40. Juliana

FORTY

JULIANA

So, I gave that whole wallowing in self-pity thing a fair shot... It didn't work. Luckily, I've found something else.

Hip-hop blasts through the speakers lined on the walls, rattling my brain, infusing my veins with energy.

Who knew so many people could cram into a single frat house basement? Amid disco lasers and glow-in-the-dark T-shirts and body paint, I throw up my arms, dancing shoulder-to-shoulder with complete strangers—except Mei, who's effortlessly cool, puffing a joint pinched between her two fingers, swaying her hips to the beat while sipping from a red Solo cup in her other hand.

I already finished my drink—my third drink.

Turns out, Mei doesn't have to finesse anyone to get into Columbia's notoriously exclusive frat parties—even as a pair of single girls. She doesn't text ahead, bring a pack of drinks or a plus-one who's still part of Greek life, nothing. As an infamous alum, she just shows up on any given doorstep, purses those red-painted lips, and the fraternity door attendant clad in a collared shirt, tailored chinos, and daddy's money grants us swift entrance. In fact, those doormen, they even recognized her. Every. Single. One of them, and this is our third party on Greek Row tonight—or maybe our fourth? I don't know. Time is irrelevant, like my problems.

Thanks to my new friend.

Alcohol.

Who I flirted with earlier tonight, but rekindled a flaming love-affair with on our entrance to this basement, when we went straight to the bar—AKA, a fold-out table in the corner, next to the makeshift DJ booth operated by the guy in sunglasses sucking on a vape like it's an oxygen tank. On the table, our drink choices were simple, housed in clear plastic jugs labeled with glowing pink Sharpie. Vodka or Tequila. Even with the pineapple and cranberry mixers nearby, those sounded intimidating, so I sided with option three. Jungle Juice.

Wrong. Choice.

Or, the right choice—question mark?

I bang my head, writhing between bodies as the juice goes straight to my brain. Sweat slicks off my brow, as a new song thumps a quicker tempo, my Converse crunching atop the sticky floor with every stuttered step. Through the smoky haze, I catch Mei's eyes and laugh for no good reason, causing her to do the same.

"I gotta pee!" I announce over the bass, shaking the room.

Her lips brush my ear. "You won't like the line."

Soon enough, I discover just how right she is.

"Uuughhhh," I groan, earning her smile as I shift from foot to foot, doing the potty dance. Never before has ten minutes felt so much like ten hours, and we're only halfway to the uni-sex, single-toilet bathroom, crammed at the end of a skinny hallway clouded with cigarette smoke.

"I told you not to break the seal so early in the night."

I blink. "What the heck's that?"

"I already told—well." She snickers, giving me a funny look. "You probably forgot. It's when you go to the bathroom for the first time after drinking. Then, you'll be running to pee all night long."

My face scrunches, as I sway and bump into the wall. "Ish that even true? Soun's like a bunsh of hogwash."

Mei's eyes bulge.

"Wha'? Whassat look for?"

"Oh, nothing," she says sweetly. "You're just hammered, is all."

"Huh? Noooo, I'm noooot—" I stumble backwards, knocking into someone behind me. "Ssssorry, so sorry!" They laugh it off, their eyes hazy with who-knows-what. Mei's giggles fill the air, alongside my own. In no time at all, we're hunched over, hands on the wall for support, laughing hysterically for no apparent reason.

"Stop— STOP! You're gonna make me PISS MYSELF!"

"Ahh!" She smacks the wall, her labored breath coming out in wheezing snorts. "That's... so... funny. I can't fucking... breath!"

Through my teary eyes, I inspect the line. Shit! We're still five people out. What the hell are people doing in there? Having sex? Oh my god, oh my god, I need to distract myself right now. Think or something else. Or I'm gonna—

Ring, ring, ring... A buzz vibrates in my jeans pocket.

Perfect timing!

I whip out my phone, squinting at the caller I.D. The letters blur into one, then duplicate into three, swaying uncontrollably.

"Oh, no." Mei hovers over my phone. "You don't want to—"

Click. "Hellooo?"

