Page 18 of Icebound Attraction

“You're far too conscientious, my dear! Let someone who's been here a while tell you that. You always have to leave time for a little fun. Otherwise, you'll soon go crazy, you know!”

I look at her, a little unsettled.

“Just relax, Emily! I'm not taking you to some punk cave. It's just a buddy of mine, Tyler, who's throwing a party. A few guys and a lot of fun... Don't worry,” explains my best friend, making her eyebrows dance in a knowing way.

With squinted eyes, I watch her. She's sold me this kind of party several times in the past, and it's never ended well.

I take a deep breath.

On the other hand, I need to distract myself after this strange encounter with Liam.

“Yeah...” I finally let go, which Maddie takes as a yes.

She bounces with joy.

From now on, there's no turning back. If Maddie's got it in her head that we're going out, we're going out. After all, she's waited a whole year for me to finally show up. So, I let myself be convinced for good.

By the end of the day, I'm all set. Cassy is also on board, which reassures me a little. Only a little, because she's gesticulating all over the place like this is the event of the century.

When I look in the mirror, I'm a little apprehensive. It has to be said that, in the tight-fitting - and very short - dress that Cassy and Maddie have imposed on me, I feel a little disguised. But after all, I live in New York, in the city that never sleeps and, incidentally, is very stylish! It's a new life, in which I can also reinvent myself.

We set off arm-in-arm to the waiting Uber. This takes us to an off-campus fraternity house where the famous Tyler lives. Him and his ‘brothers’, it seems. Because the car stops in front of a fairly large, modern house, teeming with people. Wide-eyed, I look around.

Damn, I'm about to go to my first student party!

Excited, I leave the car and follow my friends to the entrance, where small groups have already gathered. Maddie greets them as if she knows them all and beckons me to come closer.

“Attention, everyone! This is...” - she points at me with a sweeping gesture – “my best friend, Emily. She's new to the university and deserves a particularly warm welcome tonight!”

Well, obviously, she knows them all. Wow! In just one year, Maddie seems to have met quite a few people. She's simply amazing, and much more sociable than I am.

I awkwardly raise my hand in greeting before we rush into the house. As soon as we reach the front door, the music starts to play, and I already know it's going to be an exciting night.

It's very crowded and we're having trouble finding our way around. The house is classy and unadorned, but at the moment it looks more like a giant bar. Several sofas are overflowing with people chatting, kissing or... outright groping each other.

I'd heard that university parties were very lively but experiencing them live is something else entirely.

I let my gaze wander around the room and...

It can't be! Liam... This guy is everywhere!

My heart misses a beat and I turn instinctively, hoping he hasn't seen me. I tug nervously at my dress to try and hide my thighs, which I suddenly find too exposed.

Maddie hands me a Coke in front of my nose and I take an eager sip.

“You look like you've seen a ghost,” she says, looking at me with concern.

“Just this stupid hockey player. But everything's fine,” I reply.

This seems to satisfy her. After all, she has no idea about the very strange encounter between Liam and me. I haven't had time to explain it to her. She would have been able to push me towards him to try and clear things up.

As Cassy stands in front of me, soda in hand, we toast and Maddie leads us both onto the dance floor. Unconsciously, I look around for Liam, but I don't see him. Not that I don't feel like having fun tonight, but it makes me uncomfortable to know that he might be watching me from a corner of the room. I don't feel like exposing myself to this guy. I try to forget my ghostly vision and relax.

After a few songs, we get thirsty and head for the kitchen, where plenty of refreshments are on offer. Before we've had time to help ourselves, three young men approach us and hand us bottles of beer.

“Shake a leg with us girls, there's plenty to party about!” shouts one of them to drown out the sound of the music.

Maddie is the first to react. She accepts the bottles gratefully, observes them for a fraction of a second, and, satisfied with her inspection, finally uncaps them with a sure hand.

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