Page 66 of Freshmeet
The tall blond helped Jana stand, then held out her hand. “I’ll take care of her.”
“Blake, I?—”
“I said, I got it.”
Mona shrugged and handed the case to her. “I want my first aid kit back.”
After Jana and Colby got fixed up, it was like nothing had happened. The guys grilled, and they all ate and joked around as if someone hadn’t almost drowned just feet away. While we ate s’mores, Kat’s douchebag ex, Duncan, brought out an acoustic guitar and assailed our ears with his rendition of some classic yacht rock song.
Glancing at Sarah, I caught her struggling to keep a smile on her face.
“Hey,” I said, taking her hand and pulling her into my lap. “You okay?”
“I’m okay,” she said, leaning against me.
The song ended, but Duncan dove straight into another.
“Less good now,” she muttered, her warm breath on my ear sending a shiver down my spine.
I left my arms loose around her waist, careful to keep my hands light on her legs. No need to make her think I was trying to cop a feel. “What? Not a big Steely Dan fan?”
Sarah barked out a laugh, drawing Mona into a conversation where they went back and forth, building the worst possible playlist. Kat carried over another round of drinks and joined in on the fun as she heckled her ex.
Every time Sarah leaned over to say something to Mona or Kat, her thigh pressed harder into mine, and she had to use an arm around my neck to steady herself. We touched from shoulder to leg, and I wasn’t mad about it. There were worse ways to spend a Saturday than at a party with a beautiful girl on your lap.
Sarah turned into me, her chin resting on my shoulder next to my ear. “How much would I have to pay you to destroy Duncan’s guitar and throw it in the fire?”
I squeezed her waist, right over where she had her tattoo. I wanted to see that cute little pink heart again. Shifting back on the crude, log bench, I caught the blush spreading from her cheeks down her neck. Her eyelids lowered, and her lips parted. The connection I always felt when we looked at each other consumed me. As I leaned in for a kiss, Sarah jumped up and spun around.
“What the hell?” Ice-cold liquid soaked into her little cover-up thing, with the excess splashing onto my arm. Tiny ice cubes landed at my feet as I stood steadying Sarah.
The source of the chaos? A half-empty plastic cup in Meg’s hand.
“Oh shit. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to?—”
“Just shut up!” Sarah’s cheeks were beet red as she pulled her wet dress over her head and flung it in Meg’s face.
Meg rocked on her heels, taken aback by the acid in Sarah’s voice. She turned to me, her eyes wide, begging for help. I wasn’t sure what she expected me to do. I glanced over at the Frattic girls and found Mona with her mouth hanging open while Kat stood behind her, struggling to get out of Jamie’s hold. Mona blinked rapidly and then stood, picking up her beach towel. “Here, use this.”
Sarah snatched it from Mona’s hands and wrapped it around her, dabbing her chest with a frown.
“It was an accident. You have to believe me.” Meg reached toward Sarah, but Sarah stepped back into me.
“Maybe before today I would have believed you, but after everything that’s happened? Nah.” Sarah turned to Mona. “I’m going to go cool off. I’ll be back.”
Mona nodded. “Of course.” She hugged Sarah and sent Meg an unimpressed look. Prez wasn’t pleased.
Grabbing my hand, Sarah shuffled past the firepit and stomped into the darkness. I glanced back at Meg and found her staring at us, absolutely miserable as Mona talked at her.
“Hey, slow down.” When we reached the trees, I reeled Sarah back to me. “Are you okay?”
Her eyes darted to the side as she fidgeted with the edge of the towel. “Yes.”
Cupping her cheek, I forced her to look at me. “I don’t believe you.”
She ran her tongue over her teeth, shrugging out of my hold. “Doesn’t matter, because I’m fine. And there’s nothing to talk about.” She stepped away from me, gesturing to the path toward the bathroom. “Can we go?”
Shaking my head, I started to walk.
