Page 60 of Life of the Party

I wanted more. I pressed myself against Grey’s back, my hands hugging his hard body closer to me. My lips found his ear.

“Faster.” I requested. Grey didn’t answer me, but the corner of his mouth curved slightly. I knew he was smiling. “I want to go faster.”

“Of course you do.” Was all he said.

The bike roared onto the highway. Grey went through the gears like butter, one right after the other, revving the motorcycle until the engine growled in response. The countryside whizzed past on either side, a blur of shapes and shadows I couldn’t discern. The sun shone golden down on us but its warmth was whipped away by thewind rushing by, cutting through my clothes as if I were wearing nothing at all. Its bitter fingers pierced the very core of me, stealing my breath away, making my heart hammer with adrenaline. My skin erupted in icy shivers.

A smile curved my lips. This was exactly what I wanted. There was nothing around me. Nothing but the deafening wind. My hair tore free from its elastic and fell, caught by the currents, streaming behind me, whipping and tearing around my face.

My smile deepened.

Thoughtlessly, I took my hands from the safety of Grey’s waist. I stretched them in the air beside me and then threw my head back, embracing the cold, letting it pour through me until it burned all the heat away. I felt alive.

I felt like I was flying. Like Kate Winslet inTitanic. At that moment, I was free. I let the wind take from me all my worries, all my cares, all my troubles. It swept them far, far away. My parents, my exams, Riley…none of it mattered.

Nothing but the total freedom I felt.

I loved it. I loved him. I hugged myself around Grey again, wrapping my arms tightly around his waist. He laughed beneath my hands. The engine revved, and we went even faster. I clung to him until there was no space between us and my heart felt like it might burst with happiness. I never wanted it to end.

Eventually, we had to slow, re-entering the town limits as the sun swung lazily over the horizon. Its warmth could be felt again on my frigid skin due to our leisurely pace, present in the soft, languid breeze that swept lightly over us. I was chilled to my marrow, my frozen fingers stiff and numb.

I smiled delightfully, renewed somehow by the invigorating ride.

As we paused at a stop sign, Grey glanced over his shoulder at me.

“Where to now?” He asked, yelling to be heard.

I bit my lip. The sky was dimming around us, and there was a small part of me—the quiet, easily mollified part—that knew I should go home. Knew I should deal with the inevitably already pissed-off parents. But the other part of me—the louder, more dominant part—wanted fun and adventure at any cost. She wanted to stay with Grey for as long as she possibly could. Who cared how much trouble she’d be in?

I grinned. “I’ll go anywhere you want to go.”

“Anywhere?”

“Anywhere.”

CHAPTER 25

I sniffed in deeply and welcomed the pleasant burn that started in my sinuses and slid down the back of my throat. I passed him the vial, pinching my nose shut and breathing deep.

Anywhere turned out to be Grey’s house. I was so surprised when he took me there; I’d always wondered where he lived. His house—no, their house, he shared it with Alex and Zack—was in the older part of town. It was obviously lived in by bachelors. There was no kitchen table; a large beer-can castle took its place, apparently Alex’s masterpiece. I had to sit on my hands to keep from knocking it over, the urge was so great. The living room was devoted entirely to a big screen TV and all its necessary components—sound surround, DVD towers, a large black, overstuffed sectional.

“This is good shit.” Grey handed me the vial. I did another scoop and the rush of calming heat bore instantly into me. I grinned and shut my eyes a moment, savouring the sensation

“I know.” I sniffed. I felt the rush spread into my tongue, fuelling the speed of my words as my heart surged in my chest, pushing eager blood through my veins. “I did some last night when my dad was making me study but I didn’t get anything done, but it was a blast. But I haven’t studied for like, one of my tests yet. I’ve probably failed them all, which will suck when I have to come back next year and do it all over again…or maybe I won’t, who knows…” Shakily I lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply. “Anyway, how did you do in school? Were you a total brain?”

“Hardly.” He laughed. “I guess I could’ve been, but I didn’t care enough to try. I dropped out in grade…ten, was it? Ten or eleven.” He shrugged. “And it was the best thing I’ve ever done.”

“Why?”

“I knew I wanted to be a musician. I started going to auditions and stuff after I quit school. I did some side gigs and just kept practicing. It took a few years before I met Zack and joined the band.”

“Wait, you joinedhisband? I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah. Everyone else was already there but Alex and Jimmy; they joined after me, a year or so ago. We wrote some new stuff and changed our style a bit, and, well, it’s worked out pretty good so far.”

“I can’t believe you’re signed. Like, that’s a big deal, right?”

“Yeah. That’s a pretty big deal.”

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