goose bumps formed. I felt a shiver go through my body, and I turned, as if to shield myself from the wind. Maybe I was shielding myself from this guy. I didn’t know. He was just…too much. His charismatic pull still tugged at me, even when I wasn’t looking at him.
I swallowed over a knot. Claire hurried over toward us, holding two big glasses in front of her. She almost tripped in her haste. “He doesn’t even remember you, Jason,” Claire said once she arrived. “You don’t have to leave.”
“No.” Jason shook his head. “I’m going. I’m not sticking around and waiting for whatever Kade is going to do.”
“Come on—”
“He starts fights, and he finishes them,” Jason said firmly. “Don’t try to tell me you’re not hoping he’ll come over. I know you’ve got the hots for him. Honestly, Claire. He’s a manwhore. He’s had a different girl with him every time I’ve seen him. And look at him.” Jason pointed as Logan Kade approached. “Tonight’s no different. There are two girls with his group. I’m not—”
Claire huffed. “Believe it or not, not every girl is enamored with him. I’ve got my own set of friends and—”
Jason’s voice rose higher as Logan approached. “Like you said before, he’s up here…” His hand rose to his head, then lowered to his waist. “And we’re down here. Isn’t that the way it is?”
Ten feet away.
Jason’s breaths came in quick gasps.
Eight feet.
Claire threw him a look. “Maybe we can remember why we even came tonight?”
Six feet.
Jason wasn’t listening anymore. He was frozen, his gaze fixed off to the side. He watched Kade coming from the corner of his eye and let out a shrill breath through his nose.
Four feet.
I didn’t know the guy, but now I was on edge too. I turned so I couldn’t see him, but I could still feel his approach. His presence was even more overwhelming up close. Two feet away—one—and he walked right past us. His group followed, taking over a bunch of loungers that surrounded an empty bonfire pit. A keg sat in the center and as Kade got a drink, his friends filled theirs after him.
Jason wheezed. “I was pissing myself there for a moment.”
Claire cursed under her breath. “I told you it’d be fine, and look what happened. He asked where the keg was. They pointed it out for him. If you would’ve let me talk, I could’ve explained that, and also that no, they didn’t bring up your name.” Her eyes blazed. “Whatever. I’m going inside to hang out with friends who are actually nice to me.”
She took off, and Jason rolled his eyes. He shifted closer to me, his arm brushing against mine. “She’s the one who told me I was beneath Kade. Whatever, my ass. Maybe he is above me. Maybe I’m small potatoes compared to him, but so is she. She hangs out with the philosophy club.” He laughed. “Does that sound like someone Kade would date? Someone who’s into philosophy? He’s all about sex, fighting, and having his brother’s back. There’s only one girl I’ve heard he’s ever been loyal to, and it ain’t her. That’s for sure.”
My insides had begun to churn. My mother. My dad. Even my ex. I didn’t need this. “Can you stop? I thought we came to get drunk tonight.”
Jason caught himself before he could speak further and swung his gaze my way. “I’m sorry, Taylor. I…Claire…” He finished his drink, and after tossing the cup on the ground, he wrung his hands together. “We’ve grown apart since school.”
The knot was back. It took root at the bottom of my throat. “I’m beginning to see that.”
I should’ve asked what happened, why they’d grown apart, or how they had put up a good front for me over the last nine months, but the truth was that I didn’t care. I would someday, but I didn’t that night. I looked over at Kade and his group, my eyes lingering on a beautiful girl who sat next to him. She had jet-black hair and a stunning face that could’ve graced any magazine cover. She wasn’t touching him, he wasn’t touching her, but they were close. That was obvious.
I jerked my head toward them. “Looks like you don’t have to worry about him now.”
“Yeah. Guess not.” He linked elbows with me. “Come on, friend. You said you wanted to party, so let’s go do that. Let’s drink ourselves all the way back to high school.”