“Brock, are we going to fuck or what?” the girl, still lying in nothing but a bra on the bed, whined.
I matched his raised brow with one of my own. “It seems like you have your hands full tonight,Brock.” I yanked my hand free and rushed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind me. Two steps into the hall, I stopped and pressed my back into the wall, releasing the breath I’d been holding. I gave myself only a few seconds before dashing down the stairs, half afraid Brock might come after me.
It took ten minutes to find Ainsley by the pool. In the short amount of time I’d been upstairs, it seemed as if the number of people at the party had doubled. I recognized more faces from Elmwood Public.
“There you are,” I said with a slight edge of irritation. Relieved to have found her, I didn’t notice Trevor until he said my name. I’d been so focused on grabbing Ainsley and getting the hell out of Dodge. My nerves were rattled from my encounter with Brock.
“Hey, Josie.” Trevor Jones was a guy I’d known most of my life. He was like a brother to me, but I wasn’t sure he felt the same about me. One too many times, I’d gotten the vibe he was interested in something more than friendship.
After my run-in with Brock, I wasn’t in the mood to deal with anyone sporting a dick. “Trevor,” I greeted before turning back to my best friend. “I’ve got to get out of here. Will you be okay to get a ride home?” I could tell she wasn’t ready to leave. Ains lived for parties, loved to be where the action was. She suffered from a serious case of FOMO.
Her wide, shining eyes dimmed a little. “Are you okay? Did something happen?”
No. Yes. But I said nothing about what happened with Brock or Ava cornering me in the bathroom. “I have a headache and just need to lie down,” I admitted, not entirely a lie either.
“Okay. I’ll grab a ride with Trevor.” She looked at Trevor, who nodded.
“Have fun, okay? And call me tomorrow.” I gave her a quick hug. “Make sure to use a condom.”
She playfully hit my arm.
I made my way through the sea of people and out the front door, where I waited for someone to bring the Lexus around front. The sky was scattered with stars tonight, a sliver of moonlight breaking through a cluster of trees that lined the property. It was amazing how quickly a person could sober up. I felt stone clearheaded.
The sense of someone watching me tickled at the back of my neck, and I shifted my gaze over the front of the house. On one of the second-story balconies stood a figure in the shadows.
I knew instinctively who it was.
Brock leaned against the railing, a ribbon of moonlight hitting the side of his face. A midnight curl fell forward, partially shielding his eyes, but even from this distance, I could make out the startling hue.
He was alone.
We continued to stare at each other, neither one of us flinching, and I wondered what was on his mind to cause him to scowl in such a manner. Was it me?
Did I give a flying fuck if it was?
No. I decided right then and there, I didn’t care one bit why Brock was unhappy.
He wasn’t my concern.
I turned away and hopped into the little red Lexus, but not before I gave Brock the middle finger.
Chapter Four
The rest of the weekend went by in a rush of nerves and boredom. I texted Ainsley a dozen times, relieved to know she had gotten home from the party safe and sound.
If there was one lesson I’d learned in my seventeen years, it was to go into every new situation with the lowest possible expectations. That way, I wasn’t disappointed when things fell apart, which they usually did.
Some might call me a pessimist.
I said realist.
I’d been dreading my first day at Elmwood Academy all summer. Despite this being my senior year, I was feeling like a freshman instead of someone who ruled the school.
Divorce sucked.
Macy, the day maid, had laid out my Academy uniform on the bed while I’d been in the shower. Not even the steaming hot water eased the knots of tension that worked themselves into places I didn’t even know tension could exist.
I dried my hair and stepped back into my bedroom clad in nothing but my undergarments and stopped short at the sight of the uniform.