“I don’t know. He doesn’t really like the scene.”
“The scene?” Bryna asked in exasperation. “This is college. Welcome to the scene.”
“I know. He’s so ridiculous. He thinks you and Stacia are bad influences.”
“What? Is he your mother now?”
“I don’t know.”
Trihn stopped dancing in the middle of the lawn. She looked drawn. She always wore all her emotions on her sleeve. Even though she was a strong, powerful woman with success in her own right before she’d even turned eighteen, she still let everyone else’s feelings influence her. Sometimes, Bryna wanted to shake her and tell her not to take that shit, but she could only do so much. So, she would be here to support her friend.
“Maybe you should talk to him,” Bryna suggested.
“He’s just sitting over there.” Trihn pointed at a lawn chair.
“It’ll help.”
“Come with me?”
“Of course.”
Bryna knew she wasn’t the type of person to bring along when a gentle touch was needed. Trihn must be really pissed off.
Bryna leaned her head back on Eric’s chest and murmured in his ear, “We’re going to talk to Neal.”
“Everything okay?”
“No. He’s acting like a dick.”
“Want me to come with?” he asked.
She stared up into his hazel eyes and smiled. She was drunk, and she could feel it by the way her body was responding to his nearness.
“Phrasing. Are we doing phrasing?” she joked to clear her mind. She straightened up.
Eric laughed. “Let’s go, Bryna.”
Trihn grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the crowd of dancers. Bryna’s other hand slipped easily into Eric’s, and he followed. Once she was out of the crowd, she quickly released him.
“Hey,” Trihn said, standing in front of Neal.
He had his cell phone out and seemed to be aimlessly scrolling. “What’s up?” he asked.
“Do you want to go dance?”
“You know I really hate crowds.”
“Oh,” she said. Trihn looked back at Bryna with her eyes wide.
Bryna probably shouldn’t intervene, but she couldn’t help herself. “Then, why are you at a party?”
He looked up at her from his phone. “Because my girlfriend told me I had to go since you’re her best friend.”
“I did not say you had to go. I wanted you here!” Trihn said.
“Yeah, and that translates into me having to show up to another mindless party with a bunch of jocks who hate my very existence,” Neal complained.
“No one hates you!” Trihn cried. “You’re blowing this way out of proportion.”
“Right,” he said dismissively. He looked back down at his phone.
Bryna glared at him. “Maybe you should talk to your girlfriend instead of ignoring her.”
Neal pushed himself to his feet in one quick move. “Maybe you should mind your own fucking business. You’re the only reason she comes to these fucking things. She’s not a party girl. She’s an artist.”
Bryna stared at him as if he had grown horns. “Why can’t she be both?” she spat.
“You force her into these situations. I have no idea why she’s even friends with you and Stacia. You’re forcing her to be this person she isn’t.”
“No one is forcing me to do anything!” Trihn said.
Bryna couldn’t take it. “The Trihn I know is most definitely a party girl, but she’s also a model, an artist, a fashion guru, a hopeless romantic, a dancer, and so much more. If you can’t see that, then you’re missing out.”
“Whatever,” he said.
“If you can’t see that, then maybe you should leave,” Trihn said impulsively. “You don’t want to be here with me anyway.”
“All right. I guess I will then,” Neal responded. He glared at the trio of us standing there and stalked toward the door.
“Oh my God,” Trihn cried. Tears immediately burst from her eyes. “What the hell have I done?”
“You told that loser to shut up and get the fuck out!” Bryna said.
“No. Ugh! I don’t want to break up. I can’t do this.” She looked like she was going to hyperventilate. “I’m going after him.”
“What?” Bryna asked. “He was just an ass.”
“I need to talk to him.”
Trihn turned and ran after Neal. Bryna shook her head and followed her into the house. Eric was close on her heels. Trihn caught up to Neal at the door and pleaded with him.
Eric put his hand on Bryna’s elbow. “Hey, maybe we should give them some privacy. She’s kind of a mess.”
Bryna anxiously looked at her friend. She hated seeing Trihn suffer like this. Why would she grovel for a guy who had insulted her because he didn’t want to be at a party? So ridiculous.
“Yeah, sure,” she agreed reluctantly.
They took a step away from the door and went into the living room. It was packed with people, and someone had used a table for beer pong. The cleaning service was really going to be earning their money after tonight.
Bryna stole beers for them from the beer-pong pitcher. She passed one to Eric and chugged.
“Whoa!” he said, reaching for her drink. “Maybe slow it down.”
“I’m thinking I need to get fucked tonight,” she drunkenly told him.
He raised his eyebrows. “What?”
“Yeah, I’m horny as fuck.”
“You’re undoing all the progress I made by claiming you’re picky.”
She sighed dramatically. “Fine. I’ll let you be picky then. Who can I fuck?”
“I am not going to choose your next victim,” he said tightly.
“I’m not a black widow or something,” she slurred. “I’m not going to eat them up and spit them back out.”
“You kind of are.”
She shrugged. “I kind of am.”
She didn’t care though. That wasn’t what sex was about. It was about getting off. If she could have someone to satisfy that deep need, then she would be good.
“I think maybe you’ve had enough,” Eric said.
She hadn’t even realized she was still drinking the beer in her hand.
She held it out behind her, so he couldn’t take it. “I’ve had enough when I say I have,” she teased. “And I definitely have not had enough.”
“Hand it over.” He darted out way faster than her slow reflexes and grabbed the beer in her hand.
She didn’t let go though, and the glass tipped, spilling the contents on her mostly naked body and all over the floor.
“Gross!”
Eric cursed. “You’re a mess,” he grumbled. “I’ll get something to clean you up with.”
Bryna had to stand around in the middle of the living room with her legs drenched in beer. It was disgusting. She was going to need a serious shower and exfoliator to get this shit out of her perfect fucking skin.
Her eyes wandered the crowd of people while she waited and landed on a girl standing in the hallway between the kitchen and living room. She appeared to be lost or looking for someone. That was when Bryna placed the pretty brunette. Audrey, Eric’s ex-girlfriend.
Bryna ground her teeth together. Bitch. What the fuck is she doing here?
When Eric noticed Audrey, he looked startled. He was holding a towel in his hand for Bryna, but as soon as Audrey saw him, she began speaking animatedly to him. Bryna wished she knew what the bitch was saying. On instinct, she hated the woman, and she wanted Audrey out of her fucking house.
She took a step toward Eric and Audrey, but he put his hand up in front of him. Audrey stopped talking and glared at him. Then, he was walking back to Bryna. She tried to remove the scowl that had been on her face, but she didn’t think she hid it well. He looked confused when he saw her.
“Sorry about your legs. I didn’t mean to spill beer on them,” Eric said.
He bent down and wiped sticky beer off her legs. Bryna glanced up and met Audrey’s gaze. She looked horrified. Bryna wondered what it must look like to Audrey to see Eric touching her. It made her giggle.