“I’m a master with women’s apparel,” Zach smirked as he emerged from the room. His chin lifted when he caught sight of us and seeing his expression, Claudia spun around and jerked in surprise.
I raised an eyebrow at her, completely shocked that she’d gone far enough with Zach to lose clothes. It was unlike her, and it hit me that I’d been so busy with my own problems, I’d completely missed the fact that Claudia was going through something too. The tension magically disappeared out of her body and she threw Beck a flirty smile and said, “What? You were the one who said I was a good girl. Not me.” She brushed past us, a confused Zach following in her wake.
I needed to have a serious talk with my girl.
Feeling his tension beside me, I glanced up at Beck. His jaw was taut and his hand clenched his beer bottle so tight, it was a wonder the thing didn’t shatter.
“Beck …” I didn’t know what to say because I honestly didn’t know what was going on between them.
However, I might as well have been a ghost.
“Fuck it,” Beck muttered. He turned and strode back into the party without a word to me.
As soon as I shook myself out of the confusing scene, I wandered back into the party to find Beck had a girl pressed against the wall, flirting his ass off. That boy moved faster than a cheetah.
“Charley!”
Strong arms wrapped around me and my feet left the ground as Matt gave me a bear hug. When he settled me back on the ground, I found myself standing beside Jake and Melissa.
Great.
And Jake wouldn’t look at me.
Double great.
“Having fun, Supergirl?” Matt winked, raking his eyes over me again.
“I will be once you get me a beer.”
Finally, Jake honored me with his attention. “Don’t you think you’ve had enough?”
What is your problem? I’m not your girlfriend! Your girlfriend is standing right next to you. I’m the girl you dumped, remember?
“No, Dad, I don’t,” I answered, my drunken, loose lips about to get insulting when arms came around my waist and pulled me back into a strong chest. Aaron.
“I need to steal Supergirl away for a bit,” he told the group, laughter in his voice. “She needs to rescue me from a dire, dire situation …”
I laughed and let him drag me away, hoping it annoyed the f**k out of Jake. Uneasiness settled over me almost immediately, though, when Aaron led me down the hall to bedroom number one.
I tugged on his hand and he looked over his shoulder. “What?”
“I’m not going in there with you.” I shook my head and tried to pull my hand out of his, but Aaron held tight.
“Come on, Charley. Loosen up a little with me.”
Annoyed at his persistence and annoyed at myself for giving him the wrong impression, I yanked my hand back. “I’m not sleeping with you.”
Aaron’s handsome face darkened. “Are you kidding me? I’ve wasted all night on you. I thought it was clear that this was just going to be a f**k.”
My ears were ringing with his brutal honesty, so I didn’t reply.
He sighed heavily and brushed past me, leaving me standing there feeling stupid and worthless. In the morning I’d be pissed that I let him make me feel that way, but right then, I was too drunk to push my gloomy feelings away.
Back in the main room Beck was making out with some random girl and Denver, Rowena, Jake, and Melissa weren’t anywhere to be seen.
Lowe and Matt were chatting and drinking at the kitchen island.
Lowe gave me his sexy, flirty grin as I approached. “Babe, you’re killing me in that outfit. You should wear skirts more often. You’ve got great legs.”
I drunkenly cuddled into his side, leaning my head on his shoulder. “Thanks,” I murmured.
His arm came around me, hugging me. “You okay?”
Hearing the concern in his voice, I pressed even tighter against him, trying to bury myself into the comfort he was giving me by just being him. “Fine. Where did everyone go?”
It was Matt who answered, appearing a little awkward. “After you left with that a-hole English guy, Jake got a little moody. Mel noticed. They got into an argument and left. Den and Row got bored, so they left too.”
I was put more than a little off-balance by Matt’s not-so-subtle insinuation that I’d caused some kind of rift between Melissa and Jake. However, it wasn’t just the insinuation. It was the thought that Jake was pissed at me for being with another guy. What the hell did that mean? What was he trying to do to me?
Lowe’s arm tightened around me. “Don’t worry about it, babe.” He sighed. “This party is terrible and I’m exhausted. You want us to walk you home?”
I nodded. Yes. I wanted out of there so I could pass out on my bed and forget everything about tonight. “Let me get Claud first.”
Finding my friend on the balcony with Zach and a couple of his friends, I pulled Claudia aside and told her that I wanted to leave.
“Okay, we’ll go,” she assured me.
I glowered at her. “Don’t think we won’t be talking about what happened with you.”
“Not now.” She brushed me off and called a goodnight to Zach.
Seeing us preparing to leave with Lowe and Matt, Beck abandoned the girl he was with and followed us out of the apartment. Hitting the street, I was glad I had alcohol in my blood to keep me warm in the freezing cold.
“You might not feel cold, but you are,” Lowe said, pulling me into his side. He was only wearing a thin shirt. “So am I,” he grumbled and rubbed a hand over my arm.
Ahead of us Claudia walked between Beck and Matt, Matt chatting away, oblivious to the obvious tension between his companions.
“What happened with the guy?” Lowe suddenly asked.
I curled my lip at the thought of Aaron. “As soon as I made it clear he wasn’t getting any, he dropped me like a bad habit.”
“What a charmer.”
“Mmm.”
He squeezed my waist. “Will you sleep with me?”
I smiled at his teasing question. “Not tonight.”
His laughter rocked against my side. “That wasn’t a no.”
“I’m leaving my options open.”
Lowe chuckled. “A guy wants a girl, he has to hope to God she wants him back. A girl wants a guy, all she’s got to do is say the word and bam! He’s naked. You got all the power.”
“I am Supergirl.”
He laughed again and kissed my hair. “That you are.”