Grinding my teeth, I try to suppress my rage. All of my dad’s martial arts training comes to mind. Nope, I will not let her win. She won’t get Drake. Because I know the truth about him, and I can see through all the bullshit. His entire persona is a sham. At the end of the night, he’ll look for me—not Stephanie fucking Carter.
In Drake’s defense, he’s been wiggling away from her the entire time. He only has eyes for me. I know he does. But fuck me for being a jealous little bitch right now.
“We’ll see you guys later,” Bex says after a long pause, and then I tug on Bex’s hand to lead her into the kitchen.
Once inside, she pushes me toward the corner and lowers her voice. “What was that about?”
I shrug off her concern, barely able to catch my breath. My heart is racing so fast it could jump out of my chest and make a run for it. “Nothing,” I lie.
“Yeah, right,” she spits back. “You looked like you were going to kill those girls, and I’m sure everyone noticed.”
“I hate seeing him with other girls,” I admit. “Especially those girls. He’s mine.”
“Then go claim him, Tay.” She throws her arm out at her side, pointing at the living room. “What are you doing in here with me?”
“I don’t want people to get the wrong idea about us.”
“But you like Drake. Stop being an idiot and go talk to him.”
“Here, I thought it was my job to give the advice in this relationship,” I quip. She frowns, crossing her arms over her chest, and I continue, “I don’t want a target on my back, Bex. It’s better this way if people don’t know about us. Trust me. And with The Queen fucking with everyone’s life, I don’t want my name in one of her posts.”
Preston appears out of nowhere with three cups of beer in his hands. “Hey, babe,” he says to Bex, kissing her on her forehead. “Take one of these.” He holds out the drinks to us, which we gladly accept.
“Thanks, Parker,” I say as Bex cuddles up at his side.
He nods in acknowledgment.
They look so damn cute together. I’m glad she’s finally embracing a relationship with him. If only I could be with Drake in a more public setting without everyone looking at us. I hate the fact we have to hide how we feel about each other from the world. But it’s his stupid-ass fault for showing off his goods to anyone who will look. If not for that, I would be standing next to him right now.
Chugging my beer, I scan the room for Shannon. Bex and Preston are too busy whispering shit in each other’s ear to notice me. And since I can’t latch onto Drake, I might as well seek out our new friend.
By the time I cross the kitchen, I’m in need another beer. Damn, I drank that in like three gulps. With how fast my heart is beating, I could use a lot of beer. Drake has me so on edge without even speaking to me. And maybe that’s why I’m such a mess.
He could have at least said something to quell the tension between us. Instead, he stood there like an Adonis giant, peeking at me beneath his long, dark lashes.
After I refill my cup from the keg, I head over to where Shannon’s hanging out with Jamie and two of her sorority sisters. Killian Kade is on Jade Westbrook’s right, though he seems to be keeping his distance. Something weird is definitely going on between them. I can tell by the tension that hangs in the air like it does with Drake and me.
“We have to get going,” I hear Killian say to Jamie. He leans into his ear and whispers something. Jamie nods, and then Killian and Jade are moving through the crowd, headed out of the kitchen.
So, they’re definitely together. Interesting. This is the first time I’ve seen Killian with a girl on campus. He usually keeps to himself and rarely attends parties. Jade is on the quiet side too, so I can see how the two of them would get along.
As I approach, Jemma Walcott, a new student at Strick U and Shannon’s Little Sister in her sorority, she turns to smile at me.
“Hey,” I say. “Jemma, right?”
She nods. “Yeah. I’m Jordan’s sister.”
Everyone on campus knows Jordan Walcott. She’s the vice president of Kappa Delta, the sorority Shannon and Jemma are both in, and is pretty much the life of every party. I’m surprised to see Jemma here without Jordan.
“How are you liking Strick U? I bet it’s different from… Where are you guys from?”
Somewhere with cows? I know their family owns Walcott Dairy. We literally drink the milk her family produces.