lets Colby lead her through the party and over to the kitchen. Lennon stays put, not nearly as ballsy as her friend. Unfortunately for me, I seem to lack the ability to be a total dick.
Sighing, I glance at her. “You’re not going to take pictures and brag on Monday about how you spent the weekend partying with your English teacher, are you?”
She shakes her head rapidly. “No way—and not just because I don’t want to get you fired, but because my dad would kill me.”
Good enough. “All right, go make sure Tessa doesn’t jump in bed with dumbass over there.”
As she goes to join them, I take a deep breath and try counting to ten like my therapist told me to. I only get to six before I say fuck it. Where the hell is my whiskey? I’m going to need a glass or four.
WATCHING OAKLEY HIT ON Tessa in class earlier today was hard. I wanted to do everything in my power to keep him as far away from her as I possibly could. However, all of that pales in comparison to the things going through my head as I watch her with Colby. He may be doing it to mess with me, but fuck, it’s working. He’s my best friend, and yet every time he makes her laugh or smile, I want to grab him by the throat and watch as he struggles to breathe. If he doesn’t cut the shit, I just might do it.
It’s obvious Tessa is drinking a little too much wine by the way she starts swaying. I keep an eye on her from across the room, careful not to get too close. It’s not like I haven’t noticed all the not-so-subtle glances she’s been throwing at me. If I go anywhere near her, especially while she’s intoxicated, it won’t lead to anything good. At least not good for me.
Colby leaves her side for the first time all night and comes to get her a bottle of water. It’s disgusting how much just the sight of her getting dizzy starts to worry me. The party is starting to die down by now, being as it’s two in the morning, which means that Tessa has been drinking for at least the past three hours.
“Is she okay?” I question, unable to hold back.
He chuckles quietly. “Yeah, she just had a little too much champagne.”
As he takes the cold bottle into his hand, he goes to walk away but I stop him. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“What do you mean? I’m just being a gentleman.”
“You don’t have a gentle bone in your body,” I counter. “Cut it the fuck out. I’m not kidding.”
Shrugging, he gives me his best boyish, yet devious, grin. “What’s wrong, Ash? Feeling a bit jealous?” He takes a step closer. “If you want her, go get her. She’s right there.”
“I can’t,” I bite out through gritted teeth.
“Why not? She’s legal. She’s hot as hell. And, she wants you.” He backs away and holds up his drink-filled hands. “But hey, your loss. Just don’t blame me for not making the same mistake.”
“Colby—” The tone of my voice is a warning, but it only causes his smile to grow.
“What? She’s not my student.”
The second he turns away, I snap. My hand flies out to grab him by his shirt, and I yank him backward until he slams into the bar. I maneuver my body in front of him so he’s trapped and put a hand on his chest to hold him in place.
“You so much as think about taking advantage of that girl, and I swear to God I won’t be the only player taken out of the NFL by an injury this year.”
Despite the fact that I’m close to snapping his neck, Colby starts to laugh. It’s then that I realize I just played directly into his game. He wanted to see just how much this girl gets to me, and he got exactly what he was looking for. I let him go and run my fingers through my hair.
“Fuck you, Hendrix.”
That only makes him even more smug. “Hey, don’t hate me because you’re so hung up on her that you’re ready to hurt anyone who threatens to take her from you.”
I shake my head. “She’s not mine to be taken from.”
“And who’s fault is that?”
Someone clears their throat, breaking the intense conversation Colby and I were just having. I turn my head to see Lennon standing there with a sheepish look