Clique Bait - Ann Valett Page 0,47

boys at once.”

Maddy narrowed her eyes as a manicured finger came to her mouth. The rest of us drank.

I hesitantly spoke my statement, glad to get a round of relief. “Uh . . . cheated on a test.”

The girls laughed, not a single one drinking.

“Made out with a girl.”

“Gone home with someone from Richmond Prep.”

My stomach was turning by the time it was Lola’s turn again. She cocked her head, her tone smooth. “Betrayed a friend.”

I couldn’t tell if it was my body protesting the shots or if I was just becoming drunk enough to reveal a vulnerability.

I brought a finger to my lips.

By the time I left the room, my feet were unsteady and my ears were ringing. The tray of shots had been devoured.

People had started arriving, including Arlington’s lacrosse team. I was starting to feel dizzy from all the people, some I didn’t even know, enveloping us all in hugs and introductions.

You’re such an idiot, Chloe, a voice in my head whispered harshly into my ear. You’re here for Monica, and you went and got drunk. After all you’ve seen them do, now you’re vulnerable.

Just as my instinct was convincing me to run from the crowd, I saw William, his smile warm as he chatted with someone over the sea of heads. I immediately shifted through the people to reach him, his company feeling safer than anyone else’s.

When he saw me he quickly excused himself and dragged me to the side of the room instead. “Hey, are you okay?”

I nodded quickly, then shook my head, then laughed and nodded again. I couldn’t show my weakness in proximity of the Level One girls. “I’m fantastic! This party is so fun.”

I was turning into a mess. You could clearly hear the alcohol breaking my tone.

“What happened?” he asked.

I didn’t want to say. I was too ashamed to tell him I’d caved into pressure and consumed enough alcohol to make my feet stumble and my stomach turn.

But the look I gave him must have told him everything he needed to know, because he sighed in frustration and started leading me toward the back of the house. “How could you get like this, Chloe?”

I let out a giggle, the beat of the music somehow infiltrating my thoughts and making me want to dance, to rejoin the party, but William’s serious look kept me put.

His hair was still wet from a shower, and he smelled of pine soap and fresh clothes. He was still holding my hand, despite hardly anyone being around to justify the intimate contact.

“Stay here. I’m getting you water,” he said before dropping my hand and disappearing from view.

Despite my drunken euphoria, an anxious feeling was growing as a weight across my chest. I was frustrated by how much I was relying on William to be my safe person. And how much the memory of his lips on mine was like honey—sweet and warm and sticking in my mind hard.

I realized someone was pressing a cold bottle into my palm and that there were hands on my shoulders guiding me to a couch outside.

The air was cold on my face, helping to sober me as I gulped down as much as I could of the cool water.

“I’m an idiot,” I said, and when I looked at him again, I couldn’t look away. Maybe it was a combination of our closeness, his lips, and my significant intoxication, but the nearness of William was slowly overwhelming my senses.

He sighed, his eyes searching my face for something I couldn’t quite place. “I shouldn’t have let you go with them alone.”

“Isn’t that the whole point?” I asked.

He sat beside me, so close our bodies were pressed against each other. I was starting to feel drowsy and dizzy, like I could easily collapse from my seated position, so I instinctively reached out to grab his arm.

At first, he stiffened, but then he relaxed against my touch. His other hand moved to brush away the tangle of hair that had fallen in front of my face.

“How long will it take to sober up?” I asked.

“Maybe a few hours,” he said with a chuckle that vibrated against my side. “You’re going to feel like shit tomorrow.”

I groaned, and then leaned my cheek against his shoulder when my neck became too weak. I could still hear the music inside, but outside seemed so peaceful. His steady breathing was the only thing I could feel.

God, when had I become so attracted to William? The alcohol was the only