Dear Love, I Hate You (Easton High)

My eyes scour the vicinity. There’s stuff everywhere—beer packs, the boys’ basketball jackets, Brie and Lacey’s purses—leaving only one spot next to creepy Axel, which is eyeing me with a vicious smirk and clear expectation.

Over. My. Dead. Fucking. Body.

I study my surroundings again in a desperate attempt to find another seat and randomly lock eyes with Xavier.

His eyes aren’t red or small.

In fact, he doesn’t look high at all.

I’m guessing he turned down the joint tonight. His light brown hair is a damp, sexy mess from the hot tub, and I curse my body’s reactions to his good looks. For crying out loud, I can practically feel my pupils dilating.

Silent, Xavier holds my gaze.

Then he moves his leg.

It’s almost nothing, but it opens up a spot by his side.

Did he just…

I don’t let myself think twice about how rude he was to me at Theo’s, plopping down next to him and inwardly yelling, “Are you shitting me?” at the universe when the wind smacks me in the face with a whiff of his cologne.

News flash: Xavier Emery smells good.

Of course he does.

Fuck you, wind.

“You pussies down to play or what?” Axel plucks a deck of card from his pocket.

“Jesus, Fletcher, you still on that?” Xavier drawls. “Will you drop it already? We’re not playing Suck and Blow.”

“Why the hell not

? There’s three of us and three of them.” Axel points to comatose Brie and Lacey. “What else are we supposed to do while Finn and Dia are off bumping uglies?”

“I’ll play.” Lacey chooses now to returns to the land of the living. I connect the dots when she sneaks a not-so-discreet peek at her longtime crush.

Theo’s sitting on her left, completely smashed and obviously more interested in the joint in his hand than the conversation happening around him. Ah. If we were to play, Lacey would have to pass the card to him.

With her mouth.

Enough said.

“Me too.” Brie sits up. “This party sucks.”

“Not a party, prom queen,” Theo gibes.

“Whatever,” Brie huffs.

“Cox, you playing?” Axel asks.

Theo snorts. “Not in this lifetime.”

I drink him in. With his squinty, bloodshot green eyes and tousled dark hair, the guy looks higher than Brie and Lacey combined.

“What? But you have to play.” Lacey pouts.

“Way to be obvious, Lace,” Xavier mocks under his breath, his voice so low and hoarse no one hears him but me. I bite back a closed-mouthed smile at his remark.