the party, looking over raised cups and sloppy—but for the most part happy—faces, telling myself I’m looking for the boys, but if I’m being honest, I wouldn’t mind running into Nathan. The broken expression on Chloe’s face last week unsettled me. Tonight, with her shoulders hunched forward and her bottom lip wobbling, it set me off.
“If you’re going to throw hands, can you do it outside?”
“What?” I look up to find my friend Beckett watching me.
“Your face is all pinched and your beer is dented.” He nods toward the Modelo I have in a death grip. “You look like you’re about to murder someone. So, when you start throwing punches, can you take it outside? We just cleaned the floors. Used the last of the Swiffer wet pads and everything.”
I look down at my white shoes, shining bright against the hardwood floor, then back up to him. “Duly noted.”
Beckett lifts his drink, but I ignore the cheers and move through the crowded space, searching for a bathroom. Not for any other reason than to clear my head for a minute. Past the kitchen and around the stairs tucked into a narrow hallway, I find the door I’m looking for but it’s locked.
I blow out a breath, dropping my head to the wall behind me.
“Hey, Hall.”
I tilt my head just enough to catch my favorite brunette round the corner.
“What’s up, Laney.” I smile.
“I thought I saw you sneak back here.”
I nod toward the closed door but her gaze never leaves mine. Laney Evans has been the most untouchable woman at LCU since day one. Her brother was the captain of the hockey team our freshman year, not that it ever stopped me from flirting with her. She’s only gotten hotter since the older Evans graduated, and she’s been less afraid to hang around us since then as well. Aside from that, nothing has changed, she’s still the most wanted woman, and the most unobtainable.
The bathroom door cracks open just enough to catch a glimpse of a girl before she quickly slams it shut again. I raise an eyebrow and look over at Laney who looks just as confused as I am. A faint russel sounds from the other side of the door before it opens again and the girl ducks her head, hurrying past us and out of the dark hallway. Only when the door opens for the third time and a guy I recognize from the football team comes out, grinning at me, does it all click.
Laney pulls her smile between her teeth, averting her eyes, and I drop my head forward with a laugh.
