Page 10 of Becoming Selfish

I turn away from Marc to fill my cup with water from the sink as I hear him yell, “Hey EJ! Over here!” loud enough to be heard over the crowd. I turn around with my cup full, excited to finally meet the stepbrother he’s told me about, but when I do, I find the tall boy with brown eyes and a wet shirt standing next to Marc.

Then my entire cup of water hits the floor.

Chapter 7

Eli

Still in a daze from the encounter I had outside the bathroom, I make my way downstairs and head to the kitchen to get myself a new drink. I keep my eyes peeled for the pretty girl from upstairs, but I haven’t spotted her yet, and I find myself hoping she didn’t leave already. She was super hot, and usually, I’d try to hook up with a girl that looks like that, but she doesn’t seem like the type of girl I’m used to pursuing. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is, but I do know I want to see her again.

I push my way through the group of people crowding the entrance to the kitchen. Right then, I hear Marc call my name from across the room, close to the sink. I give him a nod, so he knows that I heard him, before I start heading in his direction. When I make it to him, I bump my fist with his as my eyes wander to the girl next to him with her back towards me, facing the sink.

I’d recognize that burgundy hair anywhere.

She turns to face me with an expectant smile, but as soon as her eyes lock with mine, her expression changes from excited to shocked.

Then she drops her cup of water, and it splashes all over the floor.

Wow, this girl is clumsy.

I look down at the wet ground and back up to her face. “I believe that’s two for two,” I say to her with my most flirtatious smile.

She’s stands frozen in shock until she registers the mess she just made. A blush warms her cheeks as she looks down on to the wet floor. “Shit. My bad!” she apologizes before reaching down to pick up her empty cup. She frantically looks around, spotting the paper towels sitting on the counter next to the sink. Before she can use them, Marc takes them from her hand and puts them back where they came from.

“Don’t worry about it. Honestly, a puddle of water on these floors is the cleanest they’ve ever been,” he reassures her.

Does he know her?

Marc points to her while looking at me. “EJ, this is Logan.”

I know that, but how does he? “Yeah, I know. We met upstairs.” I keep my eyes locked on hers. She still has that shocked look on her face. “But how do you guys know each other?” I motion my finger between them.

“Dude, this is Logan,” Marc states again. “Logan from Spain?” He looks at me like I’m an idiot.

Just like a lightbulb got flipped on, everything clicks. Holy fucking shit. This is Logan? Marc’s friend Logan? But she’s not a dude. This is the Logan that he spent last semester watching basketball games with in the middle of the night and shooting the shit? What the fuck?

Now my face shares the same shocked expression as hers.

“Hi,” she says without breaking her eye contact from mine.

Well, her brain seems to be working just fine, but mine is currently not. “But, you’re not a guy,” I state aloud, accidentally.

She chuckles and thankfully doesn’t seem to be offended. “Thanks for noticing?”

Marc smacks my shoulder. “Dude, what the fuck?”

I don’t even look at him. I can only look at her. I cannot believe this is the person he’s been telling me about since January. Logan seemed cool and all when I assumed she was a guy, but now that I know she’s not, I’m a little confused as I think back and try to remember the stories Marc had told me about her. Now that I know his Logan is the girl that took me by surprise when I met her upstairs, I don’t know what to think.

Is he into her? How could he not be? But I think he would’ve mentioned that she was a girl if he was. He never gave me any indication that his new friend wasn’t a guy. He just told me that they kicked it all the time, watched sports, and did their schoolwork together.

While I’m lost and confused in my thoughts, the spunky brunette from earlier returns, pulling my attention back to the present.

“There you guys are!” she bursts while swinging an arm around each of Marc and Logan’s shoulders. She’s pretty short, so she’s on her tippy-toes trying to do so. She cocks her head towards Logan. “We’re gonna go play beer pong with a couple of cute boys I just met.” Her voice sounds like she might be a little tipsy already.

Logan seems apprehensive. “Oh, I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” She shakes her head. “I’m not even drinking tonight.”

Is she not? I just assumed she would be. Everyone else does during these kinds of things. If and when I decide to be sober at a party, I’m usually the only one.

“Nope. You’re playing. I’ll drink for both of us,” Ali commands, grabbing Logan by the wrist and pulling her to the living room.

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