Page 96 of Memories of Me

“Real nice. I knew this party was a stupid idea. It’ll be filled with a bunch of jerks like you.” She peeled herself off the ground and brushed off her skirt.

I couldn’t help noticing her rack as she bent over.

“Are you kidding me right now? First you laugh at me for almost breaking my leg, and now you’re ogling my breasts? Creep.”

“Whoa.” I shot my hands in the air. “Ease up, little lady. First of all, that fall was pretty funny and you didn’t get hurt. Second, how can I not look at your breasts when they’re falling out of your shirt?”

She looked down with a horrified look and tucked her exposed bra back into her tank top. “Whatever,” she hissed and stormed back into her apartment, slamming the door hard enough to shake the adjacent doors.

That was entertaining. I shook my head, amused, and took the stairs down to the ground floor. The corridors were all exposed to the outdoors, so noise traveled easily. The night had cooled considerably, filling the air with a refreshing chill. I walked across the courtyard, tucking my hands into my pockets, and then walked around the opposite building. There were students everywhere. Some sat on the half-walls, others had brought blankets to lie on the grass, and many brought their own chairs, forming hangout circles. A lot of the apartment doors were left open, and students flowed freely in and out of them. Everyone was either lighting up or drinking. Music bumped loudly from a set of Bluetooth speakers nearby a keg.

This place was unbelievable. Tessa would’ve loved it. This was definitely more her scene than mine.

“Grady, over here,” Steven yelled over the music. The team had formed its own group outside of one of the apartments. Jaxon tossed me a beer as I approached.

“Thanks.” I raised the beer and popped it open, chugging it down immediately.

“Damn, superstar. Here’s another.” Jaxon tossed me a second one. I threw the empty can into a nearby trash can.

A couple of girls hung on some of the players. Soccer was a pretty big deal here, which was the only reason I accepted when I was scouted senior year. It also lent itself to groupies. The school was disappointed when I had declined the scholarship, but when I called at the end of this spring semester, they jumped at the opportunity to have me play, even if it was three years later.

I leaned on a wall next to the group and quietly observed the natural banter among the players. It had been a long time since I had been around anyone besides Brandt and Baylor. When Tessa was alive, I usually hung in the background at parties, giving her space. I should have realized then she was slipping away.

“Hey.” Lucas stood in front of me.

I drank down my beer before responding. “What’s up?”

“Sorry for being a dick earlier.” He stretched out his hand.

I shook it and replied, “No worries.”

“There you are,” the girl who fell upstairs addressed Lucas.

She had changed into a pair of jeans and a California Bears hoodie.

“Oh, it’s you.” She scoffed, shooting a disgusted glare.

Lucas laughed. “I see you’ve met our new guy, Grady Reilly.”

“Of course, he’s on the team. And no, we haven’t met. He was too busy laughing at me as I fell on my ass,” she snapped, but the upturn of her lip gave way to her own amusement with the situation.

I put my hands up defensively. “Sorry, man. I didn’t know she was your girl, and I didn’t mean to laugh at her, but the heels she was wearing were ridiculous. They were, like, six inches tall. The sneakers suit you much better,” I teased her. I hadn’t noticed her deep emerald eyes earlier, but now they sparkled under the floodlight, complimenting her dark hair.

“Ha-ha,” she responded more lightheartedly. “You’re just lucky I didn’t get hurt, or this exchange would look a whole lot different.”

“Oh, yeah? Your boyfriend here would have beaten me up?” I challenged them both, amused. I guzzled down the rest of the beer and tossed the can into the trash. I had only been here for five minutes and it was already enough.

I pushed off the wall. “It’s been real. See you at practice.” I snatched up a six-pack lying on the ground and sauntered off toward the community garden. There was an uncomfortable looking wooden bench facing an open green area on the other side of the garden, giving way to a view of stars that managed to penetrate the light of the city. It was dark and a hell of a lot quieter. I set the six-pack down on the bench next to me, cracking one up and guzzling half.

What the hell was I doing here?I didn’t know anyone, and while there were a couple of guys my age on the team, they were finishing up their degrees. Here I was just beginning. I hadn’t even picked a major yet. I figured I should follow in my brother’s footsteps and study business, so I could help contribute more to our surf company, but it sounded so damn boring. I toyed with the idea of majoring in something Tessa would have done—keep her legacy alive—but I couldn’t see myself in Earth and Planetary Science classes. I contemplated my options as I downed two more beers, not even feeling a slight buzz yet. I needed harder shit.

“Hey.” A blonde girl wearing a short skirt, tall boots, and a drool-worthy, skin tight half-shirt stood next to the bench. “I come bearing gifts.”

She revealed a bottle of rum that was hidden behind her back. She waved it in front of me, batting her eyelashes and adorning a mischievous smile.

“I can see trouble has arrived,” I flirted back. There was no way I was turning her or that rum down. I put the beer on the ground to give her room on the bench. She sat, unscrewed the cap on the rum bottle, and handed it to me after taking a swig.

“Thanks.” I winked and drank down my fair share.

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