nearing nine p.m. and I was supposed to be at his house an hour ago to help set up, also known as makeout in his room before the rest of our friends arrived. I wasn’t into the idea so I made up some shit about a headache which would also serve to get me out early. This is why I told Dominic the truth instead of saying I’d be at Kate’s which would allow me to be out for the whole night. I’m not in the mood to go to some party where I’ll be thwarting the attempts of both Carter and Kate to get him into my pants all night. But I’d agreed to go and I’m nothing if not a woman of my word, so I convinced Dominic that it will be a lowkey party and I let him drive me there and pick me up so that he won’t be worried.
“I swear, I’ll be fine. I go to parties all the time.”
The party looks far from lowkey and there’s skepticism in Dominic’s eyes, letting me know he’s not buying what I sold him. “Stass…” He looks at me and surprisingly down my legs to my feet. I’m not dressed in any way scandalous; just a black tank dress that falls to just above my knees under a burgundy leather jacket with sandals instead of my usual Vans. I straightened my hair, something I haven’t done in a while, and pulled the front of my hair up in a messy bun, while the rest falls around my shoulders. His eyes dart away from me to face front. “Just be careful, okay? You know I worry about you. I’m not completely oblivious as to what happens at these parties. You’ve just always been smart enough not to get wrapped up in that…at least I think.”
“I know, Dominic, and I appreciate that you always look out for me.” And much to my own surprise, I mean that. Usually, I’d be sarcastic or combative, but for the first time, I’m genuinely glad that I have someone like Dominic in my corner. I lean across the console and press my lips to his cheek on impulse. I’m going for just an innocent display of affection but it feels like anything but the second my lips touched his cheek. They tingle as my skin brushes against the stubble sitting along his hard jawline. His skin smells like he’d just washed his face before we left and the clean scent makes my insides practically melt. A part of me wants to taste that same skin, let my tongue dart out and feel the sharp bristles of his beard.
Shit.
I pull back quickly as if I’ve been burned, and the fiery redness in his cheeks makes me wonder if maybe I had. He’s still facing the road, and I’m not sure what it means that he won’t look at me, but I’m sure it’s all in my head. “Thank you,” I manage to get out, despite my racing heart and a slight shortness of breath. Thankfully, he doesn’t seem to notice because he nods once without another word.
Beer and marijuana are the first things I smell when I walk through the front door. I look to the left to see the entire football team surrounding a long folding table littered with red solo cups as they play beer pong. A slew of girls surround them, tossing their hair and taking selfies, hoping that one of the guys will notice them. My guess is they are hoping that Carter will notice them.
Why doesn’t that thought bother me?
I spy Carter and note that he’s busy; I pray that he stays that way for the majority of the night. I move down the hallway to the kitchen and see Kate sitting on the counter, swinging her legs as she drinks what looks like a pink lemonade. “Stassiiiiiii,” she squeals as she hops off the counter and pushes through a crowd of people to get to me.
Definitely not just pink lemonade.
“About time you showed up!” She pushes the cup towards me and I shake my head vehemently.
“You know that is not my thing.” She rolls her eyes and grabs the bong sitting on the counter and hands it to me along with her pink lighter.
“Oh, come on, we finished high school! We are done, baby! College here we come!” She bounces up and down which draws all the attention to her breasts that are barely contained in a bright red