"Juliana! Oh my—thank God. I've been looking all over for you. Juliana, I'm—"

A smile blooms across my lips at his voice. "Oh, heyyyyyy there, Haydennnn." From my peripheral, I catch Mei pinching the bridge of her nose, squeezing her eyes tightly.

What's her deal?

"Uhmmm, are you...?"

I giggle. "Am I what?"

"Drunk."

A laugh spills out of me. "Whaaattt, noooo! Well..." I twirl a strand of hair, biting my lip. "Maybe a li'l bit. I'm waitin' in line to pee." I suck in a breath. Why did I tell him that?! So stupid! Oh, whatever.

A little snort comes through the line, but Hayden's amusement is short-lived. "What frat are you at, Jules?"

My brow furrows. Why does he sound so serious? And—wait, hold up. "Heyyy, how do you know I'm at a frat party?"

"Because they all play the same shitty music."

Yet another giggle escapes me. "Wow, thaaasss pretty schmart of you."

"Oh, yeah? I'm sure you really mean that. Now, fess up," he coos in a flirtatious tone. "Tell me which frat you're at."

I sink my teeth into my lower lip as an inexplicable tingling sensation tightens in my belly. "I dunnooo..." I answer honestly. "I could ask M—Heeeyyy, wait a minnit. I'm 'sposed to be mad at you."

Silence spreads through the line until, "You can be mad at me at home, where I know you're safe."

Home.

My anger resurfaces, raging through my drunken state, as we inch closer to the bathroom, with only one guy ahead of us. Hayden thinks he can call that penthouse my home, after what he did to me? There's a reason I came here tonight. To forget about him.

"Juliana—"

"You can shhtop righ' there." I jut my hand out, as if he can see it. "I'm not tellin' you where I am, ssssho quit ashkin'. Don' wanna be 'round you."

Oh, no. I gasp in a moment of mental clarity. Is that what I really sound like? I look to Mei, who props a hand on my shoulder and purses her lips at me in a way that says, yeah, you really do, and you're not even supposed to be talking to him.

Shit. She's right.

I unclench and clench my fist repeatedly, nostrils flaring as I push thoughts of the indie showcase from my head—and blink away the sadness that accompanies the memory, enduring the unwelcome mental clarity it brings. Breathing deep, I focus on my speech. "I don't. Want to. See. You."

More silence. "Juliana," I ignore the wobble in his voice, that feigned concern. He's just trying to lure me back into his web. "I know you don't want to talk about it, but if you would just—"

In a flash, I bring the butt of the phone to my lips, an inch from the microphone. "I said. I don't. Want. To see you." There. That should do it. I hold the speaker to my ear, only to hear more of his nonsense. With a deep sigh, I prepare for another round, bringing the microphone back to my li—

"YO, brO, TAKE THE HINT. SHE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU."

I stumble back a step, bumping into Mei, stunned as the guy at the line's front retreats from the phone and shoots me a wink. "You're welcome," he says, then saunters toward the now-vacant bathroom.

Stunned, I lift the phone to my ear. "Um..."

"Who was that?"

A shiver runs down my spine at Hayden's icy jealousy. When I don't respond, his tone turns deathly calm. "I'm not going to ask you again, Juliana. If you don't tell me where you are, I'll—"

Click.

I swivel around to Mei. "Good riddance."

She shakes her head. "Girl, you're gonna regret that tomorrow."

"Answering his call? Yeah, you're probably right," I admit, suddenly feeling too sober. "Whatever. Let's just keep the party going. I need another round."

Her eyes twinkle with delight. "Now you're speaking my language."

One more cup of jungle juice did the trick—or was it two? Who knows, but I feel electric as I let the music take ahold of me. Its beat pulses through my body, shocking my veins with erratic energy, while the disco lights seep through my closed eyelids, intensifying every sensation.

As the night wears on, the basement only grows more crowded, time waning, slipping away with promises of dancing forever. Until something bumps my shoulder, causing my eyes to open to a flock of four-or-so guys darting toward the stairs.

"Come on, come on!" they shout, patting each other's backs, earning more followers. Locking with Mei's gaze, it's obvious she's curious, too. So, she follows them upstairs with me in tow, stumbling with each step. "Did you see?" I overhear a girl talking with her friend but don't catch the rest.

