Bad Romeo (Starcrossed #1)(13)
Author: Leisa Rayven

Half an hour later we’re pulling up to a huge house on a wide street.

“Whoa, who lives here?” Ruby asks as she slams the cab door.

“Jack Avery shares it with two other boys from my class. Lucas and Connor.”

“Connor?” she says, raising an eyebrow. “That’s the guy I met on the first day?”

“Yeah.”

“He was cute. Any chemistry there?”

I smile when I think about how attentive Connor has been. “He hugs me a lot.”

“Well, there you go,” she says, as if all my problems are solved. “Make a move on him.”

I shrug, because even though I like Connor, I don’t know if I like Connor.

“Listen,” she says, “I’m not asking you to walk down the aisle with him and squeeze out loud, chubby babies. Just have some fun. Make out. It’s not going to kill you.”

“Isn’t the boy supposed to make the first move?”

“Dammit, Cass, stop being such a pussy. Look, I’ll even sweeten the deal. If you get up the balls to make out with a boy tonight, I’ll do your laundry for a month.”

She has my attention. Our building has one ancient washing machine that takes more than an hour to go through its cycle, so laundry day can be a major time suck.

“Fine. I can’t promise I’m not going to be awkward and embarrassing, but I’ll try, okay?”

She smiles and pulls me toward the noisy house. “Good enough.”

There are people talking and laughing on the front lawn. It looks like most of the freshman class has shown up.

I prepare to conjure a personality.

“Come on,” Ruby says as she tugs me into the mess of people. “You need a drink.”

“I don’t drink.”

“You do now.” She grabs two bright green test tubes from a girl with a tray. “Two or three of these, and you’ll be tackling boys and ripping off their shirts.”

Despite doubting her prediction, forty-five minutes and three test tubes later, I’m leaning against a wall feeling frisky. I bounce my head to the beat as Ruby dances with a group of boys all desperate to impress her. She’s flirting with a few of them, but one—a tall, well-built guy who’s also in her tech course—is getting special attention. He leans down to whisper something to her. She glances at me and raises her eyebrows before taking his hand and going outside to the terrace.

She makes it look so easy.

Okay, fine. I can do this. Find cute boy. Chat with cute boy. Be charming. Suck on his face.

Panic shivers through me.

Goddammit.

I go down the hallway in search of the bathroom, the one party safe haven where it’s acceptable to be alone.

Before I can find it, I spy Holt standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

What the hell is he doing here?

He leans down and talks to the short, pretty girl by his side.

He has a girlfriend?

Of course he does. Someone as attractive as he is probably has dozens of women throwing themselves at his stupid, large, clown feet.

I feel myself blush, fast and hot, and I don’t like it.

The alcohol has made me slow, and before I can pretend I don’t see him, he’s walking toward me with his hand on the girl’s back. She’s smiling like she knows me.

“Hey, Cassie,” she says. She does look familiar, but my brain is murky. “I’m Elissa. I’m in theater tech with Ruby.”

“Oh, right. Hey, Elissa.” She’d been talking to Ruby the other day in our semiotics class. Pretty face. Doe eyes.

I glance at Holt, and my face burns when I see that he’s staring at my boobs. He quickly makes it back up to my face and clears his throat.

“Taylor,” he says and nods.

“Holt.” I try not to let my brain acknowledge how annoyingly handsome he looks in his dark jeans and blue button-down with the sleeves rolled up.

Forearms. Nice.

“I thought you weren’t coming,” I say.

“Well, I heard all the cool kids would be here, so I couldn’t stay away.”

Elissa glances between us, and I wonder if she realizes how much her boyfriend gets on my nerves.

“So, Cassie, you and Ethan are doing the acting course together?”

“Yeah, but we haven’t done much acting yet.”

“Well, it’s only been a week,” she says, smiling. “Auditions for the term one theater project are coming up soon. I’ve heard rumors they’re doing Romeo and Juliet. You never know. You two could end up playing star-crossed lovers.”

Holt and I burst into laughter like it’s the most hilarious thing we’ve ever heard.

Elissa looks at us like we’re both insane.

“Okay,” she says as she claps her hands together. “I need to get hammered as soon as possible. See you guys later.”

She brushes past me and walks down the hallway.

“I’m leaving in two hours,” Holt calls after her. “If you want a ride home, find me before then, or else you can fucking walk.”

Wow. If only I had such a charming boyfriend.

I shake my head in disgust.

“What?” he asks.

“You.”

“What about me?”

“Do you always talk to her like that?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s rude.”

He shoots me a lopsided grin and shakes his head. “That was me being polite. I say far worse things at home.”

“At home?”

“Yeah.”

“You live with her?”

“Well, I’d prefer not to, but I can’t seem to get rid of her. I locked her out once, but she’s pretty resourceful and managed to pick the lock with a blade of grass and a paperclip.”

“God, Holt, you’re just … so … ugh! Why does she put up with you? You’re officially the world’s suckiest boyfriend.”

His eyes widen. Then he laughs. “Elissa isn’t my girlfriend. Jesus, that’s disgusting. She’s my sister.”

It’s my turn to be surprised. “Your sister?”

“Yes.”

Relief has never felt more odious.

“Don’t worry, Taylor,” he whispers. “I’m single. No need to be jealous.”

I laugh. “I’m not jealous. I’m just glad you’re not inflicting your toxic personality on some poor member of the opposite sex.”

Something dark flashes in his eyes as he looks down, and I get the impression I’ve said something really wrong. I’m about to try and find out when Connor appears and drapes his arm around my shoulders.