Just as I threw another ball into a cup, I caught the blur of golden hair moving through the crowd behind the opposing team.
My chest zinged with a little ping. I hated how the mere thought of her got me all twisted inside. My heart stuttered to a sudden stop when I continued watching the blonde weave through the crowd. It only took three seconds to realize it was her in the flesh, and only four to succumb to that feeling of pure exhilaration.
My, oh my… Look what the fucking cat dragged in.
So much for curbing that unhealthy obsession of mine.
A crooked smile fixed itself onto my lips as she finally glanced over her shoulder at me. Our eyes met instantaneously.
My grin did not mirror hers.
Madeline’s shadowed face lit up like a damn firecracker. Her high cheekbones blazed with a red I could see clearly from halfway across the frat party of bustling college students. I wasn’t sure if the red tint was from embarrassment or from anger. Either way, I’d take it.
I set down the cup I’d been holding and slowly brought my hand up to wave. My fingers wiggled toward her in a menacing way. I was certain the grin on my face was full of sarcasm with a sliver of malice on the side.
Madeline quickly darted away, pushing and maneuvering around groups of drunk girls clinging to equally drunk guys, to get clear away from me.
I laughed under my breath.
As if it’d be that easy to hide from me, Madeline.
Chapter Five
Madeline
Atticus. Atticus. Atticus.
All I had to do was find a guy who looked like his name was Atticus. Funny, because there wasn’t a single guy here who looked like he belonged to that name. What kind of name was that?! What was this? To Kill a fucking Mockingbird?!
I kept searching through the sea of people, annoyed that everyone around me was having the time of their life while I was just trying to find a faceless person so I could maybe, just maybe, get some fucking sleep.
Oh, and let’s not forget that prickling feeling I had at the base of my neck that someone was watching my every move.
Of course Eric would be here.
Because why would the universe be on my side for once?
It was karma. It had to be.
I pushed my hair behind my ear as I slid along the wall that felt sticky against my sweater, making sure not to touch the couple that was dry humping along with the beat of the music, and continued surveying faces of guys that looked like they sold drugs—as if that narrowed it down any.
My eyes scanned the crowd, my nose upturned as warm beer splashed out of a full-to-the-brim cup and landed on my Doc Martens. I hurriedly pushed the drunk girl away, an irritated breath leaving me quickly as I zeroed in on a guy leaning back onto a drab-looking couch with his two arms hitched up behind him as they rested on a pair of girls’ shoulders. He looked dirty. His hair was sticking to the sides of his head underneath a dark-gray beanie. He had those droopy, puppy-dog eyes that I’d recognized before. He was high. Bingo.
The second I stepped forward, I heard a voice. “Hey there, Maddie.”
I felt the widening of my eyes for a brief moment before I recovered, turning around to face Eric, who I’d hoped would just leave me alone. This was too important to get all wrapped up in his hot scowl.
“Leave me alone, Eric,” I said, rolling my eyes so hard into the back of my head that I was impressed.
Eric ran a hand through his messy, dark hair, throwing his head back in the process and letting out a deep chuckle. I watched with a slightly parted mouth as his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. I clenched my jaw shut when he stopped laughing abruptly to stare at my lips.
His expression changed quickly. “Gonna tell me what you’re doing here?”
“Why do you care?” My arms found their way across my chest as I bounced on my feet.
Eric leaned against the sticky wall, the one that I was pretty sure had fuzz stuck to it from my sweater, lifting a shoulder slyly. “I’m just wondering why you keep showing up at the same places I’m at.” His eyebrow raised at the same time his jaw twitched. “Stalking me?”
A tight laugh escaped me. “As fucking if. I should be asking you the same.”