Ryan curled his lip, giving her a sly wink. “Come on…just one song.”
I shot Camryn a desperate look, hoping she’d pick up on my silent plea for help.She didn’t.I sighed and grabbed Ryan’s outstretched hand as he pulled me to the other side of the room. Looking down at my feet, I trudged behind him, shoulders deflated. Apathy clouded my vision, rolling in like an unshakable fog. My face remained neutral as the light faded from my eyes.
I guess Camryn hadn’t heard about the reason why Ryan and I broke up, because who in their right mind would push someone back to their cheating ex?I wanted to punch her in the face.But, of course, that wasn’t very Prom Queen-like, so I didn’t.
I reflexively tensed as Ryan gripped my waist with his hands. The mid-thigh blue skirt I chose suddenly felt way too short. I tugged at the fabric, attempting to stretch it out. Even my top, which covered everything except my arms, made me feel too exposed. Ryan’s gaze roamed over me with intense desire.
“I promise I won’t bite, Clarke. Just relax.”
“Let’s just dance, so I can be done with this already.”
“Oh, come on. You can’t pretend like you don’t still have feelings for me.” He grabbed my hips, pulling me toward him.
Trying not to draw any unwanted attention, I discreetly but forcefully pushed his arm away.
“Don’t touch me,” I growled. “You want to dance? Fine. But we’re not talking.”
He smirked. “Say no more.”
His hands were all over me. My waist, my hips, my ass. I was so caught off guard that I didn’t notice his face leaning closer until our lips brushed. It lasted only a split second, but that second stretched endlessly in the worst possible way. His lips were rough, eager.
My breath hitched.
I felt like the same stupid girl I had been when I dated him last year. I struck him across the cheek, stumbling backward in the process. He palmed his face, eyes wide with shock. My stomach was in knots. When he lowered his hand, a red spot was burned on his skin. If only I could’ve aimed a little lower…a lot lower.
“Don’t you dare touch me you fucking perv!”
“Perv?” He coughed out a dry laugh. “You’re eighteen, Clarke, so when are you going to grow up?”
“You’re one to talk.” I pulled my shirt, stretching it along my torso.
“You’re probably like the only senior in the entire grade who hasn’t hooked up with anyone yet. Even Meredith is probably fucking Mason right now.”
My jaw tensed, teeth grinding together.
Meredith was a big girl. She could do whatever the hell she wanted to. She made that much clear earlier tonight—I wasn’t her mom.Ugh.I needed a drink. More than that, I needed to get away from Ryan.
“If you’re so goddamn horny, God gave you two perfectly good hands to use, so have at it.”
I shoved him aside and headed for the kitchen. Thankfully, he didn’t follow. Leaning against the island counter, I scanned the spread of food laid out before me. Without much thought, I threw back a few cups of mystery alcohol and grabbed a handful of barbecue chips. The kitchen was almost painfully bright. Whether it was the overhead lighting or the stress of being here, a headache was already creeping in. I took another swigof my drink—tart, not my usual choice, but tonight, I’d make an exception. A loud burst of laughter erupted from the main room, and a group of guys spilled into the kitchen. My head swam.Whoa.What the hell was in that drink? I steadied myself against the counter, pulling out my phone and pretending to scroll through Instagram, all while quietly listening in on their conversation.
“What are you gonna do after you graduate?”
“Ehhh, parents want me to go to college.”
“Lame.”
“Nah. Think of all the parties and shit. Just like this one.”
A third voice chimed in. “Come on, guys. There’s way more to college than just parties,” he paused. “Like all the chicks!”
I scoffed loudly, causing them to look over at me.
Shit.
“You got something to say?”
“Don’t ya th-think…” I swallowed hard, only now realizing how drunk I was. “Don’t you think you’ll need a brain to get into college?”
