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“You got it. I’m happy I finally ran into you. You always leave class before I get a chance to introduce myself.” She nodded toward the dance floor, where a few girls were looking our way. “How about you come hang out for a bit?”

The girls danced in a small circle, smiling at us and ignoring the men who leered at them. I had to admit it looked like a lot of fun. Yesterday, I would have turned her down immediately, but now…

“I promise it’ll be fun. You won’t know until you try it.”

She was right. Having fun was the whole point of coming here, and both Thorne and Silas had proven I could step out of my comfort zone and be okay.

“All right, but don’t blame me if I’m bad at it.”

She chuckled. “Nobody here can dance. That’s the point.”

I followed her to her friends. The music was too loud to talk over, but they all welcomed me with bright smiles, moving aside to make space for me.

It took a bit for me to fully relax, but by the time my favorite song came on, I was totally into it. We sang along at the top of our lungs, jumping as we danced without caring what anyone else thought. When the song ended, I’d screamed my throat raw, but it was worth it.

I let Jenna know I was going to grab a drink, and she leaned closer with an expectant look. “You had fun, right?”

“Totally,” I replied, my smile matching hers. Then I did something I wouldn’t have dared to do before tonight. “Want to sit together in class?”

She beamed. “I’ll save you a seat.”

I left the circle, feeling a little lighter, and headed toward the bar. Had I really just made a friend?

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

Owen Bedard stood in my path. Seeing Dylan at Vesper House had been bad enough, but if possible, I wanted to see this asshole even less. Owen had made sure everyone knew their version of what had happened that night.

“Did you have something to do with us getting invited?” His eyes flicked over my shoulder, toward the stage.

“No.” I scoffed. “I didn’t even know you were here.”

For a moment, he looked as though he believed me. Then his mouth tightened. “Don’t play games with me, Gwen.”

I rolled my eyes, but Owen was looking over the crowd again, not at me. Dylan had enjoyed making me uncomfortable. Owen seemed uncomfortable himself.

“I’m telling you the truth. I never wanted to see you again.”

He shifted in front of me, not close enough to touch me, but close enough that I would have to go around him. “Have you seen Dylan? He’s not answering his phone.”

My stomach dropped, and I struggled to keep my expression neutral. I knew exactly what had happened to Dylan, but there was no way I was telling him that. “If I had, do you really think I’d still be here?”

“Whatever.” He huffed out a breath. “Get out of here before I let everyone know what you did.”

I straightened, looking down my nose at him, and my voice came out strong. “I didn’t do anything. Even the police investigation said it was an accident.”

Pride kept my head high. He didn’t get to set the narrative here. “If you have a problem, you leave.”

“What’s happening here?” Thorne stepped up beside me, his broad palm resting against the small of my back. He kissed my temple as if Owen wasn’t even there. “Are you having fun?” he purred, and my toes curled as his deep voice washed over me.

“What the hell, Gwen?” Owen said, then directed his next words at Thorne. “Did she tell you that bullshit story?”

Thorne’s hand stilled against my back. The warmth left his face as he turned toward Owen, fixing him with a cold, unblinking stare that made me hold my breath.

My hands clenched at my sides, but before I could say anything, Thorne moved so quickly I almost missed it.

He caught Owen’s wrist and twisted his arm behind his back.

Owen cried out, but any attempt to shake Thorne off just made the pain worse. His face turned bright red, and tears formed at the corners of his eyes. He looked absolutely pathetic.