Page 162 of Study Buddies

Kyle. It had to be—I was pretty sure that Jayden wouldn’t let some random dude rub up against me. Ooh those large hands on my hips… I knew that touch.

We’d reluctantly decided to pretend that I was here with Jayden, and that Kyle was a friend we’d come with. They’d both insisted, saying they didn’t want me to get a reputation. As if anyone here was sober enough to remember who was with who the next day.

I wiggled my hips, rubbing my backside against Kyle’s front. He was dressed as a pirate, which we’d thought kind of connected his costume to ours. He’d looked hot as hell, too, in those black leather pants, the black vest that showed off his ripped bare chest, and the eyepatch. I’d seen a lot of women eyeing him tonight. “Be good, little Tinker Bell,” he growled in my ear. Then his hands slid up my side, digging into my ribs as I shrieked. “Or should I call you Tickle Bell?”

Jayden apparently decided that me being sandwiched between them was a bit too much. He pulled me out of Kyle’s grasp and slung his arm around my shoulder. “Having fun?” he asked our pirate friend.

Kyle shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.” He had a red cup of beer, and I was impressed he hadn‘t spilled it on me when he’d been pressed up against me.

“Too bad this isn’t Lucas’s scene,” I said, and both men nodded. I’d been a little disappointed when he didn’t come, but he would’ve hated this. To be honest, it wasn’t really my scene, either, but I liked being here with my date and our “friend.”

“He’ll take you somewhere next time,” Kyle said. “To some boring thing he’s into.”

“Yeah,” Jayden said, grinning. “Like anything with the phrase ‘University Lecture Series’ after it.”

Kyle laughed. He and Lucas still bickered, but it wasn’t at all like it had been before. Nowadays, it just kind of seemed like a habit for them, and I was so glad that the real anger was gone.

“I’m going to get another beer.” Kyle disappeared into the crowd, and I noted a lot of women watching him. One even tried to wrap her arms around his neck when he passed, but he dodged her on his way to the kitchen.

Then someone squealed. “Tayden!”

A black shape threw itself at us, hugging first me and then Jayden. It took me a moment to realize it was Mia.

“Tayden?” Jayden asked as he wiped off the beer that had flown out of her cup.

“It’s your couple name,” Mia said loudly. She was dressed as a black cat, complete with pointed ears poking up out of her hair. Her dress was as short as mine was.

“Are you drunk?” Jayden asked her, looking concerned.

“Not enough,” she said. “You two look good together.” She made an expansive gesture that ended up splashing beer on me this time.

“Are you having fun?” I asked her.

She stilled, and for a split second, her face turned pale. But then she nodded and drank thirstily from a red cup. I glanced up at Jayden—he’d seen it, too.

“Let’s go get some air. Too hard to talk in here,” he said.

“Okay.” She surveyed us. “You guys look good together.”

I slipped an arm around her waist. “Let’s go out front.”

Jayden and I guided her through the crowd. The front porch was full of couples making out, but we steered Mia over to a less crowded spot under a large maple tree.

“Do you want us to take you home?” I asked her.

She stared at me as if just realizing I was there. “Hi Tori! No, I’m having fun.”

Yeah, fun. She was acting like the ultimate party girl, but her eyes were red.

“Hey, can I have some of that?” Jayden asked, pointing at her cup.

“Sure!” She handed it to him, and he poured the rest of the beer out on the ground when she wasn’t looking.

I tried again. “I have an idea. Why don’t Jayden and I drive you back to your room?”

She laughed as if I’d said something funny. “No, I want to stay. This is fun!”

Jayden had an inspiration. “Yeah, we should take you back. Then we can meet Sara.”

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