your boyfriend out there?”
“No, he’s just a friend,” I grumbled.
“Well, that’s good. That could have been pretty awkward for you if he was.” He faced the dance floor, shaking his head at the spectacle.
“Tell me about it,” I said, drinking the last of my beer. I barely tasted the last two I had put away, and my teeth were numb.
“Would you like another one?” he asked. I looked over at him and he smiled. “I’m Ethan.”
“Abby,” I said, taking his outstretched hand.
He held up two fingers to the bartender, and I smiled. “Thanks.”
“So you live here?” he asked.
“In Morgan Hall at Eastern.”
“I have an apartment in Hinley.”
“You go to State?” I asked. “What is that...like an hour away? What are you doing over here?”
“I graduated last May. My little sister goes to Eastern. I’m staying with her this week while I apply for jobs.”
“Uh oh…living in the real world, huh?”
Ethan laughed. “And it’s everything they say it is.”
I pulled the gloss out of my pocket and smeared it across my lips, using the mirror lining the wall behind the bar.
“That’s a nice shade,” he said, watching me press my lips together.
I smiled, feeling the anger at Travis, and the heaviness of the alcohol. “Maybe you can try it on later.”
Ethan’s eyes brightened as I leaned in closer, and I smiled when he touched my knee. He pulled back his hand when Travis stepped between us.
“You ready, Pidge?”
“I’m talking, Travis,” I said, moving him back. His shirt was damp from the circus on the dance floor, and I made a show of wiping my hand on my skirt.
Travis made a face. “Do you even know this guy?”
“This is Ethan,” I said, sending my new friend the best flirty smile I could manage.
He winked at me, and then looked at Travis, extending his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Travis glanced at me and I sighed. “Ethan, this is Travis,” I muttered.
“Travis Maddox,” he said, staring at Ethan’s hand as if he wanted to rip it off.
Ethan’s eyes grew wide and he awkwardly pulled back his hand. “Travis Maddox ? Eastern’s Travis Maddox?”
I rested my cheek on my fist, dreading the inevitable testosterone-fueled story swapping that would soon ensue.
Travis stretched his arm behind me to grip the bar. “Yeah, what of it?”
“I saw you fight Shawn Jenks last year, man. I thought I was about to witness someone’s death!”
Travis glowered down at him. “You wanna see it again?”
Ethan laughed once, his eyes darting back and forth between us. When he realized Travis was serious, he smiled at me apologetically and left.
“Are you ready, now?” he snapped.
“You are a complete asshole, you know that?”
“I’ve been called worse,” he said, helping me off the stool.
We followed America and Shepley to the car, and when Travis tried to grab my hand to lead me across the parking lot, I yanked it away. He wheeled around and I jerked to a stop, leaning back when he came within a few inches of my face.
“I should just kiss you and get it over with!” he yelled. “You’re being ridiculous! I kissed your neck, so what?”
I could smell the beer and cigarettes on his breath and I pushed him away. “I’m not your fuck buddy, Travis.”
He shook his head in disbelief. “I never said you were! You’re around me twenty-four-seven, you sleep in my bed, but half the time you act like you don’t wanna be seen with me!”
“I came here withyou!”
“I have never treated you with anything but respect, Pidge.”
I stood my ground. “No, you just treat me like your property. You had no right to run Ethan off like that!”
“Do you know who Ethan is?” he asked. When I shook my head, he leaned in closer. “I do . He was arrested last year for sexual battery, but the charges were dropped.”
I crossed my arms. “Oh, so you have something in common?”
Travis’ eyes narrowed, and the muscles in his jaws twitched under his skin. “Are you calling me a rapist
“No, he’s just a friend,” I grumbled.
“Well, that’s good. That could have been pretty awkward for you if he was.” He faced the dance floor, shaking his head at the spectacle.
“Tell me about it,” I said, drinking the last of my beer. I barely tasted the last two I had put away, and my teeth were numb.
“Would you like another one?” he asked. I looked over at him and he smiled. “I’m Ethan.”
“Abby,” I said, taking his outstretched hand.
He held up two fingers to the bartender, and I smiled. “Thanks.”
“So you live here?” he asked.
“In Morgan Hall at Eastern.”
“I have an apartment in Hinley.”
“You go to State?” I asked. “What is that...like an hour away? What are you doing over here?”
“I graduated last May. My little sister goes to Eastern. I’m staying with her this week while I apply for jobs.”
“Uh oh…living in the real world, huh?”
Ethan laughed. “And it’s everything they say it is.”
I pulled the gloss out of my pocket and smeared it across my lips, using the mirror lining the wall behind the bar.
“That’s a nice shade,” he said, watching me press my lips together.
I smiled, feeling the anger at Travis, and the heaviness of the alcohol. “Maybe you can try it on later.”
Ethan’s eyes brightened as I leaned in closer, and I smiled when he touched my knee. He pulled back his hand when Travis stepped between us.
“You ready, Pidge?”
“I’m talking, Travis,” I said, moving him back. His shirt was damp from the circus on the dance floor, and I made a show of wiping my hand on my skirt.
Travis made a face. “Do you even know this guy?”
“This is Ethan,” I said, sending my new friend the best flirty smile I could manage.
He winked at me, and then looked at Travis, extending his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Travis glanced at me and I sighed. “Ethan, this is Travis,” I muttered.
“Travis Maddox,” he said, staring at Ethan’s hand as if he wanted to rip it off.
Ethan’s eyes grew wide and he awkwardly pulled back his hand. “Travis Maddox ? Eastern’s Travis Maddox?”
I rested my cheek on my fist, dreading the inevitable testosterone-fueled story swapping that would soon ensue.
Travis stretched his arm behind me to grip the bar. “Yeah, what of it?”
“I saw you fight Shawn Jenks last year, man. I thought I was about to witness someone’s death!”
Travis glowered down at him. “You wanna see it again?”
Ethan laughed once, his eyes darting back and forth between us. When he realized Travis was serious, he smiled at me apologetically and left.
“Are you ready, now?” he snapped.
“You are a complete asshole, you know that?”
“I’ve been called worse,” he said, helping me off the stool.
We followed America and Shepley to the car, and when Travis tried to grab my hand to lead me across the parking lot, I yanked it away. He wheeled around and I jerked to a stop, leaning back when he came within a few inches of my face.
“I should just kiss you and get it over with!” he yelled. “You’re being ridiculous! I kissed your neck, so what?”
I could smell the beer and cigarettes on his breath and I pushed him away. “I’m not your fuck buddy, Travis.”
He shook his head in disbelief. “I never said you were! You’re around me twenty-four-seven, you sleep in my bed, but half the time you act like you don’t wanna be seen with me!”
“I came here withyou!”
“I have never treated you with anything but respect, Pidge.”
I stood my ground. “No, you just treat me like your property. You had no right to run Ethan off like that!”
“Do you know who Ethan is?” he asked. When I shook my head, he leaned in closer. “I do . He was arrested last year for sexual battery, but the charges were dropped.”
I crossed my arms. “Oh, so you have something in common?”
Travis’ eyes narrowed, and the muscles in his jaws twitched under his skin. “Are you calling me a rapist
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