crawling al over each other to move aside, and snagged them two Cokes before finding wal space to lean against.
"Not exactly party material," Lila teased him, waving her can of Coke at him. A girl next to her swayed on four-inch heels. The couple in the corner continued to grope each other.
"Wel , as much as I want to do a keg stand with al the frat boys," Beau replied with an exaggerated sigh, "I do have to drive later, so--"
"Bummer." She laughed and cracked open her can. Already she could feel the tension leaving her body. "I know how much you love keg stands"
112
"It's a seriously underappreciated art form," Beau deadpanned.
Lila took a long pul of her lukewarm soda and watched in amazement as a red-faced boy staggered down the hal and tripped over his own feet. He
plowed, face-first, into what was once a coffee table, crumpling it beneath his weight as he fel .
"So this is what you wanted to do to your parents' house?" Beau leaned back against the wal and smiled slightly, like the chaos pounding around them was a movie he was watching. Lila studied him for a second. He looked out of place in the crowd of prepsters, but it wasn't just his clothes. Beau stood differently than the other guys. More sure on his feet, somehow. And Lila had a feeling it wasn't just because he was sober.
"Please," Lila said breezily. "I wasn't throwing a frat party!"
"Ah, yes. Because high school parties are way more refined," Beau said. Teasing her, she realized as he grinned down at her. Not provoking. Just teasing.
"My parties, by definition, are the classiest high school parties in Southern California," she told him grandly. "Or would be, if I could throw one without Cooper ruining everything"
"You know, classy and high school party are not terms you often find in the same sentence."
"You are such a snob," she told him.
He let out a bark of laughter. "How can you even say that with a straight face?" he asked, grinning at her. "Seriously"
113
Lila tried to frown, but her lips curved up in a grin instead. She'd forgotten how wel they did the light, fun banter thing.
The room had gotten even more crowded, and now Beau was standing just inches from Lila. His whole body was angled toward her, his arm brushing
against her shoulder.
Just then, the make-out couple final y broke apart for some air, and the girl began dancing. "I love this song!" she shrieked, moving her hips to the driving beat.
The girl's make-out partner locked his arms around her waist from behind. Lila saw the spray of freckles on his neck, first--the ones that almost exactly replicated the Big Dipper. Then she saw the sloppy, sexy smile he directed at the girl who shimmied in front of him. Final y, she saw the way he cocked his head so that his blond hair flopped a little bit to the side, like a little boy's.
Lila's stomach dropped through her feet and smacked into the floor. Her mouth fel open. Time stopped.
It was Erik.
114
Chapter 12
***
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
PALO ALTO, CA
DECEMBER 23
2:31 A.M.
***
Lila staggered out of the heavy dormitory doors. She sucked in a breath, then another, but stil felt like she couldn't breathe. Like there was a giant hand wrapped around her ribs, crushing her. She looked around wildly, unable to get her bearings. She could hardly believe what she'd seen, even though she'd seen it with her own eyes. Eyes that she would gladly rip out of her head, if it meant she could erase that vision. Her brain kept playing the scene over and over again--the way Erik had kissed the girl, how his hands had traveled down her body...
"Stop it!" she hissed at herself. Her stomach roiled, and her breath came fast and shal ow. Heat prickled behind her eyes, and she knew that she was seconds away from bursting into tears, crumpling to the ground, and sinking into a gooey mess of despair
115
"Lila!"
Beau dashed out of the dorm, the door slamming loudly behind him. It was only then that Lila realized she was moving. Running, actual y,
"Not exactly party material," Lila teased him, waving her can of Coke at him. A girl next to her swayed on four-inch heels. The couple in the corner continued to grope each other.
"Wel , as much as I want to do a keg stand with al the frat boys," Beau replied with an exaggerated sigh, "I do have to drive later, so--"
"Bummer." She laughed and cracked open her can. Already she could feel the tension leaving her body. "I know how much you love keg stands"
112
"It's a seriously underappreciated art form," Beau deadpanned.
Lila took a long pul of her lukewarm soda and watched in amazement as a red-faced boy staggered down the hal and tripped over his own feet. He
plowed, face-first, into what was once a coffee table, crumpling it beneath his weight as he fel .
"So this is what you wanted to do to your parents' house?" Beau leaned back against the wal and smiled slightly, like the chaos pounding around them was a movie he was watching. Lila studied him for a second. He looked out of place in the crowd of prepsters, but it wasn't just his clothes. Beau stood differently than the other guys. More sure on his feet, somehow. And Lila had a feeling it wasn't just because he was sober.
"Please," Lila said breezily. "I wasn't throwing a frat party!"
"Ah, yes. Because high school parties are way more refined," Beau said. Teasing her, she realized as he grinned down at her. Not provoking. Just teasing.
"My parties, by definition, are the classiest high school parties in Southern California," she told him grandly. "Or would be, if I could throw one without Cooper ruining everything"
"You know, classy and high school party are not terms you often find in the same sentence."
"You are such a snob," she told him.
He let out a bark of laughter. "How can you even say that with a straight face?" he asked, grinning at her. "Seriously"
113
Lila tried to frown, but her lips curved up in a grin instead. She'd forgotten how wel they did the light, fun banter thing.
The room had gotten even more crowded, and now Beau was standing just inches from Lila. His whole body was angled toward her, his arm brushing
against her shoulder.
Just then, the make-out couple final y broke apart for some air, and the girl began dancing. "I love this song!" she shrieked, moving her hips to the driving beat.
The girl's make-out partner locked his arms around her waist from behind. Lila saw the spray of freckles on his neck, first--the ones that almost exactly replicated the Big Dipper. Then she saw the sloppy, sexy smile he directed at the girl who shimmied in front of him. Final y, she saw the way he cocked his head so that his blond hair flopped a little bit to the side, like a little boy's.
Lila's stomach dropped through her feet and smacked into the floor. Her mouth fel open. Time stopped.
It was Erik.
114
Chapter 12
***
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
PALO ALTO, CA
DECEMBER 23
2:31 A.M.
***
Lila staggered out of the heavy dormitory doors. She sucked in a breath, then another, but stil felt like she couldn't breathe. Like there was a giant hand wrapped around her ribs, crushing her. She looked around wildly, unable to get her bearings. She could hardly believe what she'd seen, even though she'd seen it with her own eyes. Eyes that she would gladly rip out of her head, if it meant she could erase that vision. Her brain kept playing the scene over and over again--the way Erik had kissed the girl, how his hands had traveled down her body...
"Stop it!" she hissed at herself. Her stomach roiled, and her breath came fast and shal ow. Heat prickled behind her eyes, and she knew that she was seconds away from bursting into tears, crumpling to the ground, and sinking into a gooey mess of despair
115
"Lila!"
Beau dashed out of the dorm, the door slamming loudly behind him. It was only then that Lila realized she was moving. Running, actual y,
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