Cole’s DD. No drinking means I’ll need something else to keep me occupied at this party.
We pull up in front of a s mall tract home with numerous cars parked out front and along the street. The street looks similar to mine with the houses that all resemble each other. I step out of the car, and lock it up. That’s when I spot a couple making out on the hood of a car in the driveway.
“Does Mercedes still live with her parents?” I ask, taking in the size of the house.
“No, she rents this place with a few of her friends.”
I nod as we walk up to the front door. The door is unlocked, so we don’t bother knocking. We just walk inside. It looks about like every party I’ve ever been to with couples strung all over each other, scattered about the family room and kitchen, red solo cups in hand.
“Coley, you made it,” a tanned girl with dark hair and eyes saunters toward Cole.
I raise my brows at him. “Coley?”
“Shut up, man.” He swats me good-naturedly on the upper arm. “You have to admit, it sounds cute when she says it.
The girl smiles when she sees me. “And you must be Asher.”
It reminds me of what Billie said when I met her , and I find my thoughts unwillingly drifting to Ivy again. I grin. “And you must be Mercedes.”
“So, Coley’s told you about me, huh?” She bats her made-up eyelashes at Cole , and he beams back at her.
Wow, he’s got it bad.
Deciding to the leave the two of them alone I say, “I’m gonna go in the kitchen and get a drink.”
Cole raises his brows at me.
“Don’t worry, man. I’ll have soda or something,” I reassure him before making my way to the kitchen. The minute I enter a cute blond girl looks in my direction, flashing me a shy smile and wave. She sort of reminds me of Ivy with her fresh-face and light blond hair, but that’s where the similarities end. This girl has green eyes instead of Ivy’s blue ones, and there is innocence in them that isn’t present in Ivy’s. When I look into Ivy’s eyes it’s like I can see the weight of the entire world in them.
I make my way over to the counter that the girl sits behind on a barstool. “Hey,” I say to her.
“H ey, yourself.” She bites down on her bottom lip, and it’s clear that she isn’t used to flirting.
“Do you know if there is any soda or water around here?” I shove my fingers into the pocket of my jeans.
She points to two ice chests near the back door. “The blue one has beer, the red one has waters and sodas.” Then she juts out her hand. “I’m Sydney, by the way. One of Mercedes' roommates.”
I take her hand in mine . It’s cold and clammy, supporting my theory that she’s not a big flirt. Clearly she's nervous. It makes the whole thing that much more endearing. “Asher. I came here with Cole. He’s a co-worker of Mercedes.”
“Oh, I know Cole,” she says.
I reach into the red cooler and find a coke. As I pop the top, I take the barstool next to her, set my soda down and rest my elbows on the counter. A group of rowdy guys play a drinking game behind us at the kitchen table, and from where I sit I can see Cole in the family room with Mercedes.
“So you know Cole? Do you work at the gym too?” I ask Sydney.
“No, but I work out there, so that’s how I’ve met him.” She takes a sip from her red cup, and then raises an eyebrow at me. “Do you have something against alcohol?”
“No.” I shake my head feeling a little embarrassed. “But I’m driving tonight.”
She gazes at me with newfound appreciation. “Responsible. I like it.”
“Glad I could impress you.” I grin , moving my barstool a little closer. This night just got a whole lot better.
7
Ivy
“So Brandon invited us to a party tonight,” Billie says the second she gets home from work. She sits on the couch next to me and unhooks the strap on her shoes. After slipping them off, she wriggles her toes, flashing the candy apple red polish of her toenails at
We pull up in front of a s mall tract home with numerous cars parked out front and along the street. The street looks similar to mine with the houses that all resemble each other. I step out of the car, and lock it up. That’s when I spot a couple making out on the hood of a car in the driveway.
“Does Mercedes still live with her parents?” I ask, taking in the size of the house.
“No, she rents this place with a few of her friends.”
I nod as we walk up to the front door. The door is unlocked, so we don’t bother knocking. We just walk inside. It looks about like every party I’ve ever been to with couples strung all over each other, scattered about the family room and kitchen, red solo cups in hand.
“Coley, you made it,” a tanned girl with dark hair and eyes saunters toward Cole.
I raise my brows at him. “Coley?”
“Shut up, man.” He swats me good-naturedly on the upper arm. “You have to admit, it sounds cute when she says it.
The girl smiles when she sees me. “And you must be Asher.”
It reminds me of what Billie said when I met her , and I find my thoughts unwillingly drifting to Ivy again. I grin. “And you must be Mercedes.”
“So, Coley’s told you about me, huh?” She bats her made-up eyelashes at Cole , and he beams back at her.
Wow, he’s got it bad.
Deciding to the leave the two of them alone I say, “I’m gonna go in the kitchen and get a drink.”
Cole raises his brows at me.
“Don’t worry, man. I’ll have soda or something,” I reassure him before making my way to the kitchen. The minute I enter a cute blond girl looks in my direction, flashing me a shy smile and wave. She sort of reminds me of Ivy with her fresh-face and light blond hair, but that’s where the similarities end. This girl has green eyes instead of Ivy’s blue ones, and there is innocence in them that isn’t present in Ivy’s. When I look into Ivy’s eyes it’s like I can see the weight of the entire world in them.
I make my way over to the counter that the girl sits behind on a barstool. “Hey,” I say to her.
“H ey, yourself.” She bites down on her bottom lip, and it’s clear that she isn’t used to flirting.
“Do you know if there is any soda or water around here?” I shove my fingers into the pocket of my jeans.
She points to two ice chests near the back door. “The blue one has beer, the red one has waters and sodas.” Then she juts out her hand. “I’m Sydney, by the way. One of Mercedes' roommates.”
I take her hand in mine . It’s cold and clammy, supporting my theory that she’s not a big flirt. Clearly she's nervous. It makes the whole thing that much more endearing. “Asher. I came here with Cole. He’s a co-worker of Mercedes.”
“Oh, I know Cole,” she says.
I reach into the red cooler and find a coke. As I pop the top, I take the barstool next to her, set my soda down and rest my elbows on the counter. A group of rowdy guys play a drinking game behind us at the kitchen table, and from where I sit I can see Cole in the family room with Mercedes.
“So you know Cole? Do you work at the gym too?” I ask Sydney.
“No, but I work out there, so that’s how I’ve met him.” She takes a sip from her red cup, and then raises an eyebrow at me. “Do you have something against alcohol?”
“No.” I shake my head feeling a little embarrassed. “But I’m driving tonight.”
She gazes at me with newfound appreciation. “Responsible. I like it.”
“Glad I could impress you.” I grin , moving my barstool a little closer. This night just got a whole lot better.
7
Ivy
“So Brandon invited us to a party tonight,” Billie says the second she gets home from work. She sits on the couch next to me and unhooks the strap on her shoes. After slipping them off, she wriggles her toes, flashing the candy apple red polish of her toenails at
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