and slid onto a barstool to eat. Celina disappeared into the other room, but before I finished the first mouthful, Myles and Eric came in and loaded plates. Myles sat on a stool beside me but Eric placed his plate next to me and stood at the bar.
I sipped from the plastic cup I’d rescued from the table, after I’d decided one nightmare wouldn’t kill me. Myles tapped his soda can on the counter. “Be careful with that stuff. It’s harsh. You should drink soda.”
“I didn’t come to a party to drink soda.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s a party and you’re supposed to drink the punch.”
“She does have a point.” Eric added and turned up his cup.
As I lifted my glass again, Myles grabbed my arm. His usual smile was missing. “I mean it, be careful.”
I was shocked at first. Then the strong drink got the best of me, and I giggled. “Yes sir.”
Myles shook his head. “Some people have to learn the hard way.”
“Yep, that’s me. I have to learn the hard way.”
Myles frowned then got up from his stool without a word and left. Eric took his seat.
“I’m glad you came tonight.”
For a moment I couldn’t look at him, couldn’t collect my thoughts.
“Why…” I took a breath. “Why were you looking at me like you were furious a minute ago?”
“Was I?”
“You know you were. You did the same thing that day I saw you on the lake when I was with Channing. Now you’re completely different. What did I do to make you so mad?”
“You haven’t done anything, I guess.”
“You guess?”
He was quiet for a moment, sliding his cup back and forth along the counter. He sighed. “You showed up here, in Lebeaux.”
My heart stopped. He was angry that I was even here?
I pulled away from him slightly. “I didn’t have any say in coming here. I promise you I didn’t want to.”
Catching my upper arm, he pulled me toward him. “You know I don’t mean it like that.”
“How do you mean it?” I asked, barely able to get the words out.
“I can’t seem to get you out of my head, Alexis.”
I stared at his hand still on my knee, fingers tightening then relaxing, making my stomach flutter in response. His hair brushed the side of my face as he leaned closer, his next words soft against my ear.
“This isn’t going to be a good thing, you know.”
I nodded. I knew exactly what he meant. The thought made the blood pound in my head so severely it drowned out nearly every other sound, except him.
“Channing likes you.”
“She wants to date me.”
I forced myself to lean away so I could see his face. “Is there a difference?”
He squeezed my knee. “A big difference. I’m not dating Channing, never have…” He paused, let go of my leg, grabbed his drink, took several gulps then set it back on the counter. “And I never will.”
He bent forward to rest his forehead against mine, breathing the sweet fruitiness of the punch against my skin. “I want to dance…with you.”
I shivered with uncertainty. No matter what social circles I’d learned to adeptly navigate, I wasn’t the girl that cute guys, that any guys, asked to dance. Probably why the cute, popular girls let me be their friend, no threat from a plain, average Jane. I glanced at the punch and wondered if it had an inner truth serum in it because I’d never had that particular revelation before. Eric caught a wisp of my hair and tugged it, pulling my mind back to the question at hand. Truth serum? The truth was, at the moment, I wanted to dance with Eric about as much as I needed to breath.
A fresh drink had appeared next to me though I didn’t know how it got there. Not that I really cared. I took two giant swallows and stood.
“Is this a yes?” Eric held out his hand.
I took it. “Yes.”
The other room was dark, and the music thumped louder as we entered. I stumbled and Eric caught my arm.
“You okay?”
His words sounded a little slurred. When I looked at him, his eyes were bright in the low
I sipped from the plastic cup I’d rescued from the table, after I’d decided one nightmare wouldn’t kill me. Myles tapped his soda can on the counter. “Be careful with that stuff. It’s harsh. You should drink soda.”
“I didn’t come to a party to drink soda.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s a party and you’re supposed to drink the punch.”
“She does have a point.” Eric added and turned up his cup.
As I lifted my glass again, Myles grabbed my arm. His usual smile was missing. “I mean it, be careful.”
I was shocked at first. Then the strong drink got the best of me, and I giggled. “Yes sir.”
Myles shook his head. “Some people have to learn the hard way.”
“Yep, that’s me. I have to learn the hard way.”
Myles frowned then got up from his stool without a word and left. Eric took his seat.
“I’m glad you came tonight.”
For a moment I couldn’t look at him, couldn’t collect my thoughts.
“Why…” I took a breath. “Why were you looking at me like you were furious a minute ago?”
“Was I?”
“You know you were. You did the same thing that day I saw you on the lake when I was with Channing. Now you’re completely different. What did I do to make you so mad?”
“You haven’t done anything, I guess.”
“You guess?”
He was quiet for a moment, sliding his cup back and forth along the counter. He sighed. “You showed up here, in Lebeaux.”
My heart stopped. He was angry that I was even here?
I pulled away from him slightly. “I didn’t have any say in coming here. I promise you I didn’t want to.”
Catching my upper arm, he pulled me toward him. “You know I don’t mean it like that.”
“How do you mean it?” I asked, barely able to get the words out.
“I can’t seem to get you out of my head, Alexis.”
I stared at his hand still on my knee, fingers tightening then relaxing, making my stomach flutter in response. His hair brushed the side of my face as he leaned closer, his next words soft against my ear.
“This isn’t going to be a good thing, you know.”
I nodded. I knew exactly what he meant. The thought made the blood pound in my head so severely it drowned out nearly every other sound, except him.
“Channing likes you.”
“She wants to date me.”
I forced myself to lean away so I could see his face. “Is there a difference?”
He squeezed my knee. “A big difference. I’m not dating Channing, never have…” He paused, let go of my leg, grabbed his drink, took several gulps then set it back on the counter. “And I never will.”
He bent forward to rest his forehead against mine, breathing the sweet fruitiness of the punch against my skin. “I want to dance…with you.”
I shivered with uncertainty. No matter what social circles I’d learned to adeptly navigate, I wasn’t the girl that cute guys, that any guys, asked to dance. Probably why the cute, popular girls let me be their friend, no threat from a plain, average Jane. I glanced at the punch and wondered if it had an inner truth serum in it because I’d never had that particular revelation before. Eric caught a wisp of my hair and tugged it, pulling my mind back to the question at hand. Truth serum? The truth was, at the moment, I wanted to dance with Eric about as much as I needed to breath.
A fresh drink had appeared next to me though I didn’t know how it got there. Not that I really cared. I took two giant swallows and stood.
“Is this a yes?” Eric held out his hand.
I took it. “Yes.”
The other room was dark, and the music thumped louder as we entered. I stumbled and Eric caught my arm.
“You okay?”
His words sounded a little slurred. When I looked at him, his eyes were bright in the low
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