Page 10 of Fighting Fate

"Wait," Brooke interjects, glancing at Payson, "this isn't the actual club?"

Blondie laughs. "Nope, this is just the waiting area."

A waiting area for a club? Since when? Both Brooke and Payson are blushing, and I'm sure I'm a tomato by now.

"We totally knew that." Payson tries to save face, elbowing me a bit too hard.

Miles raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it.

But you know what? Screw it. Tonight's about wild, carefree Milli. Who cares about anything else? I've got just a month of high school senior freedom left.

Miles, with that teasing glint, goes, "Does Luke know you're here, Milli?"

I roll my eyes. "Like it matters. He doesn't, and what I do is my business, not his, definitely not yours."

It's not often I get riled up, especially around Miles, but watching him with Miss Blondie Bombshell is like a punch to the gut. It's one thing to know he's popular with the ladies, another to see it up close and personal. My friends are giving me those wide-eyed looks, probably because I don't usually snap back like this, especially not at Miles.

But tonight, I'm not holding back. It's my senior year, and I'm all about living it up, breaking out of my shell, and maybe, just maybe, letting Miles see a side of me he's never seen before. The side that doesn't just roll over and play nice, the one that's got a bit of fire.

Miles is there, all grins, with Blondie right in his space, whispering sweet nothings that get him to loop his arms around her, and a storm of envy brews inside me.

I let out a shaky laugh, pulling myself together, feeling a bit bold from the drinks. "You heard Blondie," I say, nodding toward her. Payson and Brooke snicker at my nickname for her, ignoring the scowl she's probably shooting my way. With a wave, I add, "Better not keep Luke hanging. You know how he gets with waiting."

Miles looks kinda puzzled. "Why don't you all come along?" He looks at Payson and Brooke. "What do you say?"

I'm about to shut that down when Payson's already pulling us along. "We'll just freshen up, then head in," she says.

My friends, always the best, right?

As we slow down near the bathroom, I turn to them. "Seriously, Payson?"

"You wanted to go clubbing, so here we are. What's the big deal?"

She's got a point. I did agree to this. But the thought of bumping into Miles all night, with that blonde glued to him, or any other college girls fawning over him? Yeah, that's definitely not what I had in mind.

I'm scrambling for a Milli-style excuse. "Look, Luke's in there. If he sees me, it's game over. He'll be on my case, and then it's goodbye to drinks, dancing, and, well, any sort of fun."

Brooke jumps in. "Since when are you into wild stuff, anyway?"

I shoot her a look. "That's not the point."

Payson's lips tighten, and her hands find their way to her hips. "So, what is the point?"

I sigh. "I just wanted one night of no rules, no worries. How can I let loose with Luke around?"

Payson's eyes gleam with a clever spark. "Don't worry about Luke. We'll handle it."

Miles

Tonight has me feeling all sorts of twisted up and really I've got no one to blame but myself for landing in this mess.

You see, I had a hunch of where Milli was off to after dinner. She left her phone behind, dashing to the bathroom—not her usual move. Guess I threw her off balance. Out of habit, I flipped her phone over, respecting her privacy and all. But then, right on cue, a message pops up from Payson.

Payson Pennington—she's a whole other story. Not exactly the world's best influence, always coaxing Milli into skipping school, fibbing to her parents, and don't even get me started on those wild, blind dates. Still, she's the one who roped Milli into hanging out tonight, so I can't be all mad at her.

After the restaurant, I casually mentioned to Luke that I was heading back to campus tomorrow. He was curious about my plans, but I wasn't about to say I was hoping to spend time with his sister. We're just friends, right? But when I dropped Club Zero's name, suddenly he's all in. Classic Luke—the place is right up his alley.

Did I want Milli to tag along when I asked? Hell yeah, I did.