Page 11 of Catching Feeling

“Me neither. I just decided earlier today. I thought it was going to be a small get-together? This looks like half the damn campus.”

My eyes flick back to the crowd of people, and I wonder how even in this stupidly big house, there are still so many people.

“Yeah, well, you know Reese.” He chuckles.

Unfortunately, I know him all too well. Intimately well, but I keep that little tidbit to myself.

Within the first day of meeting him, I knew exactly the type of guy he was. The swagger, the cocky flirting, constantly surrounded by women. I knew a rich fuckboy when I saw one, and ever since then, it’s been a constant state of bickering between us. Mostly on my end, since he’s unable to take a hint.

“Looks like you need one of these.” A red cup appears in front of me, and I take it into my hand, my nose wrinkling with the strong smell of alcohol permeating from it. I wasn’t feeling a party tonight, but maybe a party is exactly what I need to forget about the shitshow that my life is right now, even if it’s just for a night. Before I return to campus and I’m homeless… and possibly a soon-to-be college dropout.

I waste no time taking a too large sip, the liquid burning its way down my throat and immediately making my eyes water. So much for the mascara I applied in the car.

“Jesus, Grant, what the hell is this, battery acid?” I sputter when I finally catch my breath. “It tastes like absolute shit.”

His eyebrows wag. “My secret recipe. Like swallowing down fire, but it gets the job done quick. Trust me.”

A shiver rolls through my body at the lingering taste on my tongue, and I want to wash it away with almost anything at this point. This is absolutely terrible, but let’s just hope he’s not wrong about how fast it works.

“Thanks, I think? Oh, have you seen Hallie?”

“She and Lane were on the second floor by the beer pong table last time I saw them.” He raises his glass for me to clink, and when I do, we take another sip together, both of us nearly choking.

“God, that just gets worse and worse,” I say through clenched teeth. “I’m gonna try and find them. I’ll find you later, ’kay?”

He nods and ambles off toward a girl he’s been eyeing in the corner, his dimpled grin plastered on his handsome face.

The staircase leading to the second floor is as packed as the bottom floor, littered with couples hanging on the railing, making out against the wall, and sitting on the steps huddled together, making it harder to push my way to the top. But once I do, I immediately spot my best friend and her boyfriend exactly where Grant said they’d be.

“Hallie!” I rush over to her, only pausing to take in the cute-as-hell outfit she’s wearing tonight. I am definitely going to have to borrow that dress.

Her entire face lights up when she sees me, and then her arms are around my neck, and she’s squeezing me so tightly to her that I can hardly breathe. For a second, I pause and sink into her embrace. It’s only been a little while since we’ve seen each other, but the last couple of weeks have been rough, and truth be told, I need my best friend.

I just wish that I could tell her about everything that’s happening.

I just… I don’t want to burden my friends with my family problems and dorm drama. I plan on telling her, but for now, I’m just going to suck it up, put on a smile, and pretend everything is fine and dandy.

She’s so happy with Lane.

After finally getting together during winter break, they’re now in the honeymoon stage of their official relationship, where everything is fresh and new, and they’re madly in love. So, I don’t want to take a single ounce of her happiness away. No one wants to be the friend that bursts their friend’s blissful bubble. Not after how long it took for them to get here.

And I know Hallie—the moment she finds out something is wrong, she’s going to try and fix it, and I just don’t want to bother her with my shit right now. No, I’ll just figure it out myself.

“I missed you so freakin’ much, Viv!” she whisper-yells into my ear over the music before pulling back to look at me. “Okay, I am obsessed with that sweater. I need to borrow it!”

I laugh, glancing down at the distressed black sweater I threw on with jeans, paired with my favorite worn pair of black-checkered Vans. “Ummm, funny because I thought the same thing about that dress! Babe, you are rocking it.”

She glances down at it, then back to me. “Really?”

“Yes, really! It’s literally perfect for your body.” I turn toward Lane and toss him a smile. “What’s up, lover boy?”

“Viv.” He nods, a teasing smile on his lips. “Been quiet without you around.”

Hallie reaches down, lacing our fingers together. “What he means is boring. It’s been absolutely, undeniably boring without you, Viv. I’m so glad you came tonight! I was worried for a minute that you wouldn’t come. You know, because of…Reese.”

“Yeah, we?—”

“Talking about me already, Viv?” A deep, gravelly voice that absolutely should not make my thighs clench the way that they do sounds behind me, and I already know exactly who it belongs to before I even turn around.

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