Page 4 of Sunflowers and Surrender

“Don’t worry, T. I’m just wearing jeans and a T-shirt.” She laughs. “The real question is, what areyouwearing?” She waggles her brows at me. We both know we’re hoping we can attract some handsome, eligible mates, preferably with date potential. But, honestly, I’d settle for one evening of feeling admired.

“Something to show off my assets.” I giggle, stretching my sleep shirt tight against my breasts. They’re a C cup, one of my best features, and I admit I’m not ashamed to flaunt them.

Okay, when Ricky’s away.

We arriveat the party in full swing. Vincent’s house reminds me of something you’d see on Greek Row. But it’s in the burbs. The house is shared with three roommates, and the yard and interior look every bit the frat house. As we cross the threshold, the stench of stale beer hits me in the face, and there’s a sticky sensation beneath my shoes when I walk.

Leaning into Grace, I ask, “Remind me why we’ve been dying to go to one of these again.”

“Think of it as a rite of passage.” She laughs. “And if that doesn’t do it for ya, then think of it as a department store. You just need to try on a few men and see which one fits.”

“Oh, lord.” I giggle.

We make our way toward the kitchen and attempt to locate a drink that appears safe. I haven’t acquired a taste for beer, so the keg is out. We agree to avoid anything that’s already open or strong enough to cloud our judgment. I don’t need to hear any ‘I told you so’s’ from Ricky once he returns.

“Score!” Grace squeals. My eyes flick to her and find her holding two wine coolers that she’s retrieved from the back of the fridge. Popping the caps with ease, she hands me one, and we quickly clink our bottles. Looking down at the beverage, it appears to be some overly fruity concoction. But it sure beats beer.

Grace does the same and shrugs her shoulders. “Let’s get pineappled.” We both laugh.

Moving into the other room, I grab ahold of the back of Grace’s shirt in an effort not to get separated. It’s a lot more crowded than I expected. Occasionally we stop to greet the faces we recognize but continue pushing through the sea of warm bodies until we can reach the other side of the room.

“Whew. That was a workout,” Grace yells over the heavy base pounding under our feet. We both nurse our drinks, pointing at various people we recognize and questioning who their dance partners might be.

“Hey, Tuesday. Fancy seeing you here. I didn’t think you ever came to these.”

Trying to think fast, I respond, “I do. Sometimes it’s so crowded I probably just blend in.” I can practically feel Grace’s chuckle tickle my side at my absurd statement.As if.

Xane gives me a deliberate once-over, letting his eyes roam from my head to my toes. “I doubt you could ever blend, babe.” He drags his tongue across his lower lip, and my heart rate picks up. I wasn’t expecting anything like this to happen so quickly. All right, let’s be real. I wasn’t expecting anything like this to happenat all.

“I’m going to go back for a few more drinks,” Grace says, nudging me with her elbow. Lifting my bottle, I’m shocked I finished mine so quickly. I guess I wasn’t nursing this after all. Nerves probably.

“So, you want to dance?” Xane asks.

“Sure.”

He takes my hand and leads me a few steps into the crowd before pulling me into him and swaying to the sounds of Flo Rida singing “Wild Ones.” Xane is cute. He’s got sandy blond hair that gives him a surfer vibe. I’m not clueless about his exploits. He’s been paired with many girls in this room. But I’m only dancing with him.

What’s the harm in that?

Chapter 4

Alex

What the fuck is she up to?

I should’ve known the minute Ricky’s back was turned, his sweet, innocent little sister would get herself in over her head. This party is no place for a girl like her.

“I’m going to grab some drinks,” Ainsley says.

Looking over my shoulder as she heads toward the kitchen, I shake my head. She’s wearing a skin-tight dark gray dress that barely covers her ass. Why on earth did she wear that? The only reason this doesn’t irritate me as much as seeing Tuesday here is that I’m well aware of how many people have already seen Ainsley’s ass.

Ainsley is a cute girl. And she’s always up for a good time. It’s all I was interested in when we got together. I hadn’t planned on this turning into a relationship. But she sunk her claws in and hasn’t let go. I figured she’d eventually move on or get too clingy, opening the door to telling her I wasn’t interested in more. But so far, it’s tolerable. And ultimately, it distracts me from who I really want but can’t have.

My gaze falls on Tuesday, dancing with that asshole, Xane. What does she see in that loser? He’s your typical playboy, collecting notches on his bedpost for every girl he lays, most of which are squad members. She can do a lot better than him.

Tuesday is a timeless beauty. She’s tall and, while fit, has curves in all the right places. She has long, auburn hair, fair skin dotted with a few freckles across her nose and cheeks, and the most stunning green eyes I’ve ever seen. I know she’s dated a few boys through the years, but I can’t recall a long-term steady boyfriend.

Hell. Is she a virgin?Fuck. I can’t let my mind go there.

---