Just a Little Crush(5)

Ryder said something I couldn’t quite make out.

Noah laughed humorlessly. “Prop the door. I need a smoke.”

“Hey, there you are.” Mason appeared in front of me. “I was looking for you.”

“Yeah. Ryder told me,” I answered.

Mason scrunched his face, his dark eyes clouded with confusion. “He did?”

“Yeah. I did.” Ryder was so close I jumped. He stomped past, apparently not planning on staying outside after all. “You should keep a better eye on your girl.”

“I’m not his girl,” I blurted. My face warmed.

Ryder looked amused. “Noted.” He opened the door to head back into the party, but paused and stared at Mason. “Regardless, bro, you don’t bring a girl like her to a party like this and leave her alone.” Ryder shifted his gaze, eyed me up and down, a slight look of disgust on his face, then shook his head and walked into Noah’s suite.

Embarrassment seared my cheeks. A girl like me? I spun on my heels and darted toward the building entrance. No matter how many years passed, to people like him I’d always just be the girl who didn’t belong.

“Brinley,” Mason yelled behind me. “Wait up.”

I rubbed my eyes, ensuring no tears had escaped, then turned.

He looked angry, probably mad Ryder had humiliated me…again. After all, it wouldn’t be a party if Ryder didn’t send me running for the nearest exit, swallowing back tears and clinging to my dignity.

“What were you doing outside with Noah?”

“He wanted to take a walk.”

“You shouldn’t have left the party.”

“Okay. I get it. Everyone made that clear. Stupid little me can’t take care of myself. Geez. Get over it.” I pushed through the exit.

“Shit,” Mason muttered. “I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant. You aren’t stupid. I am. Ryder was right. I shouldn’t have left you.”

“I don’t want to talk about Ryder.” Eager to change the subject, I asked, “Did you at least hook up with that girl?”

“I made a mistake, okay?” He stomped farther ahead.

“I wasn’t saying that to be a bitch. I was really asking,” I murmured.

He spun, stopping me in my tracks. “Did Noah try anything?”

“No. Of course not. We weren’t even there long. Ryder came out right away.”

“Really? Huh.”

“What?”

He shook his head. “Nothing.” He started walking again.

We reached our dorm and took the elevator up to my floor.

“Tell me, Mason. What are you thinking?”

“That it’s weird he went to find you.” The doors glided open and we exited.

“He just wanted to hook up out there. How long had you been looking when you asked for his help?”

We’d reached my room and I was glad to see no sock hanging from the knob. I was ready for bed.

“I didn’t.”

I stared at him. “Didn’t look long?”

“I didn’t ask for his help.”

“But he said—”

“I know what he said.”

So, why had he…?

Mason shook his head and his anger reappeared. “ ’Night, Brinley. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He stormed off.

What was his problem? Maybe tonight stirred memories better forgotten for him as well. Though it didn’t seem fair he was taking his anger out on me. Never in a million years would I have imagined we’d run into Ryder at the party.

I watched Mason walk away, wondering if I should say something, then decided to just let it go and slipped inside my room.

I tugged off my sweater, leaving on the cami I’d worn underneath, and unbuttoned my jeans. I reached around for my phone, but my back pocket was empty. Shit. I shoved my hands into my front pockets. Nothing. I took off my jeans and searched the pockets better. Where had it gone? I carefully examined the floor.

“Crap,” I muttered. It had to have fallen out when I sat on the curb with Noah. I’d be lucky to find it at all now. It was probably long gone and I’d never be able to afford a new one. Really, this night couldn’t get any suckier.

—

I tossed and turned in bed in an attempt to get comfortable, begging for sleep to shut off my brain, which was now filled with memories from that night. It would always be one of those moments that, no matter how hard I tried to suppress it, would torture me. In vivid detail.

And it all started when that stupid bottle landed on me.

I was sitting next to Mason as he kept me entertained with his impersonation of my neighbor Ava, the birthday girl and my unwilling host. It involved lots of pretend hair flipping, eye rolling and overdramatized pouts. Though Mason was a part of this crowd, I loved that he saw her for what she really was. And best of all, he didn’t care what people thought about him, which is probably why he was kind enough to befriend me at the party, when no one else had.