Page 11

Uninvited

I kept one hand flat against the back of my dress as I followed the guide toward the main lawn. The skirt wasn’t short enough to expose anything, but every brush of cold air reminded me that my underwear was somewhere inside Thorne’s mirror maze.

The vibe felt different now that everyone had finished the first round of games. Music poured from speakers hidden among the trees, and the red lanterns overhead swayed whenever the wind picked up. The dance floor was packed, and nearly everyone looked as if they’d spent more on their clothes than I made in a month.

No one paid attention to me. I could have been any other guest coming back from a game.

The guide stopped at the edge of the lawn. “They make an announcement when the next round starts. If you need anything before then, there’s a bar by the stage.”

“Thanks,” I said as he walked away.

Alone, I studied the card. A small black mark now crossed the key, indicating that I had passed Thorne’s game. The thought made my stomach flip. I could still feel the pressure of his hands on my thighs and hear the way he’d said, “I won’t let anything bad happen to you,” when he looked at me afterward.

I’d let him see far more of me than I had ever intended. Then he’d sent me out here to have fun, as if it were the easiest thing in the world. I wanted to believe that he was right.

Ronan had kissed me before the games began. Thorne had done much more than that, and I’d wanted him to keep going. I should probably have been sorting through what either of those things meant. Instead, I stood in the middle of a party, trying not to grin at the memory of them both promising they’d find me again.

I spotted the bar and made my way toward it. A woman in a purple velvet mask chatted with her friend while they waited at the counter. A long line formed behind them.

A bartender wearing the same black mask as the man at the gate filled plastic cups with something bright red.

When I reached the back of the line, his eyes widened at the sight of me. He handed the girls their drinks, then came straight to me despite the others waiting.

“What can I get you?”

The purple velvet mask beside me took a sip of her drink and made an approving sound. I could have asked him for the same thing. But after what had happened with Thorne, I was already having enough trouble thinking straight.

“Water, please.”

“Of course.” He reached beneath the counter and handed me a sealed bottle.

I was in the process of unzipping the small pocket sewn into my skirt when he called out to me.

“It’s been taken care of.” He gave me a small nod and moved on to the next guest before I could respond. Maybe it was an open bar. After all, it wasn’t like they needed the money, but even as the thoughts began to form, they were wiped away when the next customer swiped their card.

I’d have been an idiot not to know who was responsible for this, but I still couldn’t wrap my head around it all. At first, I couldn’t believe it. The Regents inviting me? After the kiss with Ronan and how Thorne had touched me… My face grew hot, and I twisted off the cap, drinking nearly half of it in one go.

Somewhere behind me, a cheer rose from the dance floor. It was packed with guests who writhed to the heavy drumbeat, clinging to each other. I let myself watch. Everyone seemed too busy enjoying themselves to worry about how they looked or what people might say later. All that mattered to them was right here, right now.

A tinge of jealousy twisted in my gut at just how free they were. Thorne had told me to have fun. What if I listened and trusted that he wouldn’t let anything happen? What would happen if I let the past go and joined them?

“Gwen?”

My fingers closed around the water bottle until the plastic crackled. I knew that voice. I closed my eyes, praying I was wrong, but he called out again.

“That’s you, right? Gwen Merritt?”

I turned toward him, even as my heart sank into my stomach.

Dylan Price stood a few feet away, a cheap plastic half mask pushed up into his hair. Underneath, he wore the same kind of jacket he’d worn that night, though this one was black instead of blue. I hadn’t seen him since I left home. I would never have come if I had known he might show up.

My mind supplied things I hadn’t thought about in months. A porch crowded with people. Beer soaking through my shoes. An ambulance leaving without its siren.

Dylan talking to the police while I stood on the grass, unable to make myself speak loudly enough for anyone to hear me.

“It is you. Gwen Merritt back at a party.” His mouth tipped into a mockery of a smile. “Brave.”

My shoulders drew in. I’d been standing comfortably a second ago, but now I was aware of every inch of space I took up. I moved further from the bar, not wanting anyone to hear what he had to say.