Page 60 of Kiss Me in the Dark
“What did you two talk about up there that’s got Cam reaching for a drink?”Blaze asks, but I ignore him and take a sip.The beer is bitter and awful, but I keep going, hoping it’ll drown out this mess in my head.
“Guess it was probably some roommate shit.Bet it got a little heated,” Mike says, smirking.
“Shut the fuck up, Mike,” Fox snaps, drawing a few chuckles from the others.
Thankfully, they move on, talking about soccer and laughing loudly over random stories.Cynthia drags Joan to dance in the middle of the living room, leaving the couch quieter for a moment.I’m only halfway through my beer, but I can already feel it hitting harder than I expected.Lightweight?Guess so.
Lexi’s glaring at me from across the room, and then she pipes up, slipping a cigarette in between her lips as she lights it.“So, how’d you end up being friends with Landon?”
I freeze.She’s been staring daggers at me since I arrived, and now she’s going there?Lexi doesn’t like me and the feeling is mutual.
“Who’s Landon?”Jude finally looks up from his phone and asks.
“The gay slut,” Carter pipes up, settling in next to Leon.
“What’s up, Cam?Good to see you out tonight,” Carter says, giving me a polite nod.But this Landon interrogation is not something I need right now.
I stand up quickly.“I’m gonna step out for some air.”
“You sure you’ll be alright?”Blaze asks, a little concerned.
“Yeah, thanks.”I force a smile before moving away.Fox’s eyes are still on me, heavy and unreadable, as I make my way through the crowd to the kitchen.
The kitchen’s just as packed, a group of people playing some drinking game I don’t recognize.I open the fridge and grab another beer, telling myself I’ll regret this in the morning.But for now, I just need to forget Fox, to drown out that kiss, his touch, everything.
As I make my way back to the living room, I take a sip, the taste making me grimace.Why did he have to be so damn good at kissing?Why, when he’s only going to act like it never happened?I take another gulp and blend into the crowd, hoping the noise and beer will drown out everything I want to forget.
“Hey.”A familiar blonde girl wraps her arms around my shoulders before I even realize she’s there.I glance down to see her smiling up at me.Where do I know her from?Right—Fox’s ex, Stacey.She must be, considering Lexi’s been all over him lately, clinging to him like a possessive hawk.Stacey may have been a bit much, but Lexi is something else: controlling, arrogant, and just plain rude.
I try to gently pull her arms off me, but she’s not letting go anytime soon.
“Hi,” I manage.
“You’re Fox’s roommate, right?What’s your name again?Johnson?Morrison?”
“Cameron,” I say, frowning a little.
“Ah!”She laughs a little too loudly—definitely drunker than I am.“You’re so cute.”She leans in, clearly about to kiss me, and I feel my stomach turn.
Just then, a strong arm drapes over my shoulders, and Stacey jerks back, surprised.I glance to my side and see a tall, good-looking guy with a smirk on his face.
“Look who I finally found!Damn, I’ve been searching for you all over this crowded party, and here you are, already taken?”He raises an eyebrow, still smirking.I blink at him in confusion.What’s going on?
“Sorry, princess, but I need to steal him for a minute,” he says, smoothly extracting me from Stacey’s grasp.I don’t argue, just let him guide me away.
As we walk, I feel someone’s eyes boring into my back.I glance back and catch Fox glaring at the guy’s hand on my shoulder.Well, let him.
We make it through the crowd to a door, and he opens it, revealing the backyard where Fox had earlier dragged me to scold me about “crashing” his party.The guy closes the door behind us, and then finally looks at me.
He’s even better-looking in the dim light out here: dark brown hair, striking green eyes, tall—probably a foot taller than me—and attractive.
“Uh…” I stammer, unsure of what to say.He chuckles softly, and even his laugh is something to appreciate.
“Thought you might need a rescue back there with the clingy blonde.”
“Oh, Stacey.”
“Girlfriend?”
