As we weave through people, I stop paying such close attention to my rum and Coke and look up at the countless faces around me. When we stop in front of the group, I give a shy smile, but let Raina do the talking. She doesn’t hesitate.
“Hey, Brock. Recognize me?” she flirts, leaning into him a little.
He grins as she presses up on her tiptoes, her breastspushing against his bicep as she whispers something in his ear.
Raina is a pathological flirt. She thrives on male attention and has no care in the world about what other people think of her, but the hilarious reality of it is, she’s still a virgin. And it’s no secret, either. It’s why the boys work so hard to get in her good graces—they’re trying to be the one she finally gives it up to.
Little do they know, she’ll never give it to any of them. Deep down, Raina is a hopeless romantic. We’ve had countless conversations about how she’s saving herself until marriage simply because she knows if they’ve made it that far, he’s worth giving it to.
“Introduce us to your friends,” Raina urges as she trails her finger down Brock’s arm. His eyes are hooded as he looks down at her, his arm braced above her head against the brick wall.
His head lowers slightly, never leaving Raina’s orbit as he spouts off names. “Liam, Garrett, Ollie, Enzo, and Sly.”
My eyes bounce around the half circle the guys have formed, most giving a wave or a nod as Brock says their names, but when my attention lands on the last one, Sly, my breath catches in my throat.
He’s gorgeous, leaning against the wall in a black t-shirt and jeans with a look that could quite honestly kill. His hazel eyes bore into me with a look of anger, and I’m instantly confused as to why. I’m stuck on the sharp features of his face, the way his shirt hugs his muscles, and the way my bodybegsfor me to move closer to him.
Conflicting emotions rage through me, alarm bells ringing in my head.
But the longer I stare at him—and at this point, I’m openly staring—the more a sense of familiarity builds in my chest. I’ve seen him before. I feel like Iknowwho he is.
A faded memory flashes through my mind of me on a staircase, looking behind at a boy in the shadows…
“Have we met?” I blurt, taking a step closer although I’m not sure why.
My movement makes him straighten.
“I don’t know, have we?” he counters, his voice deeper than I imagined.
“I’m Vinnie.” I reach my hand out, but he doesn’t take it.
“Vinnie is a guy's name.”
His friends snicker. Heat rises in my cheeks, but I force the slight embarrassment it causes down and stand up a little taller.
“Afraid of afemalewith a guy's name? I understand. It can be a little disappointing when you realize females are the stronger sexandwe get to use your names, too.”
“Ohhhhh,” his friends goad. All except Brock, who now has his tongue down Raina’s throat.
I guess I’m on my own with this.
Pushing off the wall, he takes two steps toward me and suddenly there’s only an inch of space between us. He’s a full head taller than I am, so I tilt mine up to look at him.
Theworld falls away.
My pulse skyrockets as the light scent of his cologne and the darkness behind his eyes envelops me. His voice drops low as he leans in, careful not to actually touch me as he brings his lips to my ear.
“Paladinos are unworthy of my fear,” he spits, then purposely bumps my shoulder as he pushes past me.
I’m rooted in place, my mouth hanging agape with shock. Speechless, I stand there, eyes bouncing to everyone in the circle, wondering if that seriously just happened. The looks on the guys’ faces range from indifference to confusion, and it’s clear they have no idea what just happened, either.
Except for one.
Enzo looks at me similarly to how Sly looked at me, but with even more malice. He’s seething, hands balled into fists by his side as one of the other guys turns toward him, muttering something I can’t quite make out.
Raina’s glancing over at me from where she’s caged against the wall, still making out with Brock as though the only air they can breathe is what the other’s lungs expels. Her eyebrows lift in silent question, but I simply shake my head, looking down at the ground as my mind works overtime.
Before I can stop myself, I’m turning on my heel, scanning the party for where he went. Quickly, I spot him over at the makeshift bar.