Page 79 of Wanted You More

Istumble throughthe house, spilling some of my drink on the floor while people dance around me. It’s crowded here tonight, making it impossible to have any breathing room.

One of the baseball players I came here with, Akira, finds me, hooking his arm around my waist and tugging me into his back. “There you are. I thought I lost you in the crowd.”

He’d been flirting with some random girl for the past twenty minutes, so I decided to move on. It didn’t bother me. He could do whatever he wanted, and so could I. It means nobody has to feelguilty.

I really hate that word.

The freedom to do whatever is why I saw Monty two more times before Thanksgiving break ended. We haven’t spoken since I returned to school, and I prefer it that way. There are no expectations.

I turn in Akira’s arms and wrap one of my arms around his neck. “You seemed preoccupied, so I got myself another drink.”

He steals my cup and takes a sip. “Sorry about that. Hailey and I used to be a thing. She likes to hit me up at parties when she’s in between guys.”

I shrug. “I don’t care.”

Akira’s brows dart up. “You don’t?”

Taking the cup back, I guzzle down what little is left of the sour beer and toss the cup onto the table behind us. “Nope. It’s not like we’re dating. We don’t owe each other anything.”

For a second, my date to the party looks a little shocked at my nonchalance. Then a slow, slick grin curls his lips. “You’re something else, Austen.”

I get on my tiptoes to press my lips against his briefly. “I’ve been called a lot worse,” I remark, shooting him a wink and causing him to laugh like I’m joking.

I’m not.

My eyes go to the stairs, marked as being off-limits like usual. There are still some people who slip past the pathetic rope tied off at the end of the stairwell, which makes me grin at Akira. “Want to go upstairs?”

His dark eyes spark with interest. “I’d be dumb to say no to you.”

Kennedy and Lincoln didn’t come to the party because they decided to have a date night instead. They invited me to whatever movie they were going to see, but I was in no mood to be a third wheel. I could tell they wanted me to come, especially when I told them I was coming here with Akira. They went as far as bribing me with my favorite dinner after the film, but it didn’t work.

My roommate gave me a hug and told me to be careful, and Lincoln said to text one of them if I needed something. I had no intention of doing either of those things, but I appreciated them for looking out for me anyway.

When Akira and I find a room on the second floor, he makes quick work. His mouth is on mine, his hands are on my butt, and he guides us to the bed. Before long, both of our shirts are off, and we’re lying on the bed exploring each other’s mouths and bodies when I feel my stomach churn.

I barely have time to shove him off me before I throw myself over the side of the mattress and empty my stomach all over the carpet.

Akira quickly jumps up. “Jesus. How much did you drink tonight?”

He knows I drank a lot. He was the one fetching the drinks. Come to think of it, I barely ate.

Groaning as I clench my stomach, I hear Akira cursing before he opens the door and walks out. I think he’s going to get me water, a washcloth, orsomethingbut I realize after a few minutes alone that he’s not coming back.

“Douche,” I grumble, gagging over the smell of the sickness beside me.

Finding my phone in the mess of my discarded things, I shoot a text to the one person who would understand.

Me:Remember the after party at the freshman year spring fling???? Think I drank more tonight

Belles:How bad?

Me:Almost puked on the guy

Belles:Save the hair!

“Too late,” I say aloud as I start to slide off the opposite side of the bed and collect my clothes from the floor. That’s when I see the red and blue lights flashing from the window.

When the music downstairs cuts off, I already know what’s coming next.

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