Chapter Eleven
Evie
I didn’t bother to change before I headed over to the Pike party. It’s not like it would really make a difference one way or the other. If I ever looked a little disheveled people chalked it up to my rock-star upbringing. Which was completely ludicrous when I thought about it. My mom made banana nut muffins and volunteered with the PTA. My dad did crosswalk duty once a week when I was in elementary school, neon orange vest and all.
“Evie. There’s my favorite girl.” Maykin came up and wrapped her arms around my neck, like we hadn’t seen each other only hours earlier. I liked Mayk the most out of my fake friends. “You need a cocktail?” She shimmied her shoulders a little, a smile lighting up her perfectly spray-tanned face.
“Obviously.” I returned her grin, knowing it probably didn’t reach my eyes. They rarely did these days.
“Let me see the tat, you little rocker you.”
I rolled my eyes as she twirled me in a circle before lifting my shirt. It was still covered in the plastic Nicky had applied earlier. I knew I needed to get home and uncover it, but that would have to wait. This party was where I needed to be right now.
“That looks sick, E.” She let my shirt fall and then led me by the hand into the kitchen. “How are the guys that work there? Hot? Tattooed? Maybe I should get one. I could use a little bad-boy infusion in my life.” She winked. “And by life we both know where I mean.”
“I know what you mean, Mayk.” Maybe that was part of the reason I actually enjoyed Maykin. She wasn’t nearly as fake as all my other friends. She was spunky, artsy, and a little bit crazy. The only reason she’d been allowed to rush Kappa Delta was because her mom and grandma had been members back in the day. She was a legacy. Otherwise, I was sure Hannah and her clones would have found a reason to keep her out. She had fiery red hair after all. It didn’t really go with their theme.
We walked up to the large wood bar situated in what should have been a formal dining room. Some lowly underclassman was pouring drinks tonight. “Hello, ladies, what’s your poison?”
I inhaled a sharp breath. What’s your poison? That was what Nicky had asked me earlier. That had been the beginning of my meltdown. I’d never meant to tell him everything. I had never meant to tell him anything.
“E?” Maykin slapped my ass. “Tell the kid what you want to drink, we’re holding up the line.”
“Uh, yeah, anything with vodka.” Both the kid and Maykin looked at me like I’d grown another head. My voice was soft, my request almost sounded sweet. I cleared my throat and straightened my spine. “And don’t try to slip me the cheap shit, we both know there is a case of Grey Goose back there.” There, that was more like it.
I leaned against the bar studying Maykin while the guy (I wouldn’t bother to learn his name) mixed our drinks. “If you want to get inked, you should walk in and request Bleu.” He’d have a coronary, automatically assuming that Maykin would want something small and girly. Even if I wouldn’t be there to see it, no doubt, it would be hilarious. She was an art major and would request something spectacular, shocking him into next week.
“Is that who you use?”
“Yep.” I let the p in the word pop. I lied to her face and I didn’t feel bad about it. I didn’t want Maykin alone with Nicky. She’d hit on him, and she was beautiful. And for some reason I couldn’t stomach the thought of the two of them hooking up. In fact, it was making me pretty damn nauseous.
“Here you go. Two vodka tonics, hold the cheap shit.” He winked at me and I sent him a flirty smile back. I shouldn’t play with the kids like that, but like I’d said earlier, it’d become a habit. And I should really stop since I was currently dating the president of Pi Kappa Alpha. He was what Cash and Crue would call a douche canoe. He was wealthy, cocky, well dressed, and gunning for partner in his father’s law firm by the time he was thirty.
He also kept me buried in pills; he was a necessary evil.
“Evie, princess, there you are.” Collin put his hand on the back of my neck, drawing me toward him roughly and placing a hard kiss on my lips. “You’re late.”
“Yeah, I am.” I raised a defiant eyebrow, daring him to push me. This was our relationship; we were toxic as fuck. We’d danced around each other most of the year, and I’d been able to keep him at arm’s length until April. In April I had finals, as well as several events to close out the semester. I used all the Adderall I was allowed by my prescription after week two. Collin gave me the extra, uh, boost I needed to get everything done. After that, he had me.
He kissed my lips again, harshly. “You’re lucky you’re hot as fuck.”
I snorted. “You’re lucky you’re well…connected.” I sent him a sneer and his hand fisted in my hair at the base of my scalp. Collin was handsome, but he was a bit of a prick. He acted like he was better than everyone in any room he occupied. I liked kicking him in the balls any chance I got.
“Careful, princess, I’m about two seconds away from taking you upstairs and teaching you a lesson.” His smile was playful. To anyone else it would look like he was engaged in playful banter with his GF. But he and I knew different. We were in a constant power struggle, in a constant sick game of who had the bigger dick. Let me save you the curiosity—it was me.
I let out a little laugh. “Not yet, I just got here.” Translation, Not yet, I’m not nearly high or bored enough to let you fuck me.
“Mmm, and where’ve you been, princess?” That’s what he called me, always.
Part of me wanted to tell him the truth, that I’d been at dinner with Nicky. But he was already going to be pissed enough when he found out that I’d gotten a second tattoo. He wasn’t a huge fan, and I didn’t feel like dealing with two separate toddler tantrums.
“I got another tattoo this afternoon.” I smiled wickedly, because part of me loved fucking up his perfect world. I kept my eyes on him, taking in the way his nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed slightly as I lifted my shirt, showing him the fresh ink.
He wanted to yell at me. I could see it in the hard set of his mouth. He wanted to fight, and then he wanted to make up. It’d give his small brain the excuse it needed to be demanding and rough.
“Our little rock and roll princess.” He shook his head, a fake smile on his face as he kissed my temple. “It looks good on you.” He was lying. He hated it, which made me love it all the more.
I downed my drink when Collin’s hand found my ass, giving it a tight squeeze. I wasn’t in the mood to play pretend with him tonight. I’d been a long day, a draining day. I laughed, shaking the glass in the incoming sophomore’s face, signaling I wanted another.
I took my new drink and walked away, polishing it off as soon as my back was turned to my fake friends. And my asshole of a boyfriend. I headed to the patio, to another bar and a different bartender. I knew Collin would follow me.
Fuck, they’d all follow me.
I was Evie James.