Page 59 of Love to Hate You

“No.”

“Tanner and Olivia have a bit of a thing going on,” I explain.

They’ve been texting back and forth. I’ve tried pushing her into making a move, but that’s not Olivia’s style.

“What kind of friend do you take me for? Chicks before dicks,” I quip.

“Oh.” His shoulders lose some of their rigidity as he shifts his weight.

I really need to get away from him, so I smile and say, “If we’ve got everything squared away, I’m going to go.”

And hopefully find a different guy to hookup with tonight. One who isn’t quite so full of himself.

Just as I turn, ready to escape into the crowd, fingers wrap around my arm, holding me in place. I frown. “What are you doing?”

“Sticking to you like glue, Thompson.” One side of his mouth lifts. “Where you go, I go.” He waggles a finger between us. “Don’t worry about being abandoned. You’ve got a new and improved buddy. I won’t leave your side.”

I hiss out a breath. “What? No! I’m going to find my buddy right now. Two’s a couple, three’s a crowd.”

He shrugs. “We both know that Noah would want me to keep an eye on you.”

“Give me a break.” I roll my eyes. “I’m perfectly fine on my own.”

“Nope. Tonight, you and I are hanging together.”

“But—”

He shakes his head. “No ifs, ands, or buts.”

That certainly throws a monkey wrench in my plans.

The look on my face must give away my thoughts, because his eyes narrow. “Is that going to be a problem for you?”

“No,” I sigh. “Not at all.” Then I grumble, “It’s just unnecessary. I’m twenty-one years old. I don’t need a babysitter.”

He glances around the party and says in a tight voice, “Trust me, it’s completely necessary.”

By the stubborn tilt to his chin and the determination in his eyes, I can tell that arguing isn’t going to get me anywhere.

“Fine,” I mutter.

Carter’s lucky that I’m in the mood to party. Especially now that I’ve unloaded Kevin.

The first thing we do is look for Olivia. Just like Carter claimed, she’s in the kitchen with Tanner, engaged in a deep conversation. Much like they were at the Labor Day barbecue, their heads are bent together, and they’re smiling at one another.

For a moment, I stop and watch Olivia. I hate to interrupt whatever’s going on between them. Olivia’s goal this year is to get laid. Fine, that’s not really her goal. It’s mine. How she’s managed to hold on to her virginity is a mystery. I suspect she’s been waiting for Noah, but with Ashley in the picture, that isn’t going to happen.

Maybe Tanner can be that guy. He doesn’t need to be Mr. Forever. Mr. For Right Now is good enough in my book.

When I’d suggested freshman year that she find a hot, random guy to get the deed done, she’d looked at me in horror and told me she wanted her first time to be special.

Clearly, she’s read too many romances.

Otherwise, she would know that first times aren’t special. They’re pesky nuisances that need to be gotten out of the way with the help of alcohol. Even after that, it takes a few more times before you get a glimpse of what all the fuss is about.

But, to each their own, right?

Olivia’s virginity is Olivia’s business. Or so she tells me whenever I bring up the subject.