Wright Rival (Wright)

“We’re glad you’re moving here,” Julian said automatically.

Jordan shoved his hands into his pockets. “Just wish we could have convinced Whitton, too.”

“Whitt,” Weston said with a sigh. “He’s…I don’t know. Hopefully, he’ll come around when Harley graduates.”

“Why is that?” I asked, confused.

Weston glanced over at me and smiled. “She got into Texas Tech. Mom was furious that she wanted to move halfway across the country, but she’s a National Merit Scholar, and she’s going for free. She’ll be here in August.”

“Wow. Smart girl.”

“She always has been,” Weston said. “Let’s hope Whitt comes with her.”

“Dance with me,” Annie said, shimmying up to Jordan with a grin.

He sighed, as if suffering. “No two-stepping.”

“Oh, but you do it so well,” she joked with a wink.

“I believe that is my cue,” Jordan said as he disappeared onto the dance floor.

Julian followed with Jennifer. And Blaire even grabbed Weston’s hand. He looked baffled by her beauty and stumbled out onto the floor. Turned out, he had moves though. Under that shaggy hair and rockstar broodiness was a good dancer.

My date was still absent.

I found Nora also standing alone and leaned back against the table next to her. “Where’s August?”

She shrugged. “He said he was going to the restroom. Haven’t seen him since.”

“Piper has been gone forever, too.”

I wanted to be out there on the dance floor with my girlfriend. I’d never wanted that before. This was all surprisingly new territory for me. To want to spend all my time with Piper was a marvel.

“Restroom?” Nora asked.

“Peyton.”

“Ah, yeah, well, that makes sense. She looked stunning tonight.”

“She floated,” I said, crossing my arms.

“I can get you backstage,” Nora said. “If you miss your girlfriend that much. You’re pouting.”

“I am not pouting,” I said, glaring at my little sister.

She laughed. “I’m glad you’re happy. Here, let me show you.”

I followed her out of the main atrium. “How do you know how to get backstage anyway?”

“Event planner,” she said, pointing at herself, “remember?”

“Right.”

Nora opened a side door that I hadn’t even known existed. We slipped into a service hallway, and Nora gestured to move to the right.

“The backstage of the theater is around this corner and down the next hall,” she said.

But when we turned the corner, she froze. I nearly stumbled right into her. Then, I saw what had stalled her feet. August had another girl pressed up against a wall in an alcove. The pale skin of her leg was visible as she had it currently wrapped around his hip. Her other hand was in his hair, and they were kissing. Actually, they were going to town. One step away from fucking in this darkened corner.

“Motherfucker,” I growled.

I launched myself at August, grabbing him by the collar of his tux and yanking him backward. I threw a punch without even thinking about it. The bastard fucking deserved it. The satisfying sound of my fist crunching into his face made it all worth it.

“Fuck,” August cried. He covered his nose, which was now bleeding, spattering blood onto his white shirt.

“Hollin, stop,” Nora cried.

I released the asshole with a hard shove. He stumbled backward a step, his hand coming up to his nose to stop the bleeding. The girl rushed forward, as if to help him, and it was then that we both caught sight of who August had been kissing.

“Tamara?” Nora squeaked.

Her best friend stood there, flushed and disheveled, and had the audacity to look concerned. “Oh my God, Nor.”

August gaped at the lot of us. “It’s not what it looks like.”

“What does it look like?” I snapped.

Nora’s eyes lurched between August and Tamara.

Her boyfriend. Her best friend.

Her boyfriend. Her best friend.

August and Tamara had dated in high school, but it was a brief thing. When they went to college, August and Nora got together. Tamara had gone to school in Dallas and only moved back in the last year. Nora and August had been dating for years, and Tamara hadn’t even been a blip on the radar. In fact, all she’d done the last six months was hit on me.

“It looks like you were making out with my best friend,” Nora snarled. Despite how strong she sounded, there were tears in her eyes, and her hands were clenched into fists. She must be falling apart inside.

“I can explain,” August said. “Please, Nora.”

He reached for her. Nora shied back in fear, and I came to stand between them.

“Don’t fucking touch her.”

August shrank back at the sight of me.

“How can you explain?” Nora asked. “How?”

“We were going to tell you,” Tamara said, bursting into rehearsed tears.

Nora froze at those words. “Tell me what? This wasn’t…spontaneous?”

August shot Tamara a look that could kill. Which told me all that I needed to know. This definitely had not been the first time.

“How long has this been going on?” Nora demanded.

“It’s…new,” August said.

But Tamara had no gumption. “Since the concert.”