Page 103 of The Young & the Sinner

“I think I’m going to hang out with Lizzie,” I said, getting up.

“Alright. Don’t stay out too late.”

I nodded and walked away. I didn’t look at Mason when I walked past him, and I didn’t turn around, even as I felt his eyes on me the whole way.

I hated how hurt I felt because of this. I hated the idea that he might kiss someone before the night was over even more. Or worse, take her to his bed.

I pulled my phone out and texted Lizzie, asking her what she was doing tonight.

She texted back pretty quickly, and I was surprised by what she told me what she wanted to do.

I only hesitated for a quick second before I texted back, saying I would pick her up.

Max was so not going to be happy with me.

* * *

“This might bethe worst idea we’ve had yet,” I said when I pulled my car to the side of the road. Even from the distance, I could see the party was going strong.

“Don’t worry, we’re going to be fine. I’m not drinking tonight, so you can go all out if you want. I’ll take you home. And it won’t be like last time. Just make sure you don’t accept drinks from anyone. Oh, and that we’re always within sight of one another.”

“Right,” I replied, though even I could hear how unconvinced I sounded.

She smiled and pulled down the sun visor mirror so she could redo her red lipstick. Lizzie was dressed in a short black dress, black leather ankle boots, and a face full of makeup that looked like it must have taken her hours to do.

As for me, I still couldn’t do more than wear lipstick, so that was all I had on. But I did have my hair curled, which I counted as a huge step because I thought I looked decent enough for the party, and that didn’t freak me out as much as I thought it would.

I was wearing fitted blue jeans and a red blouse, and though it wasn’t like what Lizzie was wearing, it was still cute.

I felt cute.

Lizzie closed the mirror and turned to me, smiling. I smiled back. “You look happy tonight,” I said.

And that was true. She had been so down lately; I was glad to her smiling again.

“I think I just needed to figure something out. Accept things as they are and come up with a new plan for my life.”

“And have you? Figured things out, I mean.”

She nodded. “Yes, Olivia. I think I have.”

“Will you tell me?”

“Tomorrow,” she promised. “For tonight, I just need to be nothing more than a teenager without a care in the world. Okay?”

“Yeah, okay. Let’s party. Yay!”

She snorted. “Really?”

“You’re right. If that sounded as weird as I felt saying it, then I shouldn’t say it anymore.”

“We obviously need to go out more.”

I crossed my arms, offended. “Hey, we get out plenty. We just don’t do things like this.”

She winked and opened the door. I followed after her.

The house party was a couple of houses away from where we parked. All the lights in the house were on, and I could hear the beat of the music from the car.

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