Deke still holds out the bottle to me, and I yank it from his grasp and down a gulp. I pull it away from my lips, gasping for air. My lungs burn, and I cough at the invasion of the liquid fire.
Again, they all laugh at me. I tilt my head back and bring it to my lips, drinking some more. I’m prepared to show these fuckers I can hang with them, even if I have to fake it, when the bottle is yanked away. The vodka runs down my chin and onto my T-shirt.
“Fuck’s sake, slow down,” Cole growls. He stands beside me, glaring down at me with the bottle in his hand. “None of us are gonna hold your hair later when you’re puking everywhere.”
“I’ll hold your hair, Demi.” Eli smirks at me again. “I’m a gentleman.”
I bite my bottom lip, trying to hide a smile.
“Yeah, only because your favorite position is doggy style,” Deke quips.
Everyone laughs, and my heart beats faster.
Cole just snorts, giving me his back as he walks off with the bottle in his hand. I reach up and wipe the alcohol off my chin and stand. I shouldn’t have come. It was a bad idea. I just wanted to party and be around my sister, but she hates me. Not sure why. We’ve never been close, but it’s been worse ever since she noticed I had a thing for Eli.
“You okay?”
I look up to see David walking over to me. A quick look, I see my sister is by one of the tables making a drink.
I nod, crossing my arms around my stomach. It’s on fire from those two drinks I had. “I should go home.” He frowns. “I’ll find a ride.”
“Nonsense.”
“Yeah, I shouldn’t have come.”
He looks over my shoulder at the bonfire where I was sitting a moment ago. His jaw tightens. Everyone hates the GWS. They are their own group, and they don’t allow anyone into their stupid club of dares and illegal activities. Pretty sure the only way you get in is if you beat the shit out of someone. But they no longer take new members.
“Come on.” He throws his arm over my shoulder. “You can hang with us.”
I groan. “It’ll just make Becky mad.”
He snorts. “She wanted you to come.”
The question is why. She never wants to hang out with me. What would make this night any different?
We come up to the table, and David speaks. “Hey, babe, hand me that drink you just made.”
She turns around. “Why?”
“Your sister needs one.” He holds his hand out.
She eyes his hand and then the drink. She spins back around, giving us her back. “Babe …”
“Here.” She hands it to me, cutting him off, then smiles. “I topped it off for you. You’re welcome.”
I look down at it to see it’s full of what looks to be water, but the strong odor tells me otherwise. “What is it?” I ask him.
He laughs, pulling me into his side and answers. “A good time.”
Her blue eyes instantly narrow on me, and I pull out from under David’s arm. “What is she doing?” she asks, not even bothering to say my name.
“She’s gonna hang with us,” he answers.
She rolls her eyes, giving me her back, and walks away. “Babe?” He calls after her.
I turn around to go wait for them by the car when I run into a body. “Shit. Sorry …”
“It’s okay.”
I look up into a set of brown eyes, and I feel my breath catch. “Hey,” I say lamely.
“Wanna get out of here?” Eli asks.
My heart begins to pound in my chest at his question, and my hands get sweaty. He’s the only guy at our school who has ever made me feel this way. It’s scary. “What?” I blink. I’m afraid he may be talking to someone who stands behind me, but I’m too nervous to turn around and check. This could be some kind of joke. And I hate the thought of it not being real.
He tilts his head as his brown eyes look me up and down in a way that tells me I should run. No one should look at you like that. The hunger in his eyes makes it clear what he wants. And I want to give it to him.
He reaches down and takes my drink from my hand. Bringing it to his nose, he smells it. “Mmm vodka. My kind of girl.”
I bite my bottom lip and look at my shoes in the sand. Without a word, he grabs my right hand, and I allow him to lead me off the beach and over to his car, praying he doesn’t feel how it shakes with nervousness.
“I’m not sure,” I answer her, pulling myself out of that memory. That was almost two years ago. Right before things went to shit. I’ve tried to forget it, but it’ll never go away. Not completely. It’s just another reason I hate my sister.