Page 74 of Blind Luck

“I can’t put that on my résumé,” I muttered as his words sank in. Rusty Bolt liked me. He actually liked me. “But this won’t work. It can’t.”

“And why not?”

“Because of the…” My cheeks burned. “We can’t have this conversation here.”

“You’re talking about the sex?”

“Shut up.”

“Last week, you didn’t think you’d like the kissing either, so I figured we’d work it out as we go along.”

My turn to stare.

“Am I wrong?” he asked.

About the kissing? No, he wasn’t. And in that moment, I understood that even if I hated the sex, even if it hurt the way it always had in the past, I’d have to pretend I liked it because I liked him.

“I can take the bus to Fresno.”

He barked out a laugh. “You’ll get your licence. Have faith in yourself.” A glance to the side was followed by a longer look and a flash of anger. “He has his hands all over her.”

I turned to watch, and yeuch, Jace was groping Kelsey’s ass. Why wasn’t she pushing him away as she had everyother time? Then I realised—he was moving in time to the music, but she wasn’t. She’d slowed down completely.

“How much did she have to drink?” I whispered to Rusty, and he understood where I was going with that.

“A cocktail and a glass of wine? Two glasses? Maybe she’s a lightweight?”

“Or maybe he dropped something in her drink while she was in the bathroom.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“I mean, it would explain why she can barely stand.”

We both watched in horror as Jace half carried Kelsey to the edge of the dance floor and then continued on toward the door. His family owned this place; nobody was going to stop him.

“Fuck,” Rusty muttered under his breath.

Oh, no.

Oh, no, no, no, no, no.

I jumped up and grabbed his hand. “Follow my lead.”

Kelsey wasnotbecoming another one of Jace’s victims—and at that moment, I didn’t doubt there had been more. I marched across the room, pulling Rusty along behind me.

“Ohmigosh! Kelsey? Kelsey Dorrias? I thought I recognised you. We met at Nathan’s party in Richmond last year, remember?”

She mumbled gibberish, and I grabbed her shoulder as she lurched sideways.

“Wow, you’re super drunk. Are you going to puke? We should get you to the bathroom.”

I tried to take her by the hand, but Jace tightened his grip. “We’re going home.”

“Home? But Kelsey lives in New York.”

“She’s staying at my place.”

“Who are you?”

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