“Well, tonight we’re having fun with a capitalF,” Caleb insists. “So whatever happened at Alpha Theta Mu today, I want you to let that go and not cause any trouble.”
“You heard about that?” Not that I’m surprised. Word travels fast around the frats, but it’s annoying since I don’t really want to get into my extreme overreacting to Dax having a fucking doctor’s appointment, especially not with the guys.
Caleb says, “That you were the idiot who got your ass handed to you by Damien Westbrook? Yeah, I heard.”
“Wait, what? I didn’t get my ass handed to me.”
“Yeah, what’s this?” Tatum asks. “I missed the gossip.” He always does. “What did Damien do? Did you kick his ass?”
“Don’t get too excited,” Caleb says. “He threw our boy through the front porch.”
“That’s not what happened.”
“What happened?” Tatum presses.
“Maybe I should’ve said thatiswhat happened…”
I turn back to the challenge, where the Omega Psis and Alpha Theta Mus, still blindfolded, are feeling their way through kiddie pools packed with Jell-O, while the other frats are stillstuck in the Solo-cup minefield. Dax retrieves a dildo, which I’m guessing is what they had to find, then speeds through to the finish line.
Fuck yeah.
The crowd loses their damn minds over Alpha Theta Mu’s victory.
“Look,” Caleb says, “I don’t know what’s going on between you and Damien, but you really need to play it safe this year. If you get expelled, I’m gonna feel like an asshole for…”
He stops there. He’s not gonna say it, and damn well he shouldn’t, not when we’re surrounded by frats who could overhear and discover he was the one behind the prank at Sigma Alpha that caused the fire. He didn’t mean for it to go that way. It was an accident. I just took the blame for it.
“I didn’t do anything to Damien,” I say, “and as far as I know, the most that’s gonna happen is I’ll be spending the weekend fixing the front porch.”
Caleb’s quiet, and I can read the guilt all over his expression. “Sorry, I just, I’d hate to be the reason something else were to happen to you.”
“Don’t say you’re sorry. If we could go back in time, I wouldn’t have done anything differently.”
“Yeah, but it sucks not having you in Omega Psi.”
I shrug. “Eh, I’m a loner anyway. Don’t know what I was doing in a fraternity to begin with.” The words are hollow as I feel this sinking sensation in my belly. I was excited about Omega Psi. A bunch of weird-ass rebels who get up to a little more trouble than all the goody-goodys at the other frats. It’s where I started talking to guys like Tatum and Caleb, opening up… As much as I can, at least.
Fortunately, before I have time to sit with all that crap, we head over to afters at Omega Psi. Caleb gives Tatum and me a ride over, and as I catch up with some of the Omega Psis, Isearch around for Dax, which reminds me of that night when he was drinking with his friends and slipped away, and me searching for him, hunting him like prey.
I find him in the living area, dancing with Keegan and Jaxon from Sigma Alpha. Well, Keegan’s dancing. Jaxon’s busy on his phone. Both have put some clothes on since the challenge, but not Dax, who’s still half-dressed—and I wouldn’t mind it if he lost that little skirt thing.
“You know those matches will still be there when the party’s over, right?” Keegan tells Jaxon, clearly annoyed. I definitely get it because sometimes Tatum leaves me hanging with how much he’s on his phone.
Jaxon snickers. “Uh-oh. Someone mad he’s not getting enough attention from me?” He tucks his phone in his back pocket.
“Come on,” Keegan says. “You need to meet real-life people who will actually fuck you.”
Jaxon cringes. “You know I suck at peopling.”
Keegan rolls his eyes. “Dax, I’ll be back. I gotta get this one laid.”
“Finally! He’s been waiting for you to fuck him since freshman year!” Dax jokes. From what I know of the guys, Keegan is straight and Jaxon is bi, so I’m guessing that’s an inside joke.
“Shut up, you two,” Keegan says, taking Jaxon by the arm and leading him off, giving Dax some space on the dance floor.
I enjoy a sip of my beer, my eyes still on Dax like the creeper I am. He scans the room, his gaze catching mine. I nod to acknowledge him, then look away.
What the fuck is this? I’m not a mess. I’m cool as fuck. I can attract whoever the hell I set my sights on, clearly including Dax Armstrong, so why am I suddenly acting like I’m the nerd in an ’80s movie around him?
