goddamned party just to catch a break from all of this… pining.
Ew.
It feels wrong to even think that way but, God, the aching and the straining every time I end up near one of my Bonds is slowly driving me insane. Maybe calling a truce with Gabe wasn’t a good idea because I’m barely holding my shit together.
When we walk past the kitchen, Sawyer curses under his breath and moves so he’s covering Sage’s tripping and stumbling ass. I startle when Gabe does the same for me, his shoulders somehow doubling in width and completely obscuring me from… whatever they’ve decided to protect us from.
I’m smart enough to keep my mouth shut about it until we’re outside, but Sage is too far gone and Sawyer is forced to slap a hand over her mouth, muttering threats and cussing her out.
When we find a spot outside that isn’t completely writhing with bodies and booze, Gabe murmurs to me, “North and Sharpe are having a disagreement over the protocol now that the Resistance is getting closer to the campus. He’s already made it well known that he’s not above coming after you. Hate North all you want, but he’s keeping you away from a whole lot of shit right now.”
Dammit.
I don’t want to owe that man anything, but even I can’t deny that he’s helping out big time with that shit
I pull the dress over my head and fold it up, carefully bending to slip it into Sage’s bag because my tits are a little bigger than hers and there’s a real danger of a nip slip happening tonight. When I straighten up, I find Gabe staring at me like I’ve grown an extra head and I have to glance down to make sure I’m not actually flashing the entire freaking party my goods.
“What? What the hell are you looking at?”
He grunts at me, shaking his head and muttering under his breath as he jumps head first into the pool, “I fucking hate you.”
Well, what the fuck have I done to him now?
Sawyer knocks into me as he shifts around to cover Sage while she strips. “C’mon, Fallows, you’re not that drunk. Give the guy a break.”
I’m lost, utterly freaking lost, but then Sage steps up next to me and giggles, “Guess he had to cool down a little. We might need to get you a swimsuit that actually fits your amazing tits.”
I scoff at them both because it can’t be that. There’s at least ten other girls here rocking a better rack than mine, and Gabe has probably fucked them all, the looks they’re all throwing his way are saying a lot on the subject.
We have a little bit of luck because Riley is nowhere to be seen, but then I spot Giovanna perched on one of the poolside recliners in a tiny bikini that makes mine look freaking supersized. To be honest, it’s not even a bikini, she’s wearing some red string that just barely covers her nipples and slit. It’s the early evening, the outdoor lighting and bonfire are already raring, so it’s not like she’s working on her tan and I’m not trying to slut-shame, but it’s just impractical.
Sage notices her the second we slide into the water, her happy and carefree joy just melting away until her arms are crossed over her chest and she’s looking self-conscious again.
Fuck that.
“Sawyer, we need some cocktails. Who’s dick do we have to suck to get them? I feel like you should take one for the team here, my friend.”
He scoffs at me, clearly not on board with more alcohol, as he strips down and jumps in to join us. There’s a huge tattoo spanning his entire back that I had no idea the little computer-nerd-slash-preppy-jock boy had.
I’m impressed. No wonder he’s bagged the ice hockey hottie.
I keep half an eye on Gabe where he’s talking to some other football players, laughing and joking with them only a few feet away from us. Even when they attempt to talk him into a beer pong tournament happening as far away from the council bullshit as it can possibly be, he says no, jerking his head in my direction without any further explanation.
It makes me feel like a burden and there’s nothing I hate more than that shit.
"I don't understand why I have to be here," I whine, and it's totally a fucking whine because I don’t understand why they're insisting on me being here if I’m just going to be everyone’s problem.