“Come on.” She grabs my hand and pulls me inside. The front door of the house is open, inviting in anyone off the street.
The noise level only increases as we go inside and the place is packed with bodies. We have to force our way through to get anywhere. Someone elbows me in the side and my hand slips from Elle’s as my breath leaves me. I try to push my way through on my own but I can’t get through. Elle is gone and I’m on my own.
I turn and head the other way.
I immediately hate this. I hate the way people stare at me. I hate the smell of sweat and beer. I hate the too-loud music. I hate it all. I should’ve just stayed behind at the dorm and not given in to Elle.
I move through the foyer and finally end up in a family room. There’s a large sectional couch covered in bodies. People talk, dance, and there’s a couple on the couch that looks like they’re ten seconds away from having sex right there in front of everyone. I stare, horrified, as the girl puts her hand down the guy’s pants. Her shirt is off, lost somewhere in the room, and he sucks on her breasts.
I’m officially disgusted.
I run from the room, pushing my way past even more bodies. I end up in the kitchen and nearly slip on beer in my haste to find an exit.
A hand latches onto my arm, and I’m yanked into a hard body. “Hey, are you okay?” the male voice attached to the body asks.
I look up into warm brown eyes. Dark-brown hair tumbles over his forehead, and when he smiles, he has dimples.
“Yeah,” I say, a little breathless. “Slipped on some beer.”
“I noticed.” He smiles again, and it seems like he’s trying not to laugh at me. He lets go of me slowly and steps back as far as he can go since there’s a kitchen counter behind him.
“Thanks for saving me.” I start to leave.
“What’s your name?” he calls.
I stop and turn back. “Grace.”
“I’m Ryland.” He smiles. He has an easy, relaxed smile. “Are you new here?”
“Freshman,” I admit.
He nods. “I thought you must be since I’ve never seen you.”
Since Ryland seems nice enough, I ask, “Which way to the outside?”
He steps away from the counter. “Follow me.”
He pushes his way through the people crowding the kitchen—it seems to be the most packed room in the house, probably has something to do with the beer—and finally, we come to a door. He opens it, and cold air rushes inside. I run outside gratefully, plopping my butt on the last cement step. It’s cracked with one lone dandelion growing up through it. Ryland sits down beside me, dangling his beer bottle between his fingers.
“Thanks for getting me out here,” I tell him. “It was stifling in there.”
“I know what you mean. One of my roommates is the one throwing the party. I wish he would’ve asked us first, but that’s Trevor. He always does what he wants.” Ryland shrugs and takes a swig of beer.
“My roommate is the one that dragged me here,” I grumble.
“Ah.” He nods. “Roommates are the worst.”
“Tell me about it.” I sigh. “It hasn’t even been a whole day and she already hates my guts.”
He laughs and stretches his legs out. The soles of his boots dig into the loose dirt. “I’m sorry.”
I shrug. “That’s life. I think that whole compatibility form they made me fill out when I requested my dorm is total bullshit. We’re total opposites.”
He drinks his beer. “I promise college isn’t all bad.”
“No, it’s not,” I agree, thinking of Bennett. “So, are you a senior?”
“Junior.” He shrugs, leaning back with his elbows on the stair behind him.