Page 19 of Rebel Romeo

I pressed my heels into my eye sockets and let loose a frustrated growl.

McCay had cut us some slack and spent the week working on scenes that didn’t focus on us together, thank God.

Our interaction consisted of five sentences all week.

After the game, I got out of the shower, towel tied around my waist and grunted as I pulled my jeans up.

Duncan clapped a big, meaty paw to my shoulder. “Going to Jack’s house tonight for the party?” I was about to say no when Duncan added, “I heard your girl’s gonna be there.”

I didn’t need to ask him who because we both knew which girl he was referring to. When it came to me, there was only one. “Where’d you hear that?” I muttered, suddenly very interested.

“Jack’s roommate is a poetry major. He and that hot redhead friend of hers have been talking, so I assume they’re both going to the party.”

I narrowed my eyes at Duncan. “If you’re lying, I’ll slice your balls off in your sleep, you know that, right?”

With a laugh, Duncan took a step back. “Easy, dude. I’m not guaranteeing she’ll be there. Just relaying what I’ve heard.”

I finished getting dressed, then slammed my locker shut. “I’ll see you at Jack’s,” I grumbled as Duncan’s grin stretched wider. “Don’t fucking gloat,” I added. “I was planning on going anyway.”

A total fucking lie.

And Duncan knew it, but didn’t bother calling me out on it.

I pulled up to Jack’s house that he shared with five other guys. Music blasted through the open windows as people spilled out onto their front lawn, red Solo cups in hand.

I parked and made my way through the sea of people, noting at least a dozen students that I recognized as freshmen. They were definitely not 21.

Then again, neither was Kate and she was the whole reason I came to this fucking party in the first place.

If the front lawn was crowded, then inside the house was downright packed with people. There were clumps sitting on a couch, people making out in corners and up against the walls. Writhing bodies dancing to the pounding bass of the music.

I squeezed past a group of three girls eye fucking me as they danced up on each other and made my way to the keg where Dave was pouring some beers for people.

“Hey,” he said, with a jerk of his head.

“Hey.”

He handed me a beer and I sniffed it. “Belgian?”

Dave nodded. “Yeah. Jack’s older brother is starting a microbrew in the area.”

Fucking rich, ivy league kids, man. We didn’t waste our parties on the cheap shit.

“I meant to tell you that I’m sorry about Kate,” Dave said, gently nudging me with his elbow. “Didn’t know you two had a thing when I asked her out.”

“We don’t have a thing,” I said, my voice gravelly and rough. “It was Duncan who gave you the red flag.”

Dave snorted. “Yeah, but c’mon. We all saw you two at that table. The eye contact and shit was intense between you two.”

“I’m telling you, there’s nothing between us. We’re not dating. We’re just…”

What were we? Friends? Hardly.

Business associates? Sort of… though not anymore now that she found out I was the one buying her panties and she closed shop.

“We’re just… acting together,” I opted for. “She’s free to date whomever she fucking wants.”

Somewhere in the crowd there was a high-pitched shriek and then some high fives echoing over the music.

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