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I smile, bouncing on my toes, undeterred. “You ready?”
She laughs at my excitement. “Let me grab my purse.”
Hailey disappears for a moment before returning with a small bag, the strap resting across her body. She locks the door, and we start walking down the hall.
“We’re meeting Connor?” she asks as we take the stairs.
I nod. “Yep.”
Hailey’s been out with me more lately now that Oakley is MIA. She’s met Connor a couple of times.
“Will Ricky be there?” she asks.
Ricky is one of Connor’s teammates and good friends. He caught Hailey’s eye the last time we all met out.
“I didn’t ask,” I admit. “But I’m sure he will be.”
I glance over at her. Her brown hair is shoulder length and wavy. She tucks a strand behind her ear.
“They typically go to the same parties,” I add.
We exit the dorm and start walking across campus. When a burst of wind blows, I hug my arms around my body, regretting my choice not to wear a jacket. Hailey wraps her arms around her torso, too, and looks over at me.
“It’s colder than I thought it was,” she says. Our shoes click on the concrete as we walk. “You look hot, but I bet you’re freezing.”
“You look great too,” I comment. “And I’m sure it’ll be warm inside the house.”
We walk another two blocks before we reach fraternity row. The Sigma Chi house is at the end of the street, and there are dozens of people standing around in the yard and on their giant front porch. I smile at a couple of guys who look our way as we take the stairs. The front door is propped open, and we walk right in.
A throbbing bass beats through the walls when we enter the space, and I pause to look over the crowd. It’s even more packed inside.
Hailey latches on to my arm to keep us connected. She leans closer to my ear. “It looks like this is the place to be tonight.”
I nod, barely able to hear her over the music. “Let’s get something to drink.”
We weave our way through the people and find the kitchen. There are three kegs and a big barrel of red liquid that I’m sure is some kind of punch. All the frat parties have some type of punch. It’s usually sweet and completely hides the taste of the multiple liquors hidden in the depths. It’s deceptively lethal, like most of the guys on this campus.
A cute blond guy is ladling a cup for two girls. His eyes flit to us.
“Hey,” he says with a smirk. “Want some?”
I nod and glance over at Hailey, who mirrors my movement.
“I’m Todd,” he says, handing over my cup.
I tilt my head and take a sip. The liquid goes down smoothly, instantly heating my insides. Yep, deceptively lethal.
“Madison,” I introduce myself.
He extends his hand, and I slide my palm into his. He doesn’t drop his hold.
I nod my chin in my dormmate’s direction. “This is Hailey.”
He squeezes before dropping my hand and mimics the action with my brunette friend. Her brown eyes sparkle as the stranger eats her alive with his gaze alone.
The beat keeps pounding through the walls and the floor. Four guys rush into the kitchen. No one bats an eye when I hear something crash and break in the other room. The guys carve out a space around one of the kegs, lifting one of them until he’s upside down. They place the nozzle into his mouth. They count and holler as he opens his throat, swallowing beer as quickly as he can. My stomach churns for him as he inhales half the keg in one long drink. The guys roar approvingly when they lower him to the ground, and another takes his place to repeat the process. Todd shakes his head and laughs.
“I’m assuming those are some of your fraternity brothers?” I ask him.
