Page 50 of Life of the Party

“Don’t go, Mackenzie.”

“What?” I blinked in disbelief. “Why not?”

“Just…because. Why are you doing this?”

No one could answer that question better than Grey. I looked up at him, baffled, lowering my voice so we wouldn’t attract any attention from the few tables present.

“Why am I…are you kidding me?” It was because of him I was searching for someone else, because he didn’t want me. And now he was staring at me with such intensity, my poor confused emotions were roiling. He didn’t care about me. So why did he suddenly care what I did? Who I went out with?

“You want to go out with this guy?”

“Yeah, I do. He’s a nice guy…and he’s actuallyinterestedin me. Hewantsto be with me.” I said pointedly.

Grey frowned. “I don’t trust him.”

“You don’t trust him? Okay…” I sighed and shook my head, rubbing my forehead in total bewilderment. “Grey, what the hell do you want from me?”

He hesitated. “I just…I don’t want you to go out with that guy.”

I didn’t understand it. I couldn’t. Why now? Why? A week ago, this kind of concern would have made my whole day…but now I was just confused, frustrated…saddened even, by his sudden interest.

“Get out of my way,” I uttered quietly, avoiding his gaze.

“Please, Mackenzie.”

“No.” I shook my head.

Grey dropped his hand from the door. “Fine. Go. Have fun.” He muttered.

I didn’t waste a second. I whipped the door open and stepped into the warm summer night, welcoming the fresh air on my heated cheeks, leaving Grey behind.

CHAPTER 21

With a snap, I opened my beer and put the can to my lips, trying furiously to keep up with the onslaught of liquid as it slammed down my throat. Beer dribbled down my chin and onto my sweater as I gulped it down, trying not to laugh, watching in near hysterics as Brad did the exact same thing.

When I was finished, I leaned back and laughed uproariously, enjoying the sound of the cheering around us. Brad wiped his lips on his hand and smiled at me, his grin spreading wide over his face.

“Dammit. You beat me again!”

I could do nothing but laugh at him, getting drunker by the minute, sitting cross-legged on a hay bale next to a roaring fire, facing Brad, thoroughly enjoying myself.

He was surprisingly fun to be around, laid back, easygoing, and just…funny. He really made me laugh. Though certain things kept reminding me we were very wrong together…things like the chew ring faded into his back pocket or the Garth Brooks in his CD player, I had to admit I was having a great time.

If nothing else, I knew Brad would make a really great friend.

The crowd around us slowly dissipated now that the contest was over and I was declared the winner. A few of them waved at Brad as they moved on but pointedly ignored me. Jocks, cowboys, popular girls, brainiacs…they were all there. The small percentage of the student body that actually partied—like my definition of party—was nowhere to be found in this crowd, but this group was still having fun.

It was funny, I’d gone to school with most of those people my entire life, but I didn’t know them any better than just a name to “popcorn” when we were reading in class. No one was mean or hostile or even unfriendly, but it was still a little uncomfortable.They all had their little cliques, and I wasn’t a part of them, which was totally fine with me. I wished I could’ve been there with my friends. We would have taken over a hay bale or two, smoked a bunch of weed and secretly made fun of all the people around us. In short, we would’ve had fun. Just like we used to.

I sighed and shook my head, trying to rid myself of the sudden nostalgia. The campfire was roaring; I could feel the heat on the skin of my shins, even through my jeans.

“Seriously, girl, how’d you learn to drink so much?” Brad demanded. “You had a whole mickey of rye in the truck before we even got here.”

I shrugged. “You know what they say. Liquor before beer, you’re in the clear.”

“Really?” Brad laughed. “I hadn’t heard that one.”

“What? That’s not one of your cowboy mottos?” I teased. “Here’s my favourite. If you can’t ride it or rope it, take it out behind the barn and shoot it…”

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