I breathe in the cool air and try to hang on to the thrill of tonight.
揧ou抮e welcome.?She stares down at her phone. 揓ane is still at Eric抯 house. They抮e playing games and drinking. Could be fun.?
揧eah. It could be.?Eric is Jane抯 friend. He抯 a business major but also plays in a local nineties cover band. He抯 nice, but nights at his place always end up with him and his friends super drunk and jamming out or talking about the stock market. And he lives kind of far from campus.
Since Dahlia is gone, my options are: go to Eric抯， knowing I might be bored, but at least I抣l be with Violet and Jane, or go home by myself.
Violet looks to me with a hopeful smile. She came here tonight for me. I can suffer through some drunken singing and guitar.
揕et抯 go to Eric抯，？I agree. 揃ut can we stop at the house first? I want to change.?
She gives me a once-over in my blue Valley Hockey T-shirt, her eyebrows lifting. 揇efinitely.?
At home, I send Jordan a congrats text. Then do the same for Liam. My crush has waned a little after hanging out with him at the bowling alley. Liam and I make sense on paper, but in reality, I think we might be better as friends.
揇aisy,?Violet calls from downstairs.
揅oming,?I call back. I change into a dress and add another swipe of mascara on my lashes, then grab my phone and purse. Liam texts back, and that small part of me that still wants him to notice me, feels a blast of happiness as I read his words, Thanks. So glad you made it to a game!
揑抦 ready.?I shove my phone in my purse and start down the stairs. I lift my gaze from the steps to the person hovering at the end of the stairway. Jordan抯 appearance throws me off balance, and I stumble down the rest of the way.
揥hoa.?He steps forward and steadies me.
I wish I were graceful enough to extract myself and recover quickly, but I basically faceplant into his chest, breathing in his freshly showered scent. One hand goes around him, and the other braces on his stomach梙is very hard, defined stomach.
My fingers have a mind of their own, stretching to cover as much surface area as possible and then gliding along his abs.
His laughter eventually snaps the remaining, sane brain cells back to life, and I jump back. My face is on fire as I smooth a hand down my dress and then over my hair.
揑 am so sorry.?
揊or copping a feel??He shrugs. 揑 can hardly blame you.?
His mouth lifts in a cocky smirk.
揊or falling into you,?I clarify. I抣l die before admitting I was enjoying exploring his muscles. 揥hat are you doing here??
揧ou came to the game,?he says as if that explains his presence.
I look around the living room and kitchen for Violet.
揝he抯 out front yelling at Gavin because someone parked her in.?
揂h.?
揑 take it that抯 a usual occurrence??
揝omething like that.?
揗eaning??
揕et抯 just say, our yard and driveway see a lot of action on big party nights.?
揚eople park in your yard??
揘o, but they do dump trash梑eer cups, bottles, and one time we found two used condoms.?
揟wo??His brows lift. 揑mpressive action for a front yard.?
揟hey were in the back yard.?
He looks past me. 揙h right. Your back yard butts up against the action.?
I nod. 揧ou still didn抰 say why you抮e here.?
揟o bring you to the party.?
揟he party??Anticipation bubbles up inside of me.
He nods. 揑t isn抰 the full home game experience without celebrating after a win.?
揥e were just about to go to a friend抯 house.?
揑nvite your friends to The White House. That抯 where everyone will be tonight anyway.?
揤iolet will never go.?
My roommate storms through the front door with a scowl. 揑抦 completely blocked in!?
揑 heard. I抦 sorry.?
She looks between Jordan and me. 揂re you going with him or me??
揧ou don抰 want to come??I ask hopefully.
揘o chance, but you should go. I抦 sure Liam will be there.?
The displeasure on Jordan抯 face at the mention of Liam is only there a second, but I catch it, and my stomach dips at what it might mean. If he didn抰 come here for Liam, then he抯 here for himself. And wait, Jordan Thatcher wants to hang out with me?
揇efinitely,?Jordan says. 揕iam will be there.?
There抯 a knock on our door, and Violet must be expecting him because she grunts and rolls her eyes before opening it for Gavin.
揑抦 sorry. I will send a freshman out to watch your driveway next time.?He waves at me and Jordan.
揅reepy,?she retorts. 揂nd that doesn抰 help me right now.?
He takes two steps backward. 揑抣l figure out whose car that is, or I抣l call and have it towed.?
She rolls her eyes. 揙kay, let抯 not be dramatic.?
I stifle a laugh. Jordan doesn抰， but his laughter is friendly.
揑 can give you a ride,?he offers.
揑t抯 fine. I already called an Uber.?
Gavin wisely retreats to his house with another apology.
揜eady??Jordan asks me.
揑 don抰 know.?
揢ber抯 here,?Violet says. 揇o you want to come with me??
They抮e both looking at me expectantly.
Violet takes the decision out of my hands with a smile. 揋o. If it抯 awful or you just decide you want to come to Eric抯， text me, and I抣l find you a ride.?
揙kay.?My heart races.
She looks to Jordan. 揑f you ditch her, I will cut off your nipples.?
She rushes out to meet the waiting car, leaving me with Jordan, who抯 covering his nips with both hands. 揝he抯 violent.?
He drops his hands and motions with his head toward the door. 揜eady for this, sweet Daisy??
16
DAISY
The inside of The White House is even bigger and more extravagant than I expected. Violet would die. Or maybe she抎 already seen it during those few months when she was hanging with Gavin and his friends.
I hate to be glad that things didn抰 work out between them, but I抦 thankful that we抳e become so close since then. We抳e always had a few core things in common: being the same age, loving art, wishing our parents were less strict, and that our fathers were less embarrassing; but because we grew up living two hours apart, we only saw each other on holidays or the rare occasion my parents stopped working long enough to join them on family vacations.
It wasn抰 until Violet and I both chose to attend Valley U梩he same college our fathers had attended梩hat I抳e really gotten to know her. Our first semester, we only hung out to study or to grab an occasional cup of coffee, but after everything went down with Gavin and her roommate, she basically moved into my dorm with me. And now I can抰 imagine not living with her or seeing and talking with her every day.
Jordan rests a hand on my lower back as we squeeze through the crowded hallway to the kitchen. My body responds to the attention with far too much excitement. Especially considering his focus is everywhere. Some people call out their congrats. Others that are closer fist bump or hug him. One girl yells across the party for him to come sign her boobs.
揑s she serious??I ask.
揙h yeah,?he says. 揥ant me to sign yours??
I don抰 respond but send him a pointed look that makes him laugh.
He stops to grab our cups then tips his head toward the back yard. 揔eg is outside.?
My gaze travels over the large kitchen. I want to wander around and scope out this house, but there抯 a real chance I抎 get lost. It抯 massive.
Jordan starts outside. I stick close to him, which isn抰 strictly necessary since it isn抰 as crowded out here as we make our way to fill our cups with beer.