If I’d Known (Cursed 1)

I roll my eyes. "He's outside on the phone."

"That must be where Lincoln went," she tells me. "So, do you mind if we hang out with them tonight?"

"Tori, did you meet Vic?" I grin wickedly and nod toward him. "He's with the guys."

Tori turns with a huge smile to greet him, but before she can open her mouth to say anything, she takes him in, and the smile vanishes. "Oh no," she says, eyeing him up and down, openly judging. She turns back to me. "Seriously? Nina is not going to be okay with"--she eyes him and makes a face like he smells foul--"him."

I keep wearing my wicked grin, amused by her reaction.

"This is bullshit," she complains loud enough for Vic to hear her.

"When is Nina getting here?"

"I was about to text her," she says, opening her purse and pulling out her phone.

"Hey, ladies," Joey greets us, a beautiful smile spread across his face. "Wanna come to The Point with us? I got on the list."

"You did?" Tori's brows rise. "I thought The Point was exclusive and impossible to get into?"

Joey shrugs with a confident grin. A smile blooms on Tori's face, her eyes lit. Tori knows I've been dying to get into a Point party for forever but haven't been able to get access. She doesn't even have to ask if I want to go; she already knows the answer.

"The only problem is, we need a ride. My brother took my Jeep, and I have to get it from him when we get there."

"Umm ... let me see if I can make that happen," Tori says, lifting her phone to her ear and walking out onto the deck, away from the noise.

"How did you get on the list?" I ask Joey, beyond impressed.

"My brother owes me," he explains vaguely.

"We have a ride!" Tori announces a minute later. "Nina hooked us up. She'll be here in thirty."

I consider for a second who Nina could be getting a ride from. Maybe one of the girls at the club? I hope so because I don't want her to feel like she needs to entertain Doom and Gloom all night.

"Play a round of beer pong with me while we wait?" Joey takes my hand like he's about to lead me away.

"Uh, no," I respond, not moving.

"You've never played before," he accuses with a smirk.

I open my mouth to deny it, bothered by his assumption. But I can't lie. "No."

He pulls me after him, not allowing me to resist. "C'mon. We're doing this."

After filling our keg cups, Joey leads me downstairs to the finished basement where a small crowd surrounds a ping-pong table. There's a couple standing at either end of the table with a cluster of cups spread out in front of them. A girl takes aim with a ping-pong ball before tossing it, landing it in a cup. Everyone chants, "Drink," as the other couple takes gulps from their beers and then removes the cup from the table.

Resting his free hand on my hip, Joey bends down to explain the rules, speaking directly into my ear, the way he did earlier. At the low murmur of his voice, I catch myself inadvertently leaning into him as I listen. When I feel his chest against my back, I stand up straighter, pulling away. I don't let guys touch me, not so intimately anyway. I need to know they're worth my time before I get close. But I keep gravitating toward Joey. His hands feel like they belong on my body. I step away from him, and his hand falls away. With the release of his touch, I'm snapped awake--once again very aware of the vacant space between us.

"Harrison, do you have a partner yet? You play winner," a guy in a pink polo shirt calls to Joey from across the room.

Joey grins and points to me. The pink polo shirt guy smiles wide, like he approves of Joey's choice. I fight back the urge to roll my eyes--oh-so glad I have his approval.

Within a few minutes, one cup remains on the farthest side of the table, and the guy on the opposite end sinks the ball. Everyone hollers and cheers while the losing couple chugs their beers.

"This is a stupid game," I observe out loud.

Joey laughs and takes my hand to lead me to the losers' end.

"Think of it as one of those carnival games," Joey says from behind me so that only I can hear. "You know, the ones where you have to toss a ring around a bottle or throw darts at balloons. Except we need to get a ping-pong ball into a bunch of cups and force people to drink."