Page 63 of Lessons In Grey
I looked down at my jeans and oversized sweater. “Didn’t feel like dressing up this year.” I glanced over, taking in his t-shirt and jeans.
He chuckled nervously. “Neither did I.”
I gave him a pressed smile and looked down to the partygoers below us. Everyone was having so much fun. It reminded me of the night we had in the East Wing. God, that felt like forever ago now. Was there something wrong with me that I preferred that over this? I was 24, I was supposed to be enjoying this, right? The loud music, the laughter, the sexual dancing.
Charlie would have loved it here.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched his hand grab the railing beside mine, which was fine, but it’s what I had seen before that that made my stomach turn.
I felt my muscles stiffen as I refocused my eyes back onto the street. Shit.
“So, are you single?”
I swallowed, my heart racing. Shit, it was Charlie’s number one rule. Never leave your drink susceptible to passerbyers. It’s fine, I just wouldn’t drink it. Accidentally spill it?
I shifted my focus to the people below me, my lip pulling up. Shit.Sorry people.
“Emily?”
“Hmm?” I asked, looking over.
He rose a brow. “Got a boyfriend?”
My mind went straight to Grey. To his smile, to his eyes, to the feeling of his lips on my neck, something I hadn’t felt since that four-person party. “Um…” My brows pulled together. I wasn’t sure. No? We hadn’t talked about it. Not in any official sense.
He smiled softly. “A no then.”
Just cough.
I coughed, releasing my cup to cover my mouth.
“Hey!” I heard from below.
My eyes widened and I looked over the balcony, feigning an apologetic look. “Sorry!” I called.
“Fucking cunt,” the woman snapped, holding up a finger.
Isaac laughed. “It’s okay, stay here, I’ll get you another one.”
I sucked in my bottom lip and nodded. “Okay, thanks.”
“Stay right here,” he told me, looking me over, his gaze making me feel sticky and gross.
When he finally turned away, disappearing into the house, I counted to five and slid into the house myself, searching the dancers for Ash and Syn, panic sliding over my skin, through my bones. I didn’t feel safe anymore. At all.
“Ash!” I called, but my voice was drowned out by the sound of the blaring music.
It took me five minutes to find them, on the couch, making out.
I shoved through the last of the people and grabbed her shoulder.
She looked up, Syn shifting to her neck, biting and kissing sensually.
Fuck, they were blazed.
“Hey,” Ash smiled, her eyes bloodshot. “Wanna join?”
Superblazed. She knew I didn’t like that. She never would have asked if she were sober. I glanced back towards the room, seeing Isaac weaving through the room, searching for me. Fuck.