Page 28 of Surviving Slater
She smiled, and Sin pressed a kiss to her cheek.
"See, it's starting already." I started to walk away.
I smiled. It was nice to see her so happy. With his reputation, I had been convinced heartache would be the only outcome for Taylor, but I had been so wrong.
Matthew was away, so Jeff, Sin's security guy, was posted outside the apartment. Even through Eric was safely locked away and there was no real danger, Taylor felt safer with someone around to guard her. It also put Sin's mind at ease.
I had a quick shower before I surveyed my wardrobe to find something to wear. I found a little black dress that hugged my figure, showing off my curves in all the right places.
I put some makeup on, the mascara thickening with each stroke and showing off my long eyelashes. With each step in getting ready for my night out, I felt more confident. I was looking forward to getting out a bit.
You just want to keep yourself busy so you don't think of him.I pushed the voice to the back of my mind. I wouldn't admit it was true. All week Slater had been on my mind. I didn't want to think about him but in every spare moment I would find myself thinking of him anyway.
Feeling frustrated that I couldn't stop thinking of him, I tried to distract myself with getting ready.
Once I was done I said goodbye to Sin and Taylor. Jeff gave me a brief nod outside the apartment.
"I can walk you downstairs?" he offered.
He was more intimidating than Sin and Slater. His head was shaved and covered in tattoos. He was built with large muscles, typical of what I would imagine a bodyguard to look like.
"No, it's all right."
Downstairs I waited for Levi to show up. I had met him in one of my classes and we had hit it off straightaway.
Around me, he was talkative; but around others, he was quieter—almost shy. When I'd been invited out I had been determined to drag him along with me. It was his chance to mingle with people. And there was a chance he might even meet a nice girl.
He was attractive. His dark brown hair was cut short and neat. He had the palest gray eyes I'd ever seen. With the way he looked, I didn't understand why he seemed so insecure. He was good-looking enough to give Sin and Slater a run for their money.
A familiar car pulled up and I smiled at the driver when I saw him.
"I hope you haven't been waiting for long," he said when I slid into the seat beside him.
"Only a few minutes," I assured him.
"You look nice," he said as he pulled away from my apartment block.
"Thanks." I beamed at him.
"You always look beautiful," he added.
His comment made me look at him again.
"Thanks," I said, accepting his compliment a little awkwardly.
I hated that familiar feeling of being uncomfortable. I looked out my window briefly to disguise it.
"I didn't mean it that way," he clarified, sensing I was uncomfortable with what he'd said.
"What way?" I asked, trying to keep the nervousness out of my voice.
"You're my friend," he stated. "That's all."
"Sure." I looked back out the window, feeling a little relieved. I didn't need another guy in my life, I needed a friend.
Besides, there was no room in my life for anyone else. Slater filled that part to the degree I couldn't shake him no matter how hard I tried. And trying to sleep with another guy to get over him had been a drastic step, but it hadn't worked. So here I was going out with a few friends to a college party nearby to take my mind off Slater.
The nearer we got to the party, the louder the music grew. It was thumping when Levi parked down the street from it because there hadn't been any nearby parking.
