Unexpected

“There they are,” I whisper more to myself than him.

Liam tosses a ping pong ball into a red cup on a plastic table at the center of the patio. He shoots his fists into the air then grabs Corah’s face and pulls it to his. My stomach twists watching them together. I’ve never seen how Liam acts with a girl because the few times we went to a party together, he ditched me. The more I watch, the stupider I feel as I realize he’s been using me all of these years.

“Who’s next?” Liam asks when the guy across the table finishes drinking a can of beer.

“We are.” Asher takes my hand and pulls me to the plastic party table with him. I drag my feet, not ready to face Liam, but then Asher turns to me, his eyes shining with challenge, and asks, “What do you say, Ellie? Do you wanna be my beer pong partner?”

“She doesn’t play beer pong.” Liam turns his gaze to me, a smile tugging at his lips. “Do you? Lainey?” He emphasizes my name and stares me down.

I force my lips upward into a smile to fight the scowl brewing.

I shrug my shoulders and hope I look more confident than I feel. I’ve drank before, a glass of champagne every New Year and a White Claw every once in a while when boating, but this is different. Intimidating. “There’s a first time for everything.”

“That’s my girl.” Asher drapes his arm over my shoulders, pulls me close, and presses his lips to my temple. I smile up at him, ignoring the fluttering inside me while watching Liam glare at us through my peripheral vision.

“Whatever.” Liam tosses his first ball and sinks it into a water filled cup on our side of the table.

Asher drops his arm and reaches across the table for the cup. Someone hands Asher a can of beer from a cooler under the table. He finishes it before the next ball sinks into its home. Asher reaches for that cup too but, of course, Liam has something to say. “She wants to play, she can drink.”

Asher scowls at Liam. I lift the top of the cooler and dip my hand into the ice. “It’s fine.”

My fingers wrap around a skinny can. I pop the tab and sniff the opening. Beer has a unique, pungent smell that is anything but appealing. I tip the can back, squeezing my eyes shut, and almost gag as I choke it down. It takes like hell, but at least it’s cold. I think it would taste worse warm. Thankfully, the beers are mini cans, so I finish it in four quick swallows.

I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and open my eyes. Liam looks murderous, but that seems to be his expression whenever I’m around these days. I set my empty can beside Asher’s and raise my gaze to him.

He’s smiling, almost proudly, and says, “That was hot.”

I ignore the comment and grab one of the ping pong balls that have found their way into a cup of water on our side of the table. “Is it our turn?”

“Yup.” Asher takes a step back and holds his hand out at the table. “Ladies first.”

I toss my ball and miss. It bounces on the table twice then rolls across the floor. Corah goes chasing after it like a cat to a laser light. I bite my lip and look up at Asher. Hopefully he isn’t upset. We could lose because of me.

Asher chuckles and shakes his head. “You’re going to be the death of me tonight.” He throws his ball and it sinks into the cup in the center of the cup-triangle on Liam’s side of the table.

Liam grabs the cup and pulls the ping-pong ball out. He guzzles his beer in a matter of seconds and tosses the ball back without dipping it in the water cup. It lands on our side and Asher is forced to drink again.

“My turn!” Corah bounces on her toes then tosses the ball. She misses by a mile, hitting Asher in the chest, and giggles. “Oops.”

“What the hell was that?” Liam roars. The music is loud. Most people probably can’t hear how angry Liam is, but I can. I see it in his pinched brows, hear it in the dip of his tone. The muscles of my shoulders tighten and I hold my breath,

“Relax, Lee Lee. It’s just a game.” Corah rolls her eyes and ignores Liam’s accusatory tone.

He hates to lose and Corah’s nonchalant attitude towards this game isn’t helping matters. But Liam isn’t my problem tonight. I’m here with my boyfriend, not the asshole who didn’t bat an eye when he broke my heart.

“Our turn,” Asher says with a smirk. He sinks his ball into the first cup.

Corah bends down for a beer and Liam smacks her hand. He steals the beer, glaring at her, then chugs it.

My turn. I refuse to be dead weight on our team. If I could land one stupid ball into just one stupid cup, I won’t be a lost cause. I close one eye and focus on the cup nearest Liam’s crotch. I practice throwing twice, not letting go of the ball until I’m sure it will go in. It does. I’m so excited I reach for Asher’s cheeks. My lips press against his in a moment of pure excitement. It happens so fast, he barely has time to register what I’ve done before I pull away.

Liam’s face is fire-engine red when I look back at him. If there were any doubts in my mind that he’s jealous, they’re gone. Asher was right. Guys want what they can’t have, and I’d bet it’s killing Liam to watch me with someone else. If we do this right, he might break up with Corah before prom and take me instead.

“Get a fucking room,” Liam growls.

“With pleasure.” Asher grabs my hand and takes a step like we’re going to leave the table.

“Hey!” Liam yells through gritted teeth. “Finish the game first.”