Perfect Enemies

13

“You don’t lead on your friends, string them along like love-sick puppies, only to move onto the next friend like it meant nothing.” His eyes narrowed to furious slivers. “Did I do something to lead on Reyna? Because I don’t recall doing a damn thing.” “If you can do it to one girl, you can do it to another. Her skin isn’t thick like Harper’s or … or mine. You go grinding on every girl you see, flirting and charming whenever the mood suits you, that will devastate her. I can take it—the way you look at me then act like I don’t exist. I won’t let myself fall for that bullshit, but she’s different. You can screw with anyone else at Xavier, but leave Reyna the f**k alone.” I stormed away from him, furious at myself for revealing my own hurt. I should have kept my argument solely about Reyna or Harper. By showing him my hand, I’d given him even more power to toy with me. What a cluster f**k. I charged inside and found Reyna with two drinks in hand, leaving the kitchen. “Hey, I was just heading outside to find you.” Her smile faltered. “Is something wrong?” “Nope. Just ready to get this party started.” I took one cup from her and downed its contents. If I couldn’t escape Kane’s presence, I was going to need a good deal of alcohol to numb my emotions. Reyna’s eyes rounded. “That’s like solid vodka, honey. You might want to take it easy.”

The drink scorched my throat the whole way down, making me grin, head back and eyes shut. “That was exactly what I needed.” I brought my gaze back to her and took a deep breath. “Let’s dance.” A Post Malone song filled the air around us with his unique mellow rap style. With a surge of alcohol quickly flooding my veins, I gave myself over to impulse. Reyna’s eyes widened, but she didn’t stop me from raising my hands in the air and slinking over to a group of girls gyrating to the music. I was easily absorbed into their swarm, becoming one with the rhythmic beat around us. I buried all my emotions and allowed myself to become the music. To feel its ebb and flow in each cell of my body. When I was one with music, there were no problems or pain, only melody and harmony and the pulse beating in each of us. When I gave myself over to music, I was free. I danced until my throat ached with the need for a drink. When I went back toward the kitchen, Reyna was nowhere to be found. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed. A half hour. Maybe an hour. My hairline was matted with sweat, and the room was spinning a little, but I felt alive. Unconquerable. “Looking for something?” Giovanni Capelli asked from across the counter. He grinned, a deep dimple slicing through his cheek. My face widened in a grin. “Yes, I am. I need something to drink.” And a distraction. It was a bad idea, but alcohol-laced choices were rarely prudent. I’d gone to school with Gio forever. I’d only ever dated one guy in high school, and Gio was his best friend. So even though Gio was sufficiently hot to get almost any girl he wanted, I’d stayed away from him. Talon and I were no longer a couple, but he was a good guy, and I had no desire to hurt him by dating his best friend. Besides, I’d realized I wasn’t all that interested in dating the guys at Xavier. Guys I’d known since kindergarten. I still wasn’t interested in dating Gio, but he was guaranteed to make sure I didn’t think about other more frustrating individuals. “I think that can be arranged.” He winked and began to throw together a mixed drink. I took the cup when he was finished and sipped the pink liquid. “Tastes like lemonade!” I walked around the counter to stand by him, leaning gently into his side. “Thanks, G,” I purred. “You bet.” He eyed me curiously from beneath a plethora of dark lashes. “Care to dance?” He wrapped his hands around my middle and pulled me against him, rocking us to the music. I held my drink out to the side, not wanting to spill, and brought my other hand up to his shoulder. I tried to enjoy the feel of his hard body against mine and the way we swayed in half-time to the beat, but a dueling set of voices inside my head wouldn’t be silenced. They bickered back and forth like angry children. I hope Kane sees us dancing. And did you even consider how shallow it is to use Giovanni like this? People dance at parties. It’s not like he’s in love with me. Still, it’s not necessary. We’ll probably just look pathetic to Kane. If he even sees us. What does it matter if he sees us when he doesn’t even care? The voices were a serious buzzkill. I began to debate leaving the party altogether when Giovanni stopped moving, his eyes trained warily over my shoulder. “What’s up, man?” Gio asked. I turned to find a wall of vibrating fury staring down my dance partner before Kane’s eyes cut to me. “I need to talk to you, now.” He grabbed my wrist and tugged me off toward a dark hallway. My stomach lurched and roiled, but not with fear. No matter how angry Kane appeared, I didn’t think he’d hurt me. It was a melee of other emotions that stirred my insides and lit my veins on fire with liquid adrenaline. Once we were down at the far end of the hallway away from prying eyes, Kane released my hand but kept me rooted in place with his vicious stare. “I act like you don’t exist because everything would be so much simpler if you didn’t,” he hissed. The words barreled into me, bruising me from the inside. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. “The problem is, you do exist,” he continued, backing me against the wall. “Not just at school; you’re everywhere. In my thoughts—my f*****g dreams—I can’t escape you.” I searched between the specks of molten gold in his simmering stare for understanding. I’d thought at first that he was spewing his hatred for me, but when I strung the words together, I realized there was more. He hated that he couldn’t stop thinking of me. But if I was the one on his mind, why was it Reyna and Harper he sought out? He’d hardly said two words to me at school for days. Granted, I hadn’t exactly ingratiated myself, but if he liked me, wouldn’t he have made an effort to talk to me? “Well, you’re doing a damn fine job of trying to escape me. Between ignoring me at school and cozying up with Harper, you were blissfully free of me.”