My vision narrows to a pinpoint as I weave through more bodies, nearly slipping on the wet floor more than once. I’m already nauseous, wishing I’d eaten something before I came here when I hear the crowd chanting a name that only became familiar to me about ten minutes ago. It’s the hot teen vampire Landon played on Blood River Legacy.
Killian. Killian. Killian.
Audrey pushes her way through the human wall into a second sitting area, forcing the crowd to part just for us. And there he is. Six feet of pure, beautiful male. He’s draped onto the sofa, his chocolatey brown hair artfully messy as though he’s been running his fingers through it. He does that a lot when he’s frustrated, I’ve noticed. I wanted to run my fingers through it too. I wanted to crawl into his soul and stare into those steely gray eyes and touch the hard lines on his face until they softened.
My heart is beating fast and loud, the way it always does when I’m near him. It doesn’t matter how many times I see him; he still takes my breath away. And I really do get it now. I understand why everyone’s so obsessed with him. Nobody else in this world is this interesting to look at.
He quietly observes the people around him with a dark and intense expression. Everyone’s fighting over his attention so that’s probably why he hasn’t noticed me. Not that it matters. Because why would he?
Two girls on either side of him hold tubes of lipstick in their hands. They’ve drawn arrows on their face toward their mouths, and more on their chests leading to their shirts. They look like drunken gremlins who got into their mother’s makeup, but it’s a game I’ve heard about many times over the last year. Truth or Grope.
I don’t want to see how this plays out, but I can’t look away. Is Landon going to participate? Is this what he does at these parties?
My throat squeezes when one of the girls, a brunette, strips off her cropped top, and the crowd goes wild. A footballer named Ken steps forward, nearly sloshing his drink over the edge of his cup in his excitement.
“Kiss them both,” he pants with creepy eyes.
“You can’t back down from a dare, bruh!” Easton Lang yells. “Just do it!”
My stomach cramps, and I don’t know if it’s the alcohol or my emotions eating me alive. The girl on Landon’s right side wraps her arm around his bicep and whispers something in his ear. He stares straight ahead, his face a mask of emptiness. He’s here, but he’s not. Maybe that should make me feel better, but I’ve never seen his eyes so vacant before. I want him to push her away. He doesn’t. He doesn’t react at all when she emboldens herself by rubbing her palm across his thigh.
I’m in the middle of giving myself a list of reasons I need to leave when his eyes find mine in the crowd. His dark brows pinch together, and for a split second, I could almost swear disappointment flashes across his face. I don’t understand. If he didn’t want me here, then why did he invite me? Acid burns my throat, so I force it back by taking a huge mouthful of my drink. I nearly choke on it when Audrey grabs my arm and tugs me forward.
“Out of the way, losers,” she barks at the girls next to Landon. “It’s our turn.”
The girls scatter like cockroaches, the way I imagine most people do when Audrey gives a declaration. In my disoriented state, I vaguely wonder what it’s like to have everyone fear you. She points at the newly vacated space beside Landon and shoves me down into it before making herself at home on his other side. Wyatt and Gavin stand like sentinels in front of the coffee table, watching in amusement as they pour fresh drinks for the other players.
“Is there room for me?” Carson swipes a pitcher of beer from the tray and squeezes between Landon and Audrey, much to her annoyance. He’s on the football team too. Tall and built with piercing green eyes, he’s hot by most girl’s standards. I used to think so too, but that was before I met Landon.
Audrey glances at the three of us. I’m trying not to look directly at Landon, but I can feel his eyes on the side of my face. I’m trying to figure out how to extricate myself from this situation as the crowd grows restless and urges the game on.
“So, I guess the secret’s out, huh?” Landon’s words fan against my ear, and I shiver.
Slowly, I turn to look at him, aware that my emotions are written all over my face. I’m pathetic. A sad little puppy whose eyes move over his features, cataloging every detail of this complicated, tortured boy. His body holds an undercurrent of tension, and a flush of red creeps up his neck. He’s vibrating with irritation, and I can’t tell if it’s directed at me.