“You’re right,” she replied, lifting a palm. “Sorry, I totally forgot about all of that. Usually Cerina is the one behind bullying campaigns, so I guess I’m just used to that.”
“She’s been awful to me too. What’s her deal?”
Erin shrugged. “No idea. Her life must be fucking miserable behind closed doors. It’s like she’s always taking it out on everyone else.”
“Yeah, maybe. Doesn’t make it okay, though,” I said bitterly.
“That’s true. Anyway, let’s stop talking about her,” Erin said. “Tonight is about having fun, dancing, and getting wasted.”
“But nottoowasted.”
She laughed. “No shit. I don’t want to carry you home.”
We finished getting ready, grabbed our purses, and left Erin’s house. She lived close to Nate’s place, so we could easily walk there.
We turned left at the end of the driveway and headed down the street, following the sound of music and voices drifting over the cool sea breeze. Nate’s house lay at the end of the street. It was enormous—three stories of Spanish-inspired architecture on a promontory that offered incredible views of the Pacific from every angle.
“Holy shit,” I mumbled to myself as we stepped up to the front entrance of the mansion. Even though I’d been in Crown Point for a month now, I still wasn’t used to the lavish displays of wealth everywhere.
I followed Erin inside and glanced around, taking in the gorgeous artwork on the walls and the enormous chandeliers suspended from the ceiling. Beyond the foyer was a cavernous living area with glass doors which opened up to an enormous outdoor deck. A cocktail-making station had been set up on one side of the room, and it looked like a few people had already taken full advantage of it, judging by their sloppy behavior.
“Urgh,” Erin whispered, jostling me. “Let’s avoid the left side of the room.”
I nodded, already knowing why she said that. I didn’t have to look directly at Jax to know that he was here, staring at me from the other side of the room. Like always, the pull of his gaze was magnetic. I briefly turned my head to meet his eyes, and when I saw the same old coldness in them, I dipped my chin and looked away.
Erin and I weaved our way through clusters of bodies, making our way to the cocktail station. A group of people I knew from my French class joined us, and after we all had a drink in our hands, we claimed one of the sofas. Soon we were chatting and shrieking with laughter like everyone else at the party.
The cocktail slid down my throat like magic; one of the most delicious things I’d ever tasted. When the buzz from the alcohol hit my veins, I felt like I was floating out of my body and watching myself from above, giddily observing my new life. Part of me couldn’t believe I was actually here, partying with the nation’s richest kids in a giant mansion.
A guy I recognized from my math class approached me to ask if I wanted to dance. I said yes without even thinking about it and followed him over to the heaving crowd on the other side of the room. We spun and jumped to the beat, grinning stupidly as we let the music consume us. Erin and some of the other girls soon joined us, and the next hour was a whirl of laughing, drinking, and dancing with different people.
Eventually, almost everyone at the party was on their feet, grinding and raging along to the music. I was covered in sweat and my heart was racing, but I didn’t mind. I’d never had so much fun before.
I caught Jax’s eye from across the room again, and I grinned and gave him a little wave, spurred on by the buzz in my veins. I couldn’t help but feel a little smug at the sight of him glowering at me from his seat. He’d always made it abundantly clear that he wanted me gone from school, but his plan to turn me into an outcast wasn’t working at all.
In fact, I was starting to feel like I was—dare I say it—kind of popular now. Seven different guys had tried their best to flirt with me tonight, and dozens of girls had wanted to hang out with me too, all of them acting as if we were old friends. The sight of it must have made Jax utterly furious.
Just before midnight, Nate Ellingham cut through the crowd to pull me away for a private dance. “You know, I’ve been trying to get to you all night,” he said, wrapping his arms around my waist.
“Really?” I replied, tilting my chin to look up at his face. I had to admit, Erin was right about him. He was hot in a clean-cut, future-Congressman kind of way. He was sweet, too. He didn’t have to stand up for me the other day during our archery class, but he did it anyway.
He nodded and gave me a dimpled smile. “You’ve been too busy making me jealous,” he said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
“Oh, yeah?” I quirked a brow. “How?”
“By wearing that dress,” he said in a low murmur, brushing his lips over the same ear he’d just tucked my hair behind. “Every guy in here took one look at you and decided they wanted you. I’ve been watching you practically beating them off with a stick for the last three hours.”
A warm blush filled my cheeks. “If you saw me rejecting them, then you shouldn’t be jealous, should you?”
“That’s true.” He pulled his head back and grinned down at me. “So anyway, what do you think?”
“Of the party or your house?” I asked, glancing around.
“Either one.”
“Both are amazing,” I said. I looked back at him and gave him an impish smile. “You’re lucky to live here, you know. Nice houseandno Jax Kingsley. Sounds like a dream.”
Nate chuckled. “How about I give you a tour so you can see the rest of the place?”