"Is thishhh normal?" I ask Mei, leaning on a wall for support, watching as a group rushes toward the front door. "Do ya kno' what'sh goin' on?"

A fraternity brother passing by answers for her. "Some guy pulled up in a crazy car."

I roll my eyes. All this fuss over a car?

"Let's go look!" Mei tugs my arm, dragging me through the foyer, so aggressively I trip on the way out the front door. Stumbling across the porch, I grasp a pillar protruding from the white railing before I nearly fall flat on my ass, barely registering Mei's breathless words.

"Oh my god..."

Swaying with disoriented vision, I dust off my hands, staring at the teak planks beneath my feet.

"It's straight out of a movie..."

What's she going off about?

"Huh?" I look up.

For all the blood to drain from my face.

Just there, parked along the sidewalk, is the sleekest, meanest yet most beautiful car I—or any of the gawking college students scattered across the lawn—have ever seen with my two eyes.

Sleek and impossibly low to the pavement, metallic blue streaks across the length, mingling with glossy white paint that reflects off an overhanging streetlamp like shimmering diamonds. Boasting a distinctive grille, its headlights pierce through the night, illuminating those who circle the coupe and snap photos, leaving ample room for the mysterious man leaning against the passenger side, who folds his arms across his chest.

And stares right at me.

Fire rages behind Hayden's crystal-blue eyes, projecting heat that simmers down my middle. A challenge brews in them when I don't budge, and only burns brighter as he opens the passenger side door, unveiling the car's all-white interior, bathed in a gentle glow. He holds it open, his gaze unwavering in the still air, so quiet I hear faint whispers.

"Is that a Bugatti Veyron...?"

"Who is that guy...?"

"Do you know him...?"

"I think I've seen him somewhere..."

Curse the butterflies buzzing in my stomach—I'm not moving. I don't care how frantically they flap, when those on the lawn follow the line of his stare and land on me, their lips parting on gasps as they bounce between us.

How did he find me, anyway? Sure, he knew I was at a frat party, and it probably wasn't hard for him at which school, but... there are over a dozen parties on Columbia's Greek Row tonight. Did he really go barging into all of them, one by one? His intense demeanor alone says yes.

Mimicking his attitude, I cross my arms at him, hoping he can see how pissed off I—

"Whoooopsie!" Without my support pillar, I stumble backwards and grapple for the railing, just barely catching it. I steady myself upright, only to watch Hayden stomp through the yard, my vision splitting him in two.

Adrenaline spikes through my center, lurching me toward the front door. As well as they can manage, my steps quicken in a hurry, meaning to sprint all the way down that spiraling staircase so I can disappear on the dance floor.

Closer, closer, come on. Almost there—

An arm juts out in front of me, smacking a hand against the doorframe. I bump into an immovable force, grasping something firm and warm beneath silky fabric.

"You either walk, or I'm carrying you."

Flaring with drunken rage, I jerk away at the sound of Hayden's voice, whipping my head up to meet his shadowy gaze. Oh, he's dead serious—but so am I. "Are sh'you outta your mind? I tol'ya what I said on the phone. You can't jus'—"

"I'm not asking permission, Jules. You're coming home with me, or I'll end up killing the man who lures you to his."

My jaw drops to the ground, right as I hear Mei squeal behind me. Why isn't she doing anything?! I gape, words beyond my capabilities. He's all talk. Rolls up, causes a big scene. Now he's just lying—it's what he does best, it seems. He wouldn't actually—

"Option two, it is."

"Wha'? Wai', wha' are you—"

I gasp as my world flips on its head—along with my actual head. Bent at his shoulder, my hair sprawls downward, tracing the planes of his back, bouncing with his every step.

"Hey!" I bark. "Put me doooown!"

In response, his hold around my thighs tightens, my only solace being that I sided on jeans instead of a dress. He'd have me flashing every person on this lawn, all of whom watch with amusement—or envy.

I lift my head, spitting the strands of hair stuck to my mouth, just to find Mei with her hands covering hers, eyes blown wide with shock.

"Mei?! MEI! Don't jus' shhtand there!"