Page 116 of Stolen Summer
She got the notorious Arie glare. “The last isn’t even an option.”
“Perhaps not for you, but there’s always hope for me.” Smiling, she lifted her glass, clinking it against mine.
I pulled my drink away from hers. “I’m not cheering to that.”
“Too late,” she said, tipping her cup back and taking a swig.
“Are those my only options?” I asked, my gaze sweeping the room, definitely not looking for someone in particular.
“Uh-huh,” she muttered, using her oh-shit tone.
Not the response I expected. “What?” I said, my focus swinging back to her. We just got here. How could there possibly be trouble already? But with Frankie, trouble could go two ways. A smoldering, hot, banging guy…. Or an actual problem.
This time it could have been both, depending on which angle you choose to look. Since I wasn’t particularly in the mood for something romantic, I went with the latter, but again, it was all in perspective. To Frankie, Cole strutting across the room toward me with a coy grin equated trouble. To me, it was an acquaintance, who bordered on annoying some days, coming to say hi.
“Hey,” I greeted with a slight frown, uncertain if I was happy Cole was here. I couldn’t help the anxious kick in my stomach that Crew might be somewhere in the house. Cole was one thing. Crew was another matter entirely. In the comforting confines of my bedroom, I thought I might be brave enough to see him, but now among a sea of strangers, this was the last place I wanted to face Crew.
Cole failed to suppress the amusement from his features. “I’m surprised to see you here.”
I scowled. “I can’t say the same for you.”
Cole took a second to acknowledge Frankie with a nod.
She turned to me. “I see someone I need to say hi to. You’ll be okay?” Frankie asked, raising a brow as her eyes darted to Cole.
I nodded. “Go, don’t worry about me.” Worst case, I knew my way back to the dorm.
“I’ll keep an eye on her,” Cole said, giving my best friend a wink.
“That’s what worries me,” Frankie mumbled before weaving around bodies to get to her friend, which, honestly, was probably a hot guy she spotted and wanted to get to know better.
“So, Quinn, what do you think of our house?” Cole asked.
My brows knitted together. “You live here?”
He nodded, lifting the beer bottle to his lips.
I scrunched my face. “Why? I mean, I shouldn’t be surprised you’re in a fraternity, but it seems so…cliché.”
He chuckled. “I think you summed up my entire life, but I argue it’s part of the whole college experience, the lifelong friends you’ll make, the networking, the social game.”
A group of girls strolled past me, forcing me to inch closer to Cole. “Wow, you sound like a poster ad for Greek life.”
“You’re not a sorority girlie. Got it. I should probably pull your application to rush then.”
“I swear, if you?—"
He swung his arm around me and tugged me to his side. “Relax, Quinn. It was a joke.”
Surprisingly, I didn’t break away from his embrace. I didn’t want to, and I wasn’t sure what that said about me. Or him, for that matter. “I haven’t drunk enough to not take you seriously.”
“Well, you’re at the right place, but you’ve got to finish that one first. Do you want to go somewhere less crowded?” he asked as the room continued to cram with bodies.
I could smell his familiar cologne. “Uh, yes, please. As long as it isn’t a bedroom,” I added, noticing the twinkle of gold in his eyes like little impish stars.
His smile spread. “I know just the spot. We’ll grab some more drinks on the way.” His warm hand reached for mine, interlocking our fingers, and I let him lead me through the party.
The secluded spot ended up being the very room I’d been hoping this house had. A cozy library with rich, deep masculine décor from the dark woods to the elegant, worn leather furniture. Walking next to the sturdy bookshelves, I ran my finger along the wood, a layer of dust coming off. Clearly no one used this room, and in a house full of dudes, it was no surprise they also never cleaned.