Page 45 of The Version You Hide

“Of course you will.” He winks. “I’m not leaving you here with the vultures.”

I know he’s only joking but when we step through the doors out onto the expansive balcony with several sets of eyes pinned on us, I’m overcome with relief as his hand grips mine.

He ushers me through the crowd of people until we reach the bar. Then he orders us two Cokes and we move to take a seat at a small table.

“Dyl! I’m so glad you made it!” comes a perky voice to my right. “Now Mum and Dad can get off my case. Oh, hi! You must be Mackenzie!”

This woman’s excitement level is off the Richter.

“Yeah. Hey,” I say, extending my hand.

She takes my hand in hers but then bends down in her wickedly high heels to air kiss me on both cheeks. It’s a gesture that I’m not familiar with in any sense. She seems friendly enough. I’m just not used to people encroaching on my personal space.

“Uh, Mackenzie,” Dylan smirks, clearly amused by my discomfort. “This is my sister, Claire.”

“Oh, hey. Cool. It’s nice to meet you.” For some reason I’ve been reduced to one syllable words.

“You too,” she replies. “Dylan’s told me so much about you.”

Dylan shakes his head with a frown, making a subtle ‘cut it out’ gesture across his throat. “Nope. Not really.”

“Anyway, I’ll leave you to it. I have to make the rounds, but I’ll catch up with you guys again soon.” With that, she turns on her crimson, red stiletto heels in search of the next social circle.

“So…” I grin, eyeing him curiously. “You told your sister about me?”

“No. Not much. She’s confused.” He shakes his head adamantly before taking a sip of his beverage, then gesturing to where Claire animatedly greets a friend, he adds, “I mean, obviously she’s been drinking.”

“Right,” I say, huffing out a laugh.

I stiffen as Dylan’s dad approaches the table, his presence sucking the energy straight from the air.

“Dylan,” he says sternly. “Can I borrow you for a moment?”

“Now isn’t a good time, Dad,” Dylan says, his jaw clenching. “I’m talking with Mackenzie.”

It solidifies the respect I have for Dylan that he doesn’t want to leave me alone to go and to talk to his father. He’s been the perfect gentleman since the moment he picked me up, offering me a kind of protection that I’ve never really known. But right now, I can see his father isn’t ready to let whatever he has to say to him go.

“It’s important,” his father presses.

A vein in Dylan’s neck bulges as he takes a mouthful of Coke. “Dad, this is a party. Can we leave it?”

His dad lets out an agitated sigh.

“It’s fine,” I say. “Go with your dad. I’ll be okay for a minute.”

Dylan’s nostrils flare in defiance as he stands and follows his father back inside, leaving me twirling the straw in my glass at an empty table.

I’m only mildly uncomfortable sitting in the middle of the fanciest party I’ve ever set foot in, but I’m not alone for long. I glance up as two women that seem to be only a few years older than me seat themselves on the opposite side of the table.

One has long platinum waves and the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. Her lashes are fake. Her lips are swollen, the result of too much filler. The other, a brunette with piercing green eyes, wears the tightest, lowest cut dress I’ve ever seen in person. She looks like she just stepped off the red carpet.

“Uh, hi,” I stammer.

“Hey,” the blonde says, her voice surprisingly low and sultry. “You must be Dylan’s new girl.”

“Yeah,” I say without hesitation. That’s what I am tonight, for all intents and purposes after all. “I’m Mackenzie.”

The blonde eyes me like she has a million questions to ask, the brunette like she doesn’t trust a word that’s coming out of my mouth. Smart girl.

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