Page 145 of Becoming Selfish

Lauren’s face pales. “And you’re a bitch!”

I can’t help but laugh. I’ve never been called a bitch before, so this is fun. “I’m a bitch?” I laugh in disbelief. “Ali, did you hear that? I’m a bitch.” I turn to my friend, who has a shocked but impressed look on her face.

“Yeah, Lauren, she’s the bitch,” Ali says with extra-heavy sarcasm.

I spot Marc and Eli out of the corner of my eye, watching this whole interaction in the entryway of the kitchen. Their mouths are gaped, but both of them look thoroughly amused.

“Marc, did you hear that?” I call out. “I’m a bitch!” I add with a smile as I point to myself.

“Such a bitch,” Marc shouts with a deep laugh.

“Fuck you!” Lauren yells at me from across the island, causing Ali and I to burst into more laughter.

“Yeah, yeah.” I grab a bottle of vodka off the island and turn to walk towards my boys. “Fuck you too,” I casually add as I give Lauren my middle finger over my shoulder and leave the kitchen.

“Who the hell are you?” Marc asks with a laugh as he catches up to me, swinging his arm over my shoulder.

“I’m just tired of everyone messing with my people.” I pass the bottle to Marc.

“That’s my girl!” Ali says, jumping up and down, shaking my shoulders.

“Nice work, babe!” Eli adds with enthusiasm as he slaps my ass in approval.

“Thanks, baby.” I take a chug from the bottle Marc has now handed back to me. My eyes screw shut as the vodka burns going down my throat.

I feel like a boxer between rounds as my team hypes me up in my corner, massaging my shoulders, wiping my bloody face, and spraying water in my mouth. Except the fight was with words, there won’t be a round two, and the water bottle is actually vodka.

Eli wraps his arms across the front of my shoulders, pulling me in, before kissing the top of my head.

“Anyone else you want to put in their place tonight?” he asks.

“To be determined.” I pass the vodka back to Marc and hold onto Eli’s forearm.

Ali lets out a deep sigh of satisfaction as she looks at me with a proud smile before turning her attention to Marc. “Want to go dance?”

He nods his head, putting the bottle of liquor on the closest surface he can find. “We good?” he asks me, obviously referring to me catching him and Ali hooking up outside.

“Of course.”

“You’re going to grill me with questions tomorrow?” he asks with a knowing smile.

“Absolutely.”

He and Ali take off towards the dance floor, leaving Eli and me alone.

“Feels good to say what’s on your mind, huh?” Eli questions.

It really does feel good to speak my mind. And I never would’ve spoken to Lauren that way if she didn’t say what she said about Ali first, but I’m glad I stood up for my friend. What else would feel good would be telling Eli that I love him. I’m not going to say it tonight when I’m drunk, but suddenly the admission doesn’t feel all that scary anymore.

Leaning my head back on Eli, I close my eyes, feeling sleepy. I figured I would be coursing with adrenaline from the verbal fight I had in the kitchen, but it didn’t really affect me that way. I don’t know what time it is, but I do know it’s well past midnight.

“Well, well, well. You going to introduce me, Maddison?”

When my eyes shoot open at the stranger’s voice, I’m greeted by a good-looking guy, not as handsome as Eli, but still, he’s attractive. He’s tall with light brown hair and piercing blue eyes, and he looks to be a few years older than us.

“Logan, this is Jay,” Eli says in a flat tone. “Jay, Logan,” he adds, not releasing me from his grasp as he holds me to his body.

As soon as Eli says Jay’s name, the dots connect. I remember everything Eli has told me about him. How he was his old mentor and extremely talented, but ever since he didn’t make it in the NHL, he’s been riding Eli to make sure it happens for him. Which, you would think is an honorable thing for a friend to do, but from what I’ve been told, he causes Eli’s anxiety to spike.

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