I groan dramatically. “I don’t know, Lace…I am not wearing a tiny dress and standing around pretending to have fun.”
“Oh, you’ll wear a tiny dress. We both will. And you’ll have fun, because I’m not letting you stay home and stare at your inbox all weekend. Oh, and Brianna and Chloe are coming, too.”
Of course they are.
Brianna and Chloe are Lacey’s roommates. Technically, they’re my friends too, since the four of us have been hanging out for the last three years, but…
I don’t trust Brianna. She’s the kind of girl who always seems like she knows something you don’t. Not necessarily malicious, but always watching, always calculating. I’ve never once heard her say something that wasn’t vaguely sarcastic or deliberately mysterious.
And Chloe… I still haven’t figured her out.
Which is saying something, considering we’ve been in the same circle since freshman year.
She’s nice. Quiet. But now and then she’ll say something that makes me think she’s way smarter than she lets on.
And that sorta unsettles me.
“Delilah?” Lacey prods.
“Yeah. I just…” I run a hand through my hair. “I didn’t realize it was a whole group thing.”
“We all miss you. They wanna go, and I figured it’d be fun to all get ready together.”
“Mmm.”
“Don’t ‘mmm’ me, bitch, you’re coming.”
I sigh. I am so bad at saying no to her.
And maybe part of me wants to go. I just… don’t want to spend the whole night trying not to feel weird around girls I’m not sure actually like me. It’s not that I’m being a bitch, I just get anxious, and when I’m anxious, I get sharp. And sharp makes people uncomfortable.
“Fine.”
Lacey gasps dramatically. “Oh my god you’re actually coming. I could cry.”
“Please don’t.”
“Too late.”
I roll my eyes, but my lips twitch up despite myself.
“What time do you want me over?”
“Seven. We’ll pregame. And babe? Prepare yourself, because I’m picking your outfit. No questions, ‘kay?”
I hang up before she can say anything else.
This is a probably a mistake.
But at least it’s a mistake with tequila.
3
TROY
Iwaltz into Fluid Flow 4.0, grinning as I spot familiar faces. A few guys give me a nod or fist bump as I slide into my usual seat like I own the place. I catch the sideways glances from the girls across the room. I know what they see—the easy smile, the confidence, Troy Hawkins who's always up for a good time. It's a reputation that opens doors even when I'm not trying.
I give them a wink.
