Page 114 of The Very First Night

“Sounds good, sweetheart. I’ll be right here,” he says, backing toward a group of brothers, and I step off the dance floor.

As I emerge from the cramped bathroom stall, my nose is assaulted by the cloying scent of artificial roses and harsh chemicals. Exiting the restroom, I inhale deeply, grateful to be back in the relatively fresh air of the hallway.

“Hey,” whispers an unnervingly gentle, familiar voice, causing every hair on my body to stand on end.

I know who it is without even looking, so when I turn and meet Elijah’s eyes, I’m instantly filled with dread.

“What?” My voice comes out snippy and short, but I no longer care how he may perceive me.

“C’mon, Kat. It’s just me.” He stumbles closer, his words slurring and his breath reeking of alcohol.

I look around and notice that we are alone in this empty hallway. My heart rate starts to quicken in my chest as he reaches out for me.

Panic sets in and, while I don’t think Elijah would ever cross the line from asshole to predator, it’s hard to say with the amount of alcohol he’s had. As his fingers wrap around my wrist, pulling me toward him, I find myself scanning the area. His grip tightens as I try to pull away.

“Elijah, that hurts,” I grit out through my teeth, trying to pull my arm free.

“You’re being dramatic as usual; I’m barely touching you.”

“Please, let go of me. You’re drunk and?—”

“You used to love the way I’d touch you when we were drunk,” he says with an uneven cadence. “The way I’d make you come with your inhibitions down—you used to love it.”

I struggle against his grasp, to no avail. “Well, I don’t anymore. Let me go,” I snarl, but it falls on deaf ears. Reasoning with Elijah sober is one thing, but when drunk, he’s impossible to sway.

He says calmly, “Not until you hear me out.”

Brendan’s voice booms from the doorway of the ballroom, and I feel a surge of relief. His tall frame fills the hallway as he glares at Elijah. Approaching us, his presence is both comforting and intimidating. “Is everything all right out here, Kat?” he asks sternly.

“She’s fine. Besides, this doesn’t concern you, Wallace.” Elijah doesn’t pull his gaze away from me as he talks to Brendan.

“Actually, it does.” Brendan wraps his fingers around Elijah’s hand and squeezes tightly, causing him to release his grasp on my wrist with a wince. “You see, this is my best friend’s girl, and you appear to have been touching her without her consent.”

Elijah scoffs. “You’re just as bad as she is. I was just trying to talk to her.”

“Well,” Brendan sighs, “looks like you talked. She doesn’t care. So I will be taking Kat back into the ballroom now.”

Elijah clenches his jaw, his dark eyes flashing with anger before he lets out a string of curses under his breath and storms off to the men’s restroom.

Brendan turns to me, gently takes my hand, and drapes it over his arm, leading me away from the tense situation. Back in the ballroom, I let out a relieved sigh as he squeezes my hand and asks, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

FIFTY-SEVEN

KAT

Tanner’s jaw tightens and his shoulders tense as he inserts the key card into our hotel room door. I can feel irritation radiating off of him, stemming from his conversation with Brendan about the incident. I had meant to discuss it with Tanner in private, but unfortunately Brendan spilled the beans as soon as we saw Tanner in the ballroom. Knowing how easily Tanner gets heated when it comes to Elijah, I quickly guided him out of the ballroom before he could start a fight with another fraternity brother.

I drop my clutch onto the TV stand in our room, but I wait for Tanner to shut the door before saying anything. Once the door clicks behind him, I let out a sigh.

“I had it handled.”

“You shouldn’t have to handle it—he shouldn’t be cornering you like that.” Tanner paces back and forth, undoing the top button of his pressed white dress shirt, revealing the spattering of hair and freckles hidden beneath. He’s a bundle of nervous energy right now and I don’t have the slightest idea of how to address it.

I stand in front of Tanner, stopping his pacing, and place my hands on his trembling jaw, forcing him to look into my eyes. “I’m okay,” I say firmly, trying to reassure him. When he doesn’t seem convinced, I lean in closer and whisper against his lips, “I promise. I’m okay.”

His tense body begins to relax, but I can still sense the apprehension in his voice when he speaks. “I could kill him.”

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