Page 47 of Tell Me You Like It

Wyn takes a sip from her tiny red straw and shimmies a little, clearly already feeling a little buzzed. “You need to loosen up. Have some fun.”

I suck down my drink and place the empty glass on the bar. I’m about to try and get the bartender’s attention to order another one, but before I can even lift my arm, the bartender slides a new Mai Tai in front of me.

“Oh, uh, thanks,” I say.

He takes my empty glass and with a wink, scoots away to serve someone else.

“Wow, the service here is great,” I say to Wyn.

She laughs. “I’ve been trying to get that guy’s attention all night. But you have the benefit of being campus royalty.”

Okay, but we’re not even on campus. I guess it doesn’t matter. It’s clear Roman and his friends’ families run his entire town.

Still, this kind of deferenceto me,a nobody, is weird,and it feels really awkward because I’m so used to being invisible. And Ilikebeing invisible—because when you’re in the background, you’re not in the line of fire. You’re safe. You’re watching everyone else’s drama, and you’re not in the middle of it.

“So, is that guy your boyfriend?” I ask Wyn, curious about her situation. She’s obviously dating that guy, but she was also kinda flirty with Jackson back there.

She glances over at Gabriel, who is standing on the patio, talking to someone. The sliding door is closed, but we can see them through the large window. “Yeah,” she says unenthusiastically. “We’ve been dating for about a year.”

“He’s cute,” I offer.

She leans on the bar, head resting on her shoulder. I can tell she’s already tipsy. “Yeah, but all the guys at ExU are cute. I’m starting to think ExU has started requesting headshots with people’s applications.”

We both laugh at that, but I’m feeling bold, so I press further. “So what’s with you and Jackson? You guys looked a bit flirty.”

I don’t know Wyn well enough to delve this deeply into her dating life, but she seems like one of those open-book type people.

She waves me off, swaying a little with the motion. “It’s nothing, really. Gabriel and I were having some trouble a few weeks ago, and Jackson offered me some advice. So, yeah, I guess we’re friendly.”

I practically snort at that, because what I saw back at the table was more thanfriendly.But whatevs. Not my call to make.

There’s a bit of an awkward silence, so I glance around, vibing with the music, when I spot someone across the room. That guy, Ash, from the beach party last night–theone who said he saw Bree. Roman pulled me away before I could get the details of what he saw.

I glance at the table where Roman is still sitting. He’s deep in conversation with his bros, and not even paying attention to me.

I set my drink down on the bar in front of Wyn. “Watch my drink,” I say. “I’ll be right back.”

Wyn looks confused. “Where are you going?”

But I don’t answer, because I’m already plunging into the crowd, headed straight for the dance floor. I make a beeline for Ash, who is dancing with a pretty girl wearing little more than a T-shirt.

I’m such a lightweight that the one Mai Tai I had is already snaking through my veins, making me feel relaxed and a little dizzy. I walk straight up to Ash, but he’s so into the music and already buzzed himself, that he doesn’t even notice me.

I reach out and grab his arm, which immediately snags his attention. But when he sees me, standing in front of him, he reels back, like he’s just been jolted by a jump scare.

“Shit, where the fuck did you come from?” His nervous gaze darts around the immediate area. “Where’s your boyfriend? Does he know you’ve shed your leash?”

I glare at him, but I don’t respond to his little jab, because I need his help, so I step forward and place my hand on his rock-solid chest. “He’s not really my boyfriend,” I say. “He’s just really bad at taking ‘no’ for an answer.”

Ash smirks, and places his hand on mine, like he’s going to pull it off of his chest, but he doesn’t–not immediately, anyway. His warm hand folds around mine, and I can tell he’s into me. But I can also tell he’s stiff and uncomfortable—like he’s afraid Roman will pop up at any moment.

“I just wanted to ask you about my friend,” I say. “We didn’t get to finish our conversation from last night.”

His hand moves to stroke the underside of my chin. Then he tilts my chin up while bending to speak directly in my ear, so he can be heard over the music. “You’re a brave one. And while I love a challenge, I’m not sure you’re worth the trouble. Roman isn’t a guy who likes to share.”

When he pulls back to look at me, I just blink at him, doing my best to look innocent and vulnerable. Guys love that. “I just want to talk about my friend. Two minutes, and then I swear, I’ll leave you alone.”

I’m practically pouting at his point, disgusting even myself, but I can tell by the way he’s looking at me that he’s falling for it, hook, line, and sinker.

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