Total pages in book: 154
Estimated words: 142764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 142764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 714(@200wpm)___ 571(@250wpm)___ 476(@300wpm)
I pull my phone from my coat pocket and start to text the driver as I walk toward the double doors, but I pause as another thought occurs to me. Do I really want to go back to the house and stay there in the echoing quiet all alone? Without Sebastian there, I might as well get an apartment and live alone…
I doubt he'll be there tonight either, given the party at The Mill.
And if he’s at the party, that means Drew may or may not be there, depending on how they are doing at the moment. They've been at each other's throats, but it’s been a minute since I’ve discussed anything with Sebastian regarding Drew.
Ahh, fuck it.
I’m thinking too much about this when I should be cutting loose and enjoying myself. There’s a party with free alcohol. I should be there. I deserve to let go and enjoy myself a little. Who cares if Drew will be there? Maybe he won’t be. That’s wishful thinking at best.
The Mill isn’t but a couple of blocks from here. There’s no need to call a driver when I can walk. I hike my bag up my shoulder and head toward the fraternity house.
The closer I get, the more the memories from The Hunt assault me. Of the way the branches scratched at my skin, what my bare feet felt like against the soft earth and fallen leaves. The scent of the forest, the scent of him. Manly and spicy.
Lost in thought, I don’t even realize I’ve made it to the mansion until the thundering beat of music shakes the ground beneath my feet. Holy hell. I’m almost afraid to go inside. I walk up the steps, stopping at the front door. I’m momentarily paralyzed, a deer caught in the headlights of a car that’s about to hit her.
Just do it. Go inside.
Taking hold of the door handle, I shove the huge heavy door open and step inside. An onslaught of sensation greets me. The beat of the music pulses through my body, giving me a second heartbeat—
So.o. Many. People.
I don’t think there’s enough room for one more person on the makeshift dance floor. The farther I shove inside, the more I discover. I pass a couple practically having sex on the couch, three games of beer pong, and small groups of people drinking and milling around. I spot some sports equipment near the door and gently ease my bag to the floor, hoping it'll be safe enough there. It's doubtful anyone will be messing with the guys' stuff. Not if they want to walk out of here in one piece. Unpacked and looking less like a nerd, I squeeze into the crowd and hop up onto the bottom step at the far edge of the room to survey the crowd.
I recognize various members of the football team, basketball team, and soccer team, and just everyone I think I've ever seen on campus. Well, except Drew and Sebastian. At least not that I can see.
I spot Lee in the corner, pressing a blonde against the wall, their lips fused. Aries, the other of their little pack I haven't interacted with much, is in the kitchen, pressed between the thighs of a brunette sitting on the counter.
I could ask one of them where Drew or Sebastian are, but I don’t want to face either of them right now. Or better yet, do I want to listen to them lecture me on why I shouldn't be at this party in the first place? Like I’m a child who isn’t old enough to drink.
No. Tonight is for me.
I want to drink and dance. I want to have some fucking fun and forget how much of a shit show my life is. I shrug out of my coat and toss it onto a teetering pile of jackets and then stroll into the kitchen. I inspect the different liquor bottles on the counter, choosing vodka over gin.
Clutching the bottle to my chest, I creep deeper into the crowd, trying to blend in on the off chance that Drew or Sebastian do show up. Halfway through my walk, I bring the bottle of clear liquid to my lips and tip it back. The first sip burns across my tongue and down the back of my throat, pooling in my belly.
I don’t recall when I ate last, and the responsible thing to do would be to eat something before ingesting this much alcohol, but I didn’t see any food in the kitchen, just beverages, so I guess that means no dinner for me.
Some guy cuts me off, muttering an apology, and I turn and smile up at him. He's cute. When the man meets my eyes, he freezes, ducks his chin, and practically runs away from me. What the fuck?
I blink a few times and take another swig of the vodka.