Page 20 of Love Collided

I caught up to Kye, walking alongside him. “Do you think if you get a girlfriend, you would want to touch her all the time?”

I knew Kye was the one to ask. Between never having a girlfriend before, recoiling when people touched him, and looking less approachable than almost anyone in the crew, he would give me an honest answer, not clouded in already being in love.

“No, but that’s exactly why I’m not getting a girlfriend. They all want touchy feely shit and I don’t. I don’t think it would ever change for me. Trouble in paradise?”

“More like confusion in paradise. He seems like he could take it or leave it with all that, but none of these guys are like that.”

“Some people aren’t big on the touching. Some people are just assholes. I guess it’s up to you to figure out which one he is.”

I nodded, trying to think it over as we looked at the ridiculous amount of food in the kitchen. The table led us to the living room where Chase sat, the center of attention once again.

“Hey ankle-biter. Come here,” he said, waving me over with a cocky grin before motioning for me to sit on his lap. I could feel the heat rise in my face, and my nostrils flared as I stomped over.

“If you call me that one more damn time, I’mgoingto kick your ass.”

“Damn, I would love to see that. I was only inviting you over for the money bonfire,” he said. The sinister smirk on his face was unsettling as he pulled a hundred out of his pocket. He laid it out on the table, moving some weed onto it and rolling it up.

“You are not serious,” I said, not sure if I was more disgusted at the blatant waste of a hundred dollars, or inhaling burnt money.

He pulled the rolled up bill to his lips and brought the lighter up, burning one end until it caught on fire and died out. He inhaled once before handing it over to me.

The intensity of the anger I felt made me shake as I smacked his hand, the bill and weed flying onto the floor, where someone stomped it out.

“You’re disgusting,” I said, turning on my heel and heading to the back of the house. Jesse was right. We didn’t need to be here.

I could hear Chase laughing behind me. “Hey wait, ankle — I mean Scout. Hold on.” He caught up to me, grabbing my arm and pulling me into a small room along the back of the house before I could stop him. Two large glass doors ran along the back wall. They were closed now, but could open up to the pool and patio. A bar ran along the opposite wall. If the doors were open, it would be the perfect walk up bar for a party.

“I thought it would be funny after your money bonfire comment,” he laughed, leaning back against a bar top thatran along one wall, every other wall was covered in windows. “Obviously, you’re not the humorous type.”

“Oh, I love humor. But that wasn’t funny.”

“It was a little funny.”

“To waste money someone could use? Money that could feed a child for a week? You’re right. I’m doubled over in laughter,” I said.

“And here I thought the fiery little ankle-biter would be the life of the party now, but now she’s determined to ruin it all.” His eyes got heavy as he leaned his head back. “Are you not having a good time?”

“Why would I be? Are you? Based on the fake smile that you’re struggling to keep on your face, and the desperate need to get everyone’s eyes on you, I would guess that you aren’t. And I’m allowed to be annoyed at something you did without ruining your entire party.” I looked him over, my body reacting the exact way it had the night of the races. “And why the hell do you not have a shirt on?”

His head snapped back up, looking past me to the pool, but I didn’t turn around. “Because drunk me might want to go for another swim. And what do you mean, I’m not having a good time? It’s my party.”

“And yet you look like a zombie walking around here. I don’t know about you, but I’m usually having the best time when I throw a party with my friends, not walking around looking like I would rather launch myself off a roof and drown”

“I think you’re the only one who would argue I’m not having fun. My friends seem to think I’m having the time of my life.”

“Then you need better friends. Making new ones might be easier if you stopped walking around like a pretentious jerk.”

“Bold of you to say I’m a jerk when you’re dating a bigger one than me. Honestly, that’s saying something.”

“Jesse is not always a jerk.”

“No? Just half the time or something?”

I hated that my first reaction was to agree with him, but I forced myself to shake my head. “Not always.”

He took another step closer, caging me in as his hands pressed against the window behind me.

“Are you completely sure? Because from where I’m standing, he is openly staring at those girls in their bikinis. Seems like he likes other boobs a little too much, no?”

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