As Stefan nodded, considering, Matt's eyes sought out Chloe in the crowd again. The guy she'd been talking to was gone, and she was alone for the moment, biting her lip as she looked around the room. Matt was about to excuse himself and head toward her when another voice spoke in his ear.
"Hi, Matt, how's it going?" Ethan came up beside him, his golden brown eyes focused on Matt's. Matt felt himself straightening up and pul ing back his shoulders, trying to look loyal and honorable, a promising candidate, everything the Vitale wanted him to be. Matt saw this reaction to Ethan in the other pledges as Well: whatever Ethan wanted them to be or do, they wanted, too. Some people were just natural leaders, he guessed.
They chatted for a minute, not about the Vitale Society, of course, not in front of Stefan, but simple friendly stuff about footbal and classes and the music that was playing, and then Ethan turned the warmth of his smile on Stefan.
"Oh, uh, Ethan Crane, Stefan Salvatore," Matt introduced them, adding, "Stefan and I went to high school together." Stefan and Ethan started making conversation, and Matt looked for Chloe again. She wasn't in the last place he had seen her, and he started to panic, until he found her again in the crowd, moving to the music.
"I can't help noticing just a slight accent, Stefan," Ethan was saying. "Are you from Italy original y?" Stefan smiled shyly. "Most people don't hear it anymore," he said. "My brother and I, we left Italy a long time ago."
"Oh, does your brother go here, too?" Ethan asked, and Matt decided the two of them seemed happy enough together and that it was okay for him to leave now.
"I'l catch up with you guys later," he said. Taking another swal ow of beer, Matt strode through the crowd, straight toward Chloe. Her eyes were shining, her dimples were showing, and he knew the time was right. Like he had told Stefan, love was worth taking the chance.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Bonnie knew the minute that Zander and his friends came into the party, because the noise level went way up.
Honestly, Zander was calmer than his friends, sort of, at least around Bonnie, but as a group, they were definitely wild.
It was kind of irritating, actual y.
But when Zander appeared next to her - hip-checking Marcus into a wal on his way - and gave her his long, slow smile, her toes curled inside her high-heeled shoes and she forgot al about being annoyed.
"Hi!" she said. "Is everything okay?" He cocked an eyebrow at her inquiringly. "I mean, you said something came up with your family, and that's why you've been ...busy."
"Oh, yeah." Zander bent his head down to talk to her, and his warm breath ghosted across Bonnie's neck as he sighed. "My family's pretty complicated," he said. "I wish sometimes that things were easier." He looked sad, and Bonnie impulsively took his hand, twining her fingers through his.
"Well, what's wrong?" she asked, striving for a tone of understanding and reliability. A dependable girlfriend tone.
"Maybe I can help. You know, a fresh ear and al that." Zander frowned and bit his lip. "I guess it's like... I have responsibilities. My whole family is in a position where there are promises we've made and sort of things we have to take care of. And sometimes what I want to do and what I have to do don't line up."
"Could you be any more vague?" Bonnie asked teasingly, and Zander huffed a half laugh. "Seriously, what do you mean? What do you have to do? What don't you want to do?"
Zander looked down at her for a moment and then his smile widened. "Come on," he said, tugging her hand.
Bonnie went with him, weaving their way through the party and up the stairs. Zander seemed to know where he was going; he turned a couple of corners, then pushed open a door.
Inside was a dorm common room: a couple of ratty couches, a banged-up table. Someone's art project, a large canvas covered with splotches of paint, leaned against the wal .
"Do you live in this dorm?" she asked Zander.
"No," he said, his eyes on her mouth. He pul ed her toward him and rested his hands on her hips. And then he kissed her.
It was the most amazing kiss Bonnie had ever experienced. Zander's lips were so soft, yet firm, and there were little fireworks going off al over Bonnie's body. She lifted her hand and cupped it against his cheek, feeling the strong bones of his face and the slight scratch of stubble against her palm.
Once again, she felt as she had during their first date, standing on the roof, when it had been like she was flying.
So free, and with a wild kind of joy zinging through her. She slid her hand to the back of his neck, feeling Zander's fine pale blond hair brush softly against her fingers.
When the kiss ended, neither of them spoke for a moment, they just leaned against each other, breathing hard. Their faces were so close, and Zander's bril iant blue eyes were fixed on hers, warm and intent.
"Anyway, that's what I want to do, since you asked. Do you" - his voice cracked - "do you want to go back to the party now?"
"No," said Bonnie, "not yet." And this time, she kissed him.
"Oh, thank God," Chloe said when Matt came up to her. "I was beginning to feel like the biggest wal flower." She crinkled her nose appealingly at him. Her nose, which tilted up just a little, was spattered with freckles, and she had a pretty cupid's bow of a mouth. He wanted to tug gently on the soft brown ringlets of her curls, just to see them straighten and then spring back into shape.
"What do you mean?" he said, pul ing himself back together, although he was painful y aware that he sounded half-witted. "A wal flower?"