Page 25 of Dare to Fall

His eyebrows raised with a shake of his head. “She doesn’t look like a student in that outfit.”

My gaze flicked back toward the table where she sat next to a shy-looking girl and a guy with sandy-blond hair that was fixed too neatly. As the guy put his arm around her and pulled her in close, my heart sank. I could hear the grinding of my own teeth against the incessant beat of the music. She leaned in close to him, but a flash of hesitancy crossed her face so quickly I almost didn’t notice it.

But it was there. I was sure of it.

A waitress brought a few bottles of vodka and one bottle of rum to their table. Everyone but Eva and the girl sitting next to her immediately started taking shots. The guy who had his arm around her discreetly started pulling away, and I watched her sink back into the plush cushion of the booth. Fury boiled in my veins as I witnessed her go inward from the shunning of the guy next to her. My fists clenched at my sides. A woman like that didn’t deserve to be pushed to the side.

Through the crowd of sultry bodies, I felt the heat of her gaze settle on me. Her crimson-painted lips parted slightly when she caught me looking at her. The subtle lift of her right brow sent a chill throughout my entire body. She lifted a glass of amber liquid to her lips to take a sip, never taking her eyes off me. As she lowered the glass, I could see the faintest slip of her tongue glide over her lips, and I knew.

Eva Barnes was definitely trouble.

13

Eva

Everything wentsilent the moment I saw him. The crisp white of his button down was illuminated by the lights. As he lifted the tumbler to his mouth, his forearms flexed against his rolled-up sleeves. I clung to the edge of the table to keep myself upright because the way he looked at me sent a wave of heat coursing through my body. The hairs on my arms stood on end as pearly white teeth peeked through his lips with a slow, sly smile.

Every inch of my body responded to that smile. And yet, shame crept into my mind for wanting him, knowing that Connor, the man I was supposed to want, sat right next to me.

“Take a shot with us!” Paulina yelled across the table.

I tore my gaze away from Garth, and my body instantly felt cooler, though I could still feel the heat of his gaze on me.

Paulina poured a generous amount of vodka from the bottle of Absolut and slid the glass toward me. Drops of the clear liquid splashed out onto the table. I brought it to my lips, and the scent of rubbing alcohol immediately made my stomach churn. Vodka had never been my drink of choice. I much preferred the warm spice of whiskey and rum, but no one else in the group drank anything other than vodka or beer, so I often settled on the inferior liquor. At least it did the job and loosened me up enough to dance.

But I wasn’t in the mood for vodka tonight, so I poured a glass of the Captain Morgan I ordered for Drema and myself and took a sip.

I leaned into Connor, wrapping my arm around his as I tried to ward off everything that Garth’s look made me feel.

“I’m glad we’re here tonight. I’ve missed you,” I whispered against Connor’s neck.

Turning toward me, his steel-blue eyes shimmered in the darkness. But as he looked at me, there was a hint of sadness in the way his lips turned down slightly. The subtle crease between his brows made me think he was worried.

“Is everything okay?” I asked.

He nodded slightly.

“You know you can talk to me, Connor. You never used to keep things from me. I know you’re stressed out with school, but if there’s something else going on, I’m here for you.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “I’m fine. Just stressed about application season and studying for the MCAT.”

Ugh. The MCAT. With everything happening between us and the conflict I felt about continuing on with pre-med, I’d hardly thought about it. But he was right. Application season was about to start, and if I didn’t make a decision soon, I’d be in trouble. Most people studied for the MCAT for almost a year before taking it. Maybe if Connor and I studied together, it would help us reconnect and keep me on track.

“If you want, we can study together. I’ve been behind on all of that, and I could use some structure too.”

His eyes darted around the club nervously, making my stomach drop. He was acting strange again. Every time I brought up spending more time together, he seemed flighty. I was doing everything I could to get us back to normal, but it felt like the harder I tried, the more he pushed me away.

He pulled his arm away from mine and reached for his drink. “Brent and I already—”

“Eva! What’s your friend’s name again?” Caroline yelled across the table, interrupting Connor.

I paused, waiting for Connor to continue, but he took a long swig of his drink instead and shifted his body toward Caroline. The physical distance he put between us felt like a gaping canyon that neither one of us could bridge. I blinked against the hot tears springing to the backs of my eyes, trying to keep them from falling.

Out of the corner of my eye, Drema was huddled in the corner of the booth to my right, sipping on her cocktail, looking out over the crowd.

“Her name is Drema,” I said to Caroline as my eyes narrowed on her. I wasn’t sure what she had up her sleeve, but I could tell it wasn’t good.

Caroline leaned forward, and I could already see the haze that settled over her eyes. She had a habit of pre-gaming a littletoohard.

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