Page 30 of The Casualty of Us
He smirks back. “You got it.”
“Cute.” I grin.
“What’s she doing here?” The snarky voice has me turning my head to the other side and finding Lisette Conners standing in a devil costume with a pinched look on her face. “First years aren’t allowed, Graham.”
“Calm down, Lizzy,” Graham sighs, tossing an arm over my shoulders. “I’m aware of the rules, but Ophelia’s cool. I invited her.”
I nod along playfully. “Thanks, I think I’m very cool.”
Another beat passes, and she continues to stare angrily before Graham adds a little more authoritatively, “My party, my guests, Liz.”
“Whatever,” she scoffs, stomping off to the other side of the room and leaving me the space I need to scoot out from under his arm.
He looks down at me, crestfallen expression definitely for show. “Sad.”
“You’ll survive.” I laugh, flicking my eyes to see Ollie and Hayes staring at us with tense brows. “And you know my friends.”
“Yes, yes.” He turns to them, pointing while calling out. “Roommate, Flynn, random library guy I don’t know, and the other Fitzroy.” His arms spread wide. “Drink and be merry, just don’t puke on anything.” He looks between Hayes and Ollie once more. “You two look like you really need a drink, though, so follow me.”
He takes off for the glass room then, and I catch Ollie’s mutter right before they follow in after him. “When did I become the other Fitzroy?”
“What do you think?” Marley bounces up to me. “Beer pong first?” She nods to the back left corner. “Or should we investigate what’s going on back there?”
I take in the tequila bottle being passed around for all of two seconds before deciding. “Beer pong.”
“Sounds good to me.” She claps her hands. “It’ll get my competitive juices all flowing.”
I snort a laugh at her. “You’re so weird.”
“Don’t act like it won’t do the exact same thing to you.” She turns to me with a stern look. “You’re even more competitive than me, you just hide it better.”
“Only when it’s something I care about.” I shrug, accepting a brightly colored can from Ollie as he staggers back out of the glass room. “Hence why I ride at a solid B average in math.”
“Well.” She snags my hand, pulling me along forcefully toward the beer pong tables while ordering. “Just know that I need you to care about beer pong then.”
The next hour passes in a stream of drinks and laughter with the boys wandering off to do their own thing while Marleydominates the various drinking games the upperclassmen are all too happy to share. By the time Graham calls us over to where he’s sitting with the tequila bottle people, we’re both buzzing happily. Marley from the seltzers and me from the fact that no one has really looked twice at me.
With the exception of Hayes, whose eyes I’ve felt tracking me throughout it all.
I collapse into one of the chairs beside Graham, and Marley props herself on the arm of it as he looks us over before asking. “Feeling like a normal girl yet, Fitzroy?”
“Almost.” I grin happily, eyes straying to the bottle of tequila and shot glass he’s holding. “What’s going on over here?”
“I’m so glad you asked.” He smirks. “This is a little game called truth or tequila.”
My brows fall. “No dare?”
“No dare, this is about getting drunk and loosening lips. It’s really conducive to working shit out actually. Liz and I have to play at least once a year.” He nods to the group of people sitting around on various chairs and couches. “Someone asks you a question, you can either answer or take a shot, and then it’s your turn. Want to play?”
“Sure.” I shrug, looking up to see Marley give him a nod as well right before Hayes appears over her shoulder.
“I’ll play.”
Graham stares at him for a beat before a slow smirk spreads on his face. “All right, baby Flynn.” He smacks the couch next to him enthusiastically. “Come take a seat.”
Hayes goes over and sits down next to him, the two continuing to stare at each other as Graham starts the game again. “Is it true…that your father hired an escort for you to lose your virginity to on your thirteenth birthday?”
Hayes pauses, shoulders seeming to rise with a breath before shaking his head. “Considering he wasn’t even in the country at the time, that’d be a no.”
