Page 14 of Becoming Selfish

“Which name are you gonna pick? There are plenty of options.” I scratch my brow with my thumb before putting my hands in my pockets. Why do I feel nervous? I already know where this is going.

Everyone chooses to call me Maddison. Maybe it rolls off the tongue better, I don’t know. She might choose EJ since she’s heard Marc refer to me that way already. That might be a little weird, though, since only my parents and brother call me EJ.

“Hmm, I think I’ll go with Eli,” she says.

“Really?” I ask, surprised. “Why, Eli?”

“Because that’s what you introduced yourself to me as. So, that’s what I’m going to call you.” She shyly smiles up at me.

My body instantly relaxes. I’ve noticed she’s had that effect on me so far. I didn’t expect her to say that, and I didn’t expect her to be so cool. Something about her just puts me at ease.

“Have you seen Marc around?” Logan asks, changing the subject.

“Not for a couple of hours. I think he went to find his ex.”

She rolls her eyes. Glad to see we are on the same page about that.

Logan’s head is on a swivel, looking around the room.

“Do you want help finding him?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “No, I’m good. I don’t want to keep you.” She nods towards the stairs with a bit of a questioning look in her eye.

Is she insinuating that there’s a girl who is waiting for me upstairs? Would that bother her?

I decide to ease her mind just in case. “Just going to bed.”

Her shoulders seem to relax a bit. Or I could just be imagining it. “Well then, I hope you sleep well, Eli.” She gives me a sweet smile. “I’m gonna go find Marc so we can head back to the dorms.”

And with that, she turns to leave. As I start up the stairs, I turn around to look back at her, but she’s nowhere to be seen. I take another sip of the water gave me. The rim still tastes like vanilla, and it’s my new favorite flavor.

Chapter 11

Logan

Making my way through the house, I continue to search for Marc. I haven’t seen him for most of the night, and I need to find him so we can get back to the dorms. Ali is nowhere to be found, which I’m assuming is because she’s off with Cam somewhere. I didn’t intend to stay here so late, but I actually had a really good time. This night was the most fun I’ve had in a while.

Continuing through the house in search of my friend, my mind wanders back to Eli. He’s obviously gorgeous, charming as hell and, if I’m being honest, he’s been stuck in my head most of the night. Typically, I wouldn’t think twice about a cute guy I randomly met, especially right now when I just want to focus on me, but between the things Marc has told me and the impression he gave me tonight, I find myself intrigued and confused about him.

After an unsuccessful forty-five minutes of looking for Marc, I start to get a bit frustrated at myself for staying so late with no way to get home, regardless of the fun I had. The house is beginning to clear out, but I wouldn’t trust a ride from someone after most the party guests have been drinking all night. Asking for directions would also be pointless. This campus is enormous and I had a hard enough time finding my dorm in broad daylight, let alone trying to find it in the middle of the night with directions I received from a drunken stranger.

As I turn the corner to check a room I’ve already searched three times, a guy stumbles into me, spilling his beer down the front of my shirt. I close my eyes, hoping it’s my imagination, and that did not just really happen.

“That’s just great,” I sigh, the cold moisture seeping through the fabric.

“Oops!” he drunkenly laughs before continuing to stumble through the house.

Turning on my heel, I head straight towards the kitchen to clean myself off. I reek of beer, regardless of the fact I didn’t drink any, and my clothes are becoming sticky. I grab the paper towels next to the sink and dampen one under the faucet, but while I try to wipe my shirt clean, I’m distracted when I hear Eli’s name.

“You know how Maddison is.”

I look over and see a blonde talking to two of her friends. She’s leaning over the counter, and it causes her chest to stick out and appear larger than it already is.

“When has that boy ever turned down sex? Especially from you, Alyssa,” one of them asks her.

“I know, but he’s already in his room,” she whines, causing her to sound desperate as she explains him to her friends. “He doesn’t let anyone in there. I’ve been hooking up with him for years, and I’ve never slept in the same bed as him, let alone even been in that room.” She has her heels in her hand, and the mascara on her eyes has made its way underneath them, making her drunken state even more noticeable.

“Whatever, it’s just the first weekend of the year. It’s not like we don’t have the rest of the school year to hook up,” Alyssa says, trying to convince herself that she doesn’t care while standing up straight and tugging at her dress.

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