Page 58 of Limbo

“Don’t you have some beer to drink?”

Without breaking his dark eyes away from mine, he reaches for a cup on the table. “I can multitask.”

“Clearly you can’t, or you’d still be playing.”

He chews on his lip. “And the siren who helped defeat me goes by…”

I give him half a smile. “Callie.”

“Actually, she prefers Calico.”

My heart trips up when Benji appears beside me. I scan the room, wanting to see Jordan and not wanting to see Jordan—holy shit, I can’t see Jordan yet.I need more than five days.

“He’s not here,” Benji says in my ear, taming my inner freak-out.

“And you are?” Parker raises his eyebrows, observing Benji’s arm snaking around my waist.

“Good, thanks.” With a smirk, he walks away with me in tow. “Get a drink with me.”

Not like he gives me a choice, hauling me across the room. He escorts me all the way to the keg before he lets me go. While filling my cup, he casually steps between me and a smiling frat boy, then he ushers me into the living room where he barricades me off from a group of guys. His intentions are obvious—keep Callie away from anyone male.

He would have proven useful over the weekend to keep Tyler at bay. My mother’s boy-toy insisted on a foolproof method to help me forget all about my problems. It involved blowing him in the back of his “’stang.” I told him I’d meet him out there. He slapped my ass on the way out the door, and I promptly locked it behind him. Half an hour later, Lauren finished her shower, found him, and let him back in.

An XY-chromosome configuration wanders too close, so Benji shuffles to my other side.

“How much do you charge for babysitting?” I ask, amused by his misplaced concern.

“Consider it volunteer work.” He bumps my shoulder and looks around. “My buddy’s a member here and owes me money.”

I search the crowd with him, no clue what the guy looks like.

“He’s a mess,” he says, eyes back on me.

“Your buddy?”

“Jordan.”

Until now, no one has said his name to me, and hearing it out loud hits me in the worst possible way.

I bite my cheek, desperate for an excuse to leave. “I need a refill.”

Benji peeks over the rim of my cup. “No, you don’t.”

Three large swallows rectify the situation.

He shakes his head, disapproving. “Call him, Calico. He’s miserable, and from where I’m standing, you’re not doing so hot either.”

“I’m fine,” I say, not bothering with the fake smile. “Take care, Benji.”

When I walk away, he starts to follow, but someone stops him to talk. Smiling Frat Boy takes care of me at the keg, and I return to Felicia and Becca, fresh drink in hand. They’re only halfway through their game. I secretly will Felicia to keep missing, so we can leave soon. This party no longer provides a distraction from everything Jordan related.

“Boyfriend?” Parker steps beside me, sipping from his cup.

I shake my head. Although Benji as a boyfriend would be quite the experience. All wisdom all the time, except when he sings in a rock band. What type of girl does he even date?

“Good.” He watches me out of the corner of his eye. “So, back to you killing my winning streak.”

“Do you want an apology?”

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