“This is the backstage tour,” I say under mybreath.
We sneak past the living room, bending over at the waist to avoid being seen. My heart’s hammering in my ears by the time we get to the garage and I hit thelights.
“Whoa,” Kellansays.
My dad’s cars are here. There are also shelves of awards. “Take your pick. The Grammys live inside because my stepmom made him bring them in, but everything else ishere.”
“Why does he keep them in thegarage?”
“I don’t think he has a lot of respect for awards and formality. Your parents have this shittoo.”
“Not likethis.”
My head’s buzzing from the cup I drained outside, but it’s Kellan who looks drunk—on the surroundings. I know what that’s like. People get a hit of my dad, and they’re hooked. It’s why I don’t bring many friendshere.
“So, we didn’t have a chance to rehearse.” Kellan shoots me a loaded smile. “You could show me yourroom.”
I’m not interested in taking Kellan there, even if he’s the only person in the musical who doesn’t have a raging hate-on for me. I’m not holding my breath for poetry and professed love, but I’m also not looking to punch my V-card with some lacrosse player who doesn’t even know my best friend’sname.
“I have a better idea.” I take his hand, and we trip toward the other side of the house and out into thegardens.
Torchlight bathes everything in a warm glow, but it’s blurring together. It’s a grid of flowers, waist-high but almost like amaze.
“That’s a shit-ton ofroses.”
I can’t help smiling. “They came with the house, but my dad planted more. He likes building stuff, working with hishands.”
“I get that rich, I’m not touching anything.” He brushes a hand over a rose bush and snaps off one of the blooms. My heart kicks as he tosses it into the shrubs. “You into pain? Because if we fall into these, it’s gonnahurt.”
He snickers as he pulls me against him. I inhale, startled, and catch a hit of booze on his breath, his expensivecologne.
I push against his chest to get a few inches between us. “Whoa. Slowdown.”
“Come on. You’ve been flirting with me forweeks.”
“Not flirting.” Desperation edges into my tone, the need to explain and be understood. “I mean, you’re attractive. Obviously. But you’re the only person who doesn’t think Carly should’ve gotten mypart.”
“Good deeds should be rewarded, and I can think of a few ways for you to use that pretty mouth.” Kellan’s gaze flicks deliberately down to his pants, then his hand slides down to grab myass.
Alarm has my throat tightening, my body stiffening. “Stop.”
He doesn’t. I duck under his arm but catch my toe on the rock edging the garden andtrip.
I stick my hands out to brace my fall, wincing as I land in the rose bushes, their thorns scratching at my skin, but I push myself up and trip through the garden toward thepatio.
“Annie, what thefuck?”
I glance back, but Kellan's lurching toward me. A muttered curse says one of the rose bushes bit him,too.
I round the back of the house, the pool coming into view. Laughter floods my ears. Cans litter the patio. I watch in horror as someone empties a bottle of liquor into thepool.
These people aren’t my friends, and there's nothing I can do to changethat.
My stomach plummets, the ground tilting at a reckless angle beneath myfeet.
I shove past bodies to the pool house and hit the code for the keypad. After two tries, the door opens, and I fallin.
The door closes behind me and a low, rough voice splits the darkness. “Party’s by the pool. Getout.”