Under the Lights

“What’re you gonna do about it?” I ask, getting up in his face.

He flinches like the wimp he is. “I’m not doing anything,” he mutters. “Just saying, it’s not cool.”

“You know what’s not cool? Showing up at my cousin’s party and accusing a guy you don’t even know of shit.”

“Wyatt invited me.”

“Wyatt’s an idiot, then, because you’re a fucking tool and you should get outta here.”

“Chill out, man.” He shakes his head at his friends, but even through my vodka-blurred eyes, I can tell he’s afraid of me. It feels good.

“No, asswipe, I don’t think I will chill out. And if your little buddy is so into his girl, then why’s she always with me, anyway?”

The other guys ooh and laugh, but frankly, I think it’s a pretty damn good question. She’s obviously not into Zander. She spends way more time with me than she does with him. Just because I’m not hooking up with her doesn’t mean I won’t. And Zander’s a fucking idiot for taking her for granted.

“Dude, Wilson’s gonna kick your ass,” Jase warns me.

Now that cracks me up. I nearly collapse with laughter at the image of a single one of the Wonder Tools taking me on. “I’d like to see him try. Or you. Or anyone here, really.” I push up the sleeves of my black button-down. “Anyone?”

“Chester, just take a hit and relax,” says the guy closest to TamTam. He reaches for the bong and holds it out to me, but I just push it away. Now that the promise of a fight has been thrown out, it’s all I want. I can feel the adrenaline pulsing through my veins, begging me to let it out in a solidly placed punch.

“Fuck that. Man up, Taylor. You wanna fight on your douchebag friend’s behalf? Fight on your douchebag friend’s behalf.”

“You’re the one in the wrong here,” Jase says, standing up slowly. “Just stop plowing his girl and we won’t have any problems.”

“You’re already my fucking problem,” I snap, letting my fist fly. I couldn’t stop it if I wanted to. The feeling of solid bone against my knuckles is exactly what I need, and as I watch him stumble backward and hear the scream of some random chick watching, I realize there’s still plenty of fight in me. “Get back up, asshole. I’m not done with you.”

“Yeah, you are, cuz.” I hadn’t even noticed Wyatt approaching, but I hear his voice right before he starts dragging me away. I don’t even look at him, my eyes fixed on Jase Taylor grabbing his stupid glass jaw, but I let Wyatt pull me, because everything’s gotten really hazy and I don’t think I could walk in a straight line if I tried.

“What the fuck, man?” My tongue feels thick now that the fight is draining out of me, and I kinda wanna hit Wyatt, too, but I don’t even have the energy.

“You can’t punch people here, Josh. What the hell is wrong with you? You’ll be lucky if he doesn’t sue you. His face is, like, half his job.”

“Yeah, well, maybe he should get some fucking singing talent, and then he doesn’t have to rely on being pretty.”

Wyatt sighs. “Just…go home and sleep it off, man. You’ve had enough to put down an elephant.”

“You’re seriously tossing your own cousin out of your house right now?”

“I’m seriously telling you to call Ronen and have him get your ass home. You need to take a breather.”

“‘Take a breather’?” I snort. “Christ, Wyatt. Who the hell are you?”

“Hey, you asked me to throw a party so you could chill, and I did. But if you beat the shit out of my guests, it’s gonna be the last one I ever get to throw, so, yeah, I’m telling you to go home.”

I yank my arm out of his grasp, pissed as all hell. “Fine. I’ll go home. Gimme your keys.”

He snorts. “Please. You’re blitzed out of your skull, and you don’t even know how to drive. Call Ronen.”

“And what? Sit out here on your stoop while I wait for him to come? No thanks.” I walk out into the street and hold out my thumb, hitchhiker style.

“Josh—”

“You’re a fucking pain in my ass, you know that, Wyatt?”

He shakes his head. “Go inside the house and wait for Ronen.”

But I don’t wanna go back in that house. I don’t wanna be near Wyatt, or Jase, or Liam. I don’t wanna be near anyone talking about their jobs, or random chicks who just wanna blow me to have a story to tell their friends.

And for some reason, I decide the brilliant thing to do is just to run.

So I do.

Chapter Twenty Vanessa

I have no idea what time I actually fell asleep last night. I do know, however, that I did it while staring at my phone, wishing I could call Bri, or that she’d call me. Not that there was anything for either of us to say. Regardless, my cell is definitely still next to my head when it blasts in my ear the next morning, startling me awake.

Groaning, I lift my head from the pool of drool on my blanket and squint at the screen. I don’t recognize the number, which is usually an auto-ignore sign to me, but I’m so wrapped up in the hope that it might be Bri that against all my better judgment, I answer it anyway. “Hello?”

“Oh, thank fuck you answered, K-drama. I need you to come get me.”