Twenty minutes later I spill out of the locker room with Becca, laughing about nothing. We’re on a high aftersuch a successful night, and I can’t wait to dance the night away.
Becca squeezes my hand when we reach the parking lot. I follow her gaze and almost squeal in delight. Eden and her group are waiting by Becca’s car.
“Oh my god, that was so good,” Pia shouts as we approach. “You fucking rocked it!”
Todd nods enthusiastically. “Totally awesome.”
I step up to Eden, who is slightly apart from her friends. “What did you think?”
She looks at me, and then at my mouth. “Impressive.”
One word, but it’s laced with so much heat, I feel my breath grow heavier. “Thanks. So does this mean you’re coming to the party?”
She looks from me to the others who are talking loudly, laughing with each other. “Pia wants to go, so…”
I lean in closer. “What do you want, Eden?” Oh wow, so I’m going for it, I guess.
She swallows and licks her lips. “I—”
“Let’s go,” Becca shouts, and for the first time in our friendship I want to smack her. Way to wreck the moment.
Eden steps back and looks down at the ground. Her hand goes to the back of her neck. She takes several breathsbefore looking back up with a small smile. “Ready to show me what a high school party is all about?”
We cram into Becca’s car. Happily, Bella claimed shotgun, leaving me in the back with Eden, Pia, and Todd. Pia is sitting on his lap, devouring his face, which is a little off-putting. Eden is doing everything in her power not to look my way.
Bryce’s house is jumping by the time we arrive. He lives in a McMansion in the middle of the woods that’s bigger than our school. His parents are visiting their friends and know the party is happening. They only have one rule, and that is that car keys get left at the door. There is enough room for everyone to crash out. I hope Becca made that clear to Pia.
“Hey, so you know this is a sleepover situation, right?”
By the look on Eden’s face, she did not know. Shit.
“You didn’t know, huh?”
“No. I didn’t. Can you just excuse me for a second?”
Eden jumps out of the car and grabs Pia by the elbow, dragging her down the drive, and away from the house. I grab Becca by her elbow and drag her in the opposite direction.
“Did you tell Pia we would be staying the night?”
Her eyes go wide. “Of course.”
My shoulders sag in relief. Then I feel tense again as I watch Eden and Pia.
“Did she not tell Eden?” Becca whispers.
I shake my head. It’s one thing for Eden to come to a party she clearly doesn’t want to be at, quite another being stranded there. No cab would come out this far, and I’m guessing she’s not going to be happy calling her parents. Maybe she will, though. If she’s that uncomfortable, I’ll drive her home now.
Walking over to them, I note how tight Eden’s voice is. Pia is rolling her eyes, which I doubt is helping.
“Hey, sorry,” I begin, weighing up Eden’s reaction. She glares at Pia before looking at me. “I can take you back. I don’t mind being sober for the night.”
This time Pia glares at Eden. They’re having a silent conversation, one in which Pia seems to have won. Eden grits her teeth and flares her nostrils.
“Eden’s fine. We’re here to enjoy ourselves, and you definitely deserve to let your hair down. Right, E?”
“Right.”
Placing my hand on Eden’s forearm, I make sure she’s looking at me. “I really don’t mind. The last thing I want is for you to feel uncomfortable.”
