Page 87 of Drown in You

To my friends, I call, “I’ll be right back.”

Finn hardly glances at me when I stop inches from his side. Luke really did warn them to keep their hands off.

“How did you trace that number for Luke?”

He takes another gulp before returning his gaze to the girls. His mouth remains shut. What’s up with this guy? He may be gorgeous, but the whole silent, mysterious type doesn’t exactly work for me. My type is an obsessed, golden retriever man with an alpha side.

“Can you trace a number for me?” I hold out my phone to show him Ten’s number.

He gives a single nod, pulling out his phone to snap a photo of the number.

“Thanks.”

Finn doesn’t say a word, attention already focused on tracking the number. My chest squeezes with hope. If he can somehow link the number back to Luke or Deb, I’ll know for sure who Ten really is.

When I rejoin my friends, two hours tick by while we dance our asses off and grab refills without Luke showing up.

I should’ve confided in him earlier about Marcus. I’m certain Marcus showing up on campus and cornering me really fucked with his head. He’s already lost his dad and Chloe. If the Devils hadn’t shown up on time, he could’ve lost me too.

“I need a break!” I shout before finding a vacant spot on a couch and collapsing onto it.

No texts from Luke promising he’ll be here or ordering me to wear what he wants. I fire off a text to him. When it’s ignored, I send another.

Sienna

Are you coming to the Sigma Chi party?

Where are you?

No response. Maybe he passed out at the Devils’ house. More likely, he’s probably working out in the gym.

Still, dread prickles up the back of my neck. I’m not used to Luke ignoring me, and it’s starting to remind me entirely too much of Ten. He can’t pull the same shit on me twice.

Violet pushes her way through the crowd to me. Behind her, Juliet is dancing with some random guy with brown hair and green eyes who looks entirely too much like Trey Lamont.

Next to me, Violet plops onto the couch. “What’s wrong?”

I plaster on a fake smile. “Nothing.”

Violet narrows her eyes at me, but the kindness never leaves her face. “You’re drop-dead gorgeous at the best party of the semester and you look like somebody kicked your puppy. I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s wrong.”

There’s so much I want to tell her. Marcus knowing about me and Luke, my fear that he’ll somehow expose our relationship, the secret identity Luke might be hiding, and worst of all, whether I’m actually making Luke’s life better or worse.

Behind us, a low voice booms, “Where the hell is Luke?”

Wes towers over the couch, Finn a silent shadow at his side.

“I don’t know.” Violet’s gaze darts around the party. “I haven’t seen him.”

Finn sits on the arm of the couch beside me and shows me his phone screen displaying a texting app.

“What’s this?”

He points to my phone. The number I asked him to find.

“You think he’s texting me from an app?”

Finn nods, stuffing his phone back in his pocket.

---