Page 44 of Freshmeet
“No.” Jamie frowned, looking around like he finally understood how weird the party was. “Maybe I’m drunker than I thought.”
“Ya think?” Kat asked, her eyes catching on something down the hallway. “I’ll be right back.”
“Don’t go far,” Mona yelled after her, getting a hand flick in return. “She’s going to kill Duncan, isn’t she?”
“Very probably,” I said, nodding.
“Well, I guess there’s nothing left to do but get another drink. Want one?”
“Sure.”
Mona nodded and weaved through people until she was out of sight.
Jamie bumped my shoulder. “Sorry for scaring you.”
I shrugged. “You’re fine. I’ve just been a little jumpy recently.”
“This party can’t be helping.”
There was a shriek from the back of the house, and we shared a panicked look before pushing through the masked assholes toward the kitchen.
“Kat, please—” Duncan slurred, leaning against one of his masked brothers.
“Don’t touch me!”
“I forgot I was wearing this,” he said, waving a Ghostface mask around.
Kat picked up a half-full bottle of cheap whiskey. “Even if you weren’t, you don’t get to touch me anymore.”
Duncan’s face twisted in confusion.
“While I have you, Mr. President.” Kat sneered. “Maybe don’t have your goons masked up while girls are getting killed all over town. Something to consider.”
“What’s the big deal? I thought you liked the whole masked man thing.” He shrugged.
Kat shook with rage as she raised the bottle. “The big deal is you have about thirty assholes in there acting like there are no rules because we don’t know who they are. Get your frat in order.” She shoved the bottom of the bottle against his shoulder and stormed past him to the back door that led to the steps to our apartment.
“Bitch,” he grumbled, glancing at the counter. “And she took our booze.”
Mona handed me a beer, and we went back to the living room. A few minutes later, Duncan stumbled in and jumped up on the coffee table. “It’s come to my attention that some of the brothers have been getting handsy. Keep it classy, men,” he slurred, falling off the coffee table. The group of people dancing parted, and he landed face-first in the beer-soaked carpet.
“Should we go?” Mona asked, sending Kat a video of the jerk’s belly flop.
A good song came on, and I shook my head. “Not yet.”
NINE
FOR THE PANCAKES
CONNOR
I walked past the bathroom twice. Sarah was in there, and I needed to talk to her. No matter how much I played our awkward encounters on repeat in my mind, I couldn’t deny the pull I had to her. After spending the entire night fixated on each other, I was ready to break whatever standoff she’d established.
We were going to finally have it out.
On my third pass through the narrow hallway, Meg stopped me.
“Who’s at the bar?” I yelled over the music. Looking over her head, I couldn’t see it through the dense crowd.
