Page 74 of Her Devil

I mean, we’re literally having a conversation because we’ve barely seen each other all week. Even though we share a room, one of us is always just on their way out as the other comes in. When we lived at home, we made time and space to catch up, always five minutes on the phone before bed, or a lunch date.

Now, we’re in each others space but barely in each others lives. And it’s the same with the rest of the girls. They’re just there, present, around. It’s oddly comforting and irritating all at the same time.

“True. Oh, are you free Friday night? Taylor asked if we wanted to go to a party at one of the residential buildings. It’s not supposed to be anything massive, and I think it’s just him and Leo from their house, so you’ll be free of the tangled menagerie thing that’s going on.”

“I’ve got an assignment due before Monday that I really need to work on,” I say, whilst I’m sat in my pyjamas drinking hot chocolate, catching up with my friend and most definitely not researching or doing work on any kind of assignment.

“No bother.” She shrugs. “I just know you had a thing for him or whatever, thought that might help you get this bug out of your ass about Nick.”

“There is no bug in my ass about Nick,” I bluster. “He’s not even on the radar.”

“Sure.” She elongates the word, her eyes widening in clear disbelief. “You run off down the road after him less than a week ago because he’s bleeding and whatever, fuck him, and now you’re giving him the cold shoulder.”

“I never—”

“Don’t even attempt to lie to me. I can see through that shit easier than the sheer blouse you wore this afternoon,” she interrupts, cutting me off. “It’s fine, you’re supposed to be enjoying yourself and letting your hair down this year. That was the deal, remember?”

Oh, I remember all right.

I remember my father demanding I put my dreams on hold for a year. And for what? Some stupid game that’s going to force me to choose a man to get ahead in life.

I don’t think so.

But then, I think of Charlotte, of George.

No calls. No messages. He’s not been to his classes, and everything is gone from his room. Disappeared without a trace.

Would that happen to me? To us?

“I’ll think about it,” I reply reluctantly. “I’ve got a spare hour tomorrow to get some research in and get the last section planned out. If all I need to do is pad the thing out over the weekend, then I’ll come.” She grins. “But I’m not drinking.”

“Deal.” She nods, holding her hand out for us to shake on it.

* * *

God, how did I let you talk me into this?” I ask, looking around at the complete car crash of an apartment. There are people everywhere, music pumping at a seriously obnoxious volume from God knows where, and the not-so-familiar smell of weed in the cramped overcrowded space.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” she brushes off, checking her phone before grabbing my hand and making off through the crowd.

Interestingly enough, these guys are either too drunk or too stoned to care too much about the apparent warning handed out recently, the sea of people not parting at our very presence for the first time in days. It’s both comforting and confusing.

Until a whistle rings out from somewhere and a path appears, Leo and Taylor holding court at what was seemingly a dining table long before it became an impromptu bar.

With much more enthusiasm than I can muster, Tamsin sashays her way to Taylor, dropping into his lap, their lips meeting almost instantly. Leo’s amused expression catches me unaware as he dismisses the guy sitting beside him, pulling the chair out for me.

He watches me as I close the distance between us, his interest confusing. “Fancy seeing you here,” he comments as I take the seat.

“Does that line work often?” I ask with a smile.

“Never.” He laughs, the music seemingly quieter, the people further away. It’s almost as if the rest of the party sinks into the background. So similar to how it did that first night by the pool, and I can’t help but think back to the solidity of his body beneath mine, the darkness that overcame his eyes when he told me all I had to do was ask…

“So, are these two going to spend the entire night sucking face?” I ask, barking out an awkward laugh and attempting to think of anything other than the way he’s looking at me right now. Like he can read exactly where my mind went.

“I heard that,” Tamsin replies, raising an eyebrow in my direction before locking lips with her lover once again.

“I’m pretty sure you were supposed to,” Leo replies with a smirk. “So, what do you want to do? There’s beer pong, and some kind of dancing, I think…”

“Or we could just hide here while these two fuck on the chair… again.”

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