Never by Ellery Rhodes Page A

face her, even though I knew ignoring her wouldn’t make her go away. Obviously.
    “I’m starting to wonder if I need a restraining order, Candi.”
    “Don’t flatter yourself,” she said, her voice rising above the trance beats. “I was dragged here against my will.”
    Feeling a sense of deja vu since Blake lured me here with promises of so much drinking then changing it to Operation Hook Up made me bite back my retort. I brought my eyes to her, lingering when I saw that she’d turned it down from the overtly sexual getups she’d been wearing lately. Her thin body was camouflaged beneath an oversized black shirt dress thing and her blond hair was in a low, loose ponytail.
    She met my eyes for a second before she bit her lip and pointed at the drink in front of me.
    ‘It’s sex on the beach, so it’s a little girly.” She cracked a grin. “I figure with the empty glasses around you and the bartender playing Daddy, the last thing you care about is your street cred.”
    I didn’t.
    I finished the fruity concoction in three solid gulps. I put the cup down, embracing the heat that rippled over me as I gripped the bar. “I hope you don’t think this lets you off the hook. I talked to Juliet and nothing happened between her and...him.”
    She shrugged a bare shoulder. “If memory serves, I just relayed information. What you did with that information is your business.”
    I smiled in spite of myself. Only Candace Mann would dare say that in the most innocent voice possible, like she hadn’t intended to stir up trouble. I blinked and turned the smile off. Or tried to anyway. My whole body felt like there was a light beneath me, warming my skin. I gave my head a shake. “I shouldn’t even be talking to you.”
    She tucked a stray golden strand behind her ear, still playing dumb. “Why is that?”
    “Because Juliet would be pissed.”
    Candi smirked. “So she can talk to guys but you can’t talk to girls?” She clucked her tongue disapprovingly, drawing my eye to her shiny, lush lips. “I guess the rumors are true. A freshman has Lucas McNamara totally whipped.”
    She brandished another drink.
    “Hey now!” I said, warmth invading my cheeks despite my best efforts to keep it at bay. Or were they already warm? I had no idea. “Caring about what my girlfriend thinks doesn’t mean she’s got me wrapped around her finger. I mean, look around you. I’m sitting at a bar, talking to some hot blond. Juliet would definitely not approve, but here we are.” I discarded the garnish and downed the drink.
    Candi moved closer, biting her lip. “I’m hot?”
    “Oh come on,” I scoffed, trying to arch an eyebrow, but grinning instead. “You know you’re hot.” There was a voice in my head that was screaming for me to end this conversation before I said something else that I didn’t need to say.
    “Wanna go out on the patio so I can smoke a cigarette?”
    Blake had asked me the same question and I bit his head off, but I turned without protest, following her out the door. My legs and arms moved, hand clutching some new drink she’d given me. I snickered when I looked through the haze at the drink in my grip. The girl seemed to have an endless supply of cocktails. Not that I was complaining.
    Everyone around us seemed to be behind some sort of mask, faces smudged. Even Candi’s face blurred as she batted her eyes and slid a cigarette between her lips.
    “Think you can light it for me?” she asked, her voice thick like syrup.
    I took the lighter, flicking the Bic and holding it out as she leaned in, the flame sparkling in her eyes as she lit the end. She took a long drag and released it, smoke whirling around her face.
    “So I take it there’s trouble in paradise?” She blew out a plume of smoke and her eyes were neon as it dissipated.
    “No,” I lied. Man, she’s a big reason why you and Juliet aren’t talking . I shooed it away with a bitter laugh when Candi actually looked sympathetic. “Please.