care. And now I had to find a way to console him that wouldn’t result in another broken leg. Because all I wanted to do right now was run on to that field and tackle him to the ground in the most aggressive hug in history.
When had I become this girl?
I certainly didn’t know, but I also wasn’t sure I cared. I kind of liked this version of me.
Tristin slung an arm around my shoulder and pulled me in to kiss my temple. “You got Leo?”
“Yeah. I got him.”
Whatever he needed from me tonight, I was there.
Chapter Seventeen
Thea
I scowled at my best friend as we stood outside of the Delta Chi Delta house an hour later. “You didn’t tell me the party was going to be here.”
She fluttered her eyelashes at me. “Oh, didn’t I? Oops.”
“Petra,” I groaned. “You know how much Kelsey hates me. If she sees me inside her sorority house, she’s going to flip her shit.”
Hayle’s ex-girlfriend was not my biggest fan, and that was a major understatement. Not that she’d ever been on my good side, between her sweetly snarky comments and throwing a beer on me the night of the disastrous football party. The best way to avoid a confrontation with her was to avoid her altogether. And I couldn’t do that once I stepped inside her house, damn it.
“I get it, but there’s nothing to be done. The team still can’t hold parties at the football house, and the Delta house was selected as the location for tonight’s official party.” She put her hands on her slender hips. “What are you going to do? Leave?”
“No.” I couldn’t do that. Not when I’d promised Leo I would be here.
“Okay, then, there’s nothing to do but enter the belly of the beast and pray we get out alive.”
I snorted. “Thanks for the pep talk. Super helpful.”
She grinned up at me. “No problem.”
After waiting in line to have a “U” stamped onto our right hands, telling the world we were underage, we made our way into the house. There were plenty of students milling about, but it wasn’t overly crowded, thankfully.
Spying Kelsey in the dining room, surrounded by other girls, I quickly nodded for Petra to head for the living room, and I followed her on my crutches. The longer I could avoid Kelsey, the better.
I didn’t immediately recognize anyone, which meant the football team must not have arrived yet. Since my companion would transform into “nighttime Petra”—who was quite the social butterfly—at any moment, I would have to find a wall in the corner to stand against. Maybe with a Dr. Pepper, because I was feeling kind of parched.
While Petra began chatting up a cute guy, I wandered into the kitchen and had to settle for a Pepsi. But, before I could make it to my chosen corner, Hayle appeared in front of me. He didn’t look remotely happy to see me, a sentiment I could easily return.
“What are you doing here?” Ever since breaking up with Kelsey, he hadn’t shown at a single one of the football parties I’d attended.
“We need to talk.”
“No, thank you.” I stuffed my drink in my bag before shouldering past him on my crutches.
He caught up to me in seconds and took hold of my shoulder. I tried to tear it away, but he gripped it harder. “Please, Thea.”
Fuckity fuck. He’d said please.
“Fine.” Noticing the stares directed our way, I added, “But not here.”
“Okay.” Hayle released my shoulder, appearing like he didn’t trust that I wouldn’t run away. “Follow me.”
We’d only made it a few steps when Kelsey sidled up next to Hayle. “You two…together. Color me shocked.” She shot a glare my way, and I didn’t bother returning it. She wasn’t worth even that much of my effort.
When she reached for Hayle’s arm, he shook her off. “Why don’t you mind your own fucking business, Kels? Or is even that too challenging for you?”
Oh, damn. I’d never heard him speak a cross word to her, and given the shock crossing her face, she hadn’t either.
“Fine.” She brushed her shiny brown hair over her shoulder. “You and this whore deserve each other, anyway.”
“Burn,” I muttered, without any heat behind it, as she stomped off. It wasn’t the first time she’d called me a whore, and it probably wouldn’t be the last. Especially once my relationships with Tristin and Leo went fully public.
Hayle opened his mouth, as though to say something, but then he just shook his head. “Come on.”