Page 6 of We Will Reign

“That must be some good Jell-O.” The guy’s voice comes from over my shoulder and it’s a familiar one. I look down at the table, where three empty Jell-O shot containers lie before turning around.

Face-to-face with Maddox Crane, one of Ridge’s tried and true best friends, my tongue drags across my bottom lip. I’ve never officially met either of Ridge’s roommates, and best friends— the other being Lev Pemberley—but I know who they are. It’s not like I’d allow a guy to watch me without doing a little digging of my own. Ridge, Maddox, and Lev are juniors this year. At first glance, they appear to be your typical bad boys. More times than not, Ridge has a cigarette perched behind his ear. Maddox is well-dressed, and it’s apparent he comes from money, but his looks don’t fool me. I see the wildness in his eyes. Lev, on the other hand, I know little about. In the handful of times I’ve seen him around, he comes off as detached from the world.

My brows waggle, a smirk playing on my lips. “Let’s just hope those shots do what they’re supposed to.”

“Oh, yeah?” He tips his chin, his sterling gray eyes resting on my lips. “And what’s that?”

I dart my tongue out, clinging to the attention he’s giving my mouth. “Make me forget.”

“And what is it you want to forget, Riley?”

It’s no surprise Maddox knows my name, and I don’t act like he shouldn’t. I’m sure Ridge has told him everything there is to know about me. What position I sleep in. What kind of dressing I like on my salad. The fact that sudden noises practically send me out of my shoes. The basic stuff only a very few would notice, Ridge being one of them.

My shoulders rise, locked in position as I say, “Everything.”

“Well,” Maddox begins, “I’ve got bad news.” His hand, now inside his onyx Brunello jacket—yeah, he’s a rich kid with parents who come from old money. As I said, I’ve done my research—comes out, and he’s holding a fifth of a caramel-colored liquor. “Those measly little Jell-O shots aren’t gonna touch what you plan to accomplish.” He unscrews the top and passes me the glass bottle, but I immediately curl my nose at it. The smell alone makes my stomach turn.

“Oh god, no. I can’t drink dark liquor. I wanna forget everything, not spend my night over a toilet.”

“Fair enough.” He brings the bottle to his full lips and upends his head, taking a long swig while keeping his eyes locked on mine. I gag silently as I watch him.

“I’ve got the…” Scar’s sentence falls short, and she steals my attention as she joins us with a case of bottled water in her hands. “Oh, hello,” she says to Maddox, grinning from ear to ear. She leans close, her mouth almost touching my ear. “Who is this?”

Scar knows about Ridge because of how often he’s around, but she lives in her own little bubble with her boyfriends—Crew, Jagger, and Neo—so she doesn’t have the full scoop on some students here, namely Ridge’s friends.

“This is Maddox. He was just offering me a drink, which I politely declined.”

Maddox puts the top back on the bottle and returns it to his jacket pocket. “You know my name?” His statement is more of a question and the look on his face tells me he’s smitten that I know who he is.

And now, I’ve just boosted his ego, while making myself sound like the stalker in the room.

“Yeah. I know who you are,” I tell him, face flushed. “You’re on the football team, right? With Scar’s boyfriend, Crew.” I nudge Scar, giving her the opportunity to chime in and take the awkwardness away from me.

“Oh yeah,” Scar pipes up, “Crew mentioned you a couple of times. You’re a defensive top or whatever they’re called.”

Maddox chuckles at Scar’s lack of football knowledge. “Defensive end. And yeah, I know Crew. Outstanding player but he’s gotta up his game if he wants the QB position when Octavio leaves next season.”

I have no idea who Octavio is or what this defensive mumbo jumbo is they’re talking about, and frankly, I’m getting bored. The effects of my shots are taking hold and all I really want is to dance.

Grabbing the case of water from Scar, I drop it to the ground with a thud. Oddly enough, the sound doesn’t startle me, but I created it, so it really shouldn’t. Wow. My head is fuzzy. And heavy. “Come on,” I take her by the arm, “dance with me.”

“Ry,” she jerks back, halting me, “no one is dancing.”

I look around the room, eyes dragging across Ridge, who’s sitting on the bottom step of a tall staircase beside the door. I’m surprised to see that he’s looking at his phone and not at me, but when I keep watching, his gaze lifts. His eyes flash with heat, as if he wasn’t expecting to catch my gaze. My heart flutters, my core catching fire. The rush is too much for me and I’m forced to look away before my entire body goes up in flames.

Scar’s right, though. No one is dancing.What kind of party is this?

“All right,” I tell her. “Then I guess we’ll have to change that.” I grab her and Maddox by the hands. Surely others will join in.

Maddox resists me, tugging out of my hold. “I’m gonna have to pass. Not much of a dancer.”

“Same,” Scar says. “I’m sober and I need a good amount of booze before I allow myself to be the center of attention. Besides, Crew, Jagger, and Neo will be here soon and I’m not sure they’d be too keen on me shaking my ass in a room full of horny-ass men.” She steals a quick glance at Maddox. “No offense.”

“None taken.”

“You’re both laaaame.” I drag out the word as I walk backward into the middle of the room. “SheLooks So Perfect”by 5 Seconds of Summer is blasting through the speakers attached to every corner of the room. It’s not my typical dance music, but music is music. It’s all about the way my body floats through the air. Carrying me away and leaving my troubles behind.

My hands go up and my hips sway to the beat. I keep my eyes pinched shut because if I don’t see them, I don’t care. I know everyone is looking at me. Those who know me are probably wondering if I’ve officially lost my mind. Maybe I have.

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