Wait For You, Trust in Me: 2-Book Collection. J. Lynn

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СКАЧАТЬ lips twitched. “I was saying okay, I’ll go to the party.”

      “Smart choice. It’ll be fun and you’ll have a good time.” Once I was apparently sitting to his approval, he sat back. “When do you want me to pick you up?”

      I shook my head. “I’m going to drive myself.”

      “Why would you do that? We live in the same building and are heading to the same place.”

      “Thanks, but I’ll drive.”

      He studied me a moment. “If you don’t want to go with me, then at least get a ride with Brittany.”

      I said something along the lines of agreeing to that, but I wasn’t planning on that. Taking my own car meant I could leave whenever I wanted to. I needed that lifeline.

      “Hey,” Cam said.

      Turning my head toward him, I raised my brows. “Hi.”

      “Go out with me.”

      I smiled. “Shut up, Cam.”

      #

      I was so nervous that my phone felt slippery in my hand and my seatbelt felt like it was pressed too tightly against my chest. I was sitting in the parking lot, thirty minutes past the time I should’ve left for the Halloween party at Jase’s house. I’d like to say that I was just being fashionably late, but that was so not the truth.

      I was like two steps from a panic attack.

      “So, you didn’t get a costume?” Brit said, and over her voice, I could hear music and muffled laughter. “It’s not a big deal. There are lots of people here that aren’t dressed up.”

      Well, there went that excuse. After talking to Cam last night, I’d briefly considered the idea of making a last minute run to the store to find a costume, but dressing up would probably be too much.

      “Are you almost here?” Brit asked. “Because I’m lonely—hey!”

      A second later, Jacob’s voice came through the phone. “Hey, girl, hey, where you at?”

      I closed my eyes. “I’m getting ready to leave.”

      “You better, because Brit is getting on my nerves asking for you. So get your ass here.”

      “I’m coming. I’ll be there in a little bit.”

      Hanging up, I tossed the phone onto the seat next to me and gripped the steering wheel. I can do this. That’s what I kept telling myself as I glanced back up at my apartment. I’d left a light on and it was like a damn beacon right now, coaxing me back to the safety that was pure boredom.

      I was being stupid, totally understood that, but it didn’t change the fact that my heart was thundering in my chest or that I was nauseous. What I was experiencing wasn’t normal to anyone else, and that was the key. I didn’t want this to be normal for me.

      “Fuck.”

      I needed to be brave.

      I knocked the car into reverse and backed out. My arms were trembling by the time I made it to the end of the road and made the left onto Route 45. Jase’s house wasn’t that far from University Heights. Only a few miles, back in a nearby subdivision where several larger frats had taken up residency.

      On the drive to his house, I focused on listing as many constellations as I could. Andromeda, Antlia, Apus, Aquarius, Aquila, Ara, Aries, Auriga—who came up with these names? Seriously. I’d made it to the D’s when I spotted the line of cars pouring out of a large three-story home’s driveway. Cars were everywhere, parking along the road, in the yard, and down the street. I had to end up turning around so I could park on the other side of the street, about a block down.

      The night air was chilly and the streets were void of children. Trick or treat had ended about an hour before and there were pieces of dropped candy every few feet.

      Bright light spilled out from the windows, casting a luminous glow along the porch. There were a few people outside, leaning against the railing. Shoving my hands into the pockets of my hoodie, I avoided the garage, where a mean game of beer pong was going down, and through the open front door.

      Holy crap…

      The house was packed. People were everywhere, crowding a TV, in groups by the couch, on the floor, and in the hallway. Music thumped along with my heart as I scanned the crowd, searching for a sexy angel. There were a lot of angels—naughty angels in red, sexy angels in white, and I guess, very bad angels in black.

      Hmm.

      I squeezed past a girl dressed like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, if Dorothy had been a stripper. She smiled at me and I smiled back. It felt wobbly and weird. Sliding past a group at a card table, I saw Cam’s roommate Ollie at the table. He was too immersed in the game to notice me. I stretched up on the tips of my toes. The inside of the house had a slightly suffocating feel to it with all the people.

      There was a nearby high pitched squeal and I turned, having only seconds to prepare myself before I was attacked by an angel in white.

      “You’re here!” Brit shrieked, squeezing me. “Holy shit! I didn’t think you’d actually come. I thought you were going to bail.”

      “I’m here.”

      She squeezed me again and then grabbed my hand. “Come. Jacob is out in the garage. So is Cam.”

      My overworked heart did some more cardio as she pulled me around the card table. A few guys looked up, dismissing me and my jeans outright and then settling on the tiny white dress Brit had on. Interest sparked in their eyes. One guy leaned back in his chair, brows knitting as he took her in. I couldn’t blame him. She looked hot.

      “Coming through!” Brit announced, free hand in the air. “Beep. Beep.”

      The air was easier to breathe in the garage, the light not so bright, and while there were more people out here, the muscles in the back of my neck relaxed. Brit led me toward a guy who had an old school, black bowler hat on and a purple blazer.

      “Jakey-Jake, look who I found!” Brit yelled.

      Purple blazer turned, and a genuine smile broke out across my face as I saw the big black rim glasses. “Bruno Mars?” I asked.

      “Yes! See, Brit. Some people get my costume!” Jacob shot her a dirty look before turning back to me. He frowned. “What are you dressed as?”

      I shrugged. “A lazy college student?”

      Jacob laughed as Brit bounced over to the keg. “What do you have on under this God awful sweatshirt?”

      “What’s wrong with my hoodie?” I demanded.

      He gave me a bland look. “Nothing’s wrong with it if you just rolled out of bed and were going to class, but you’re at a party.” He went for the zipper on my hoodie and pulled it down. “Take it off or I’m taking it off.”

      “He’s being serious.” Brit returned with two red СКАЧАТЬ