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Even East, who didn’t like anyone, seemed to have taken charge of the night and forced Caleb back into the group every time he tried to escape. What the hell were they doing? Was there some kind of prank about to happen that I didn’t know about? Because that was the only thing that would make sense.
Maybe they’d throw him fully clothed into the pool in a minute.Or down the elevator shaft…
I swallowed as I watched the scene, feeling for the first time like the odd man out.
But that wasn’t what was bothering me so much. I veered off to do my own thing all the time, so the real issue here was…
Well, something I wasn’t about to acknowledge, that was for damn sure.
“One for here, one for the road,” Wayne said, setting two more rattlesnake shots in front of me.
“For the road? You trying to get rid of me?”
“Nah. You just look about ready to stir things up.”
I slid a couple Benjamins across the bar. “You’re a good man, Wayne. If the guest of honor comes over, tell him you only have piss beer available, none of the fancy shit.”
He pocketed the bills and nodded. “You got it.”
I tossed back one of the shots and then grabbed the other to take with me. Kelly, his longer hair still dripping wet from the pool, took one look at me, quickly wrapped his arms around Donovan, and backed away until they both fell ass-first into the deep end.
What, did I have something on my face? Besides a murderous look? I thought I always looked pretty damnfabulous, but judging by the wary glances I was getting from the others, that wasn’t what they were thinking tonight.
“Looks like you’re all making yourselves at home together,” I said, my lips stretching thin. It didn’t escape my notice that Caleb already had his drink of choice somehow, and I would’ve bet serious money that meant someone else grabbed it for him. Narrowing my eyes, I sussed out who I thought that unfortunate soul was when my gaze landed on Archer.
Of course. Daddy Filth, making sure the newbie was taken care of. I didn’t know whether to be annoyed or jealous at the attention Caleb had received, since Archer wasn’t exactly a slouch in the looks department. Even though he was now dead to me.
“The fuck are you drinking?” Daire leaned over, sniffed my shot, and recoiled. “Chocolate milk?”
I yanked my hand away. “Get your own.”
“There’s no alcohol in that shit.”
“There is,” I said, glancing down at it. “A little.”
“That’s why you’re being such a miserable fuck. Not enough alcohol.”
No, the reason I was being such a miserable fuck was standing several feet away from me, laughing at something JT had just said.
This was so not like me, to skulk around like some sad-sack loser. I was usually the one demanding everyone else have a good time. But somewhere around East’s declaration ofWe’re throwing him a “Welcome back to the group” shindig, my mood had taken a nose dive.
Okay, that was a lie. It’d started going south the second I found out I was going to have a new roommate.
“Oh no, why so sad? Have you lost the power to glare someone to death?” West’s dumbass laugh had me trying to find the power right then so I could level him with my best drop-deadlook, but unfortunately, he was right. Everyone was still upright and breathing.
“I’m not glaring at anyone.”
“Yeah? So that’s what? The look of love I see aiming straight for the heart of?—”
“Say it and die.” I looked on either side of West and frowned. “Where’s your sleeper spy boyfriend?”
“Sleeperspy? Come on now. It wasn’t like their friendship was a secret.” West pursed his lips and looked between me and Caleb, tapping his cheek. “Unlikesomethings people aren’t sharing with the group.”
“There’s nothing to share.”
“Me thinks thou doth protest too much.”
“Thouhas been spending too much time with his Golden Boy at poetry nights to be spouting shit like that to me. Caleb and I had a falling-out. That’s it.”
