Page 33 of Until We Meet Again

"After the day I've had, I'll take any kind of distraction, even if it means spending the night with a bunch of people I don't really like." Jen offers me a sympathetic look before quickly directing my attention away from Zane.

"Shall we just stay in and watch The Last Kingdom? I'm down for some Danes tonight." She smiles at me, and I must admit it's tempting.

"I thought you'd be excited to spend the night with Harry."

"I'd rather spend the night with Uhtred."Lusting after the Lord of Bebbanburg is a much more appealing choice."See, you're considering it, and you know I'm right."

"No, we're going. I told Erik we'd be there," I say firmly, and she huffs before collecting my now-empty plateand taking it to the kitchen with her. "Go get that beautiful ass ready, and I'll see you back here in an hour." She gives me one more look, says, "Fine," and heads to her room while I go straight to mine.

After a quick shower, I search through my closet, which mainly consists of sweaters and jeans. However, for some reason—perhaps due to my current emotional state regarding the Zane situation or because I could use a confidence boost—I put some extra effort into how I look tonight.

I find my deep red bra and matching thong—I don't let anyone see them, but I like to wear them for myself. It makes me feel like I've got my life together and gives me a mini-shot of confidence.

After slipping the soft material over my body, I gaze at my reflection in the mirror before slowly closing my eyes. I picture Zanes' eyes on me, filled with the hunger I've grown used to and started to crave.

I wonder if he'd rip this off with urgency or carefully remove it from my body, savoring every second of undressing me. Would I feel vulnerable and exposed beneath his gaze, or would he once again make me feel as beautiful as he has every other time we've been together?

I groan as I shake myself out of my thoughts, frustrated that I'm wasting my time thinking about a guy who's more than likely spending his Friday night with someone hisownage instead of grading my homework.

God,it sounds so fucking twisted.

I slip into fitted black jeans that hug my curves perfectly, the same ones I wore on my first date with Zane. I pair them with a lace top that gives a subtle glimpse of my bra and a black blazerthat casually drapes over my shoulders. I perfect my makeup, pull my long blonde hair into a high ponytail, and slip into a pair of black heels.

Finally, I return to the living room, where Jen is already waiting. She stands up, looking as beautiful as ever, with her chocolate-colored hair set in loose curls. Her eyes linger on me, studying my appearance closely, and she doesn’t bother to hide the confusion on her face.

"What the hell is happening here?"

"Do I look okay?"

"You look hot as fuck. Is all of this…" Her hands move up and down, focusing on me and how I’m dressed. "Because of Zane?" Since she knows me so well, I don’t even hesitate before responding.

"I don't know how to get over this attraction."

"So, you're planning on getting under someone else?"

"You know I'm not like that, but I wouldn't mind some harmless flirting to explore the possibility that I could be attracted to a guy who isn't him."

"You know Tobias would happily volunteer for that position."

"I don't mind who it is as long as I can get Zane Calloway out of my head for the night."

"Come on, let's go get you over that beautiful asshole." We walk out the door holding hands, and it doesn't take long for us to arrive at the house, which, even from the outside, I can see is crammed with people.

"Uhtred?" I whisper as I turn to face her.

"We're here now. We might as well try and enjoy it."

Jen walks in first, and as I follow behind her, my ears begin to pulse to the sound of club music blaring from the speakers. Colognes, perfumes, and alcohol swirl in my senses, and judging by the impromptu dance floor that's appeared, it's easy to assume that a hint of sweat is also drifting through the air.

We make a left turn and head straight to the kitchen. Inside, a bunch of guys have gathered around a blonde girl wearing practically nothing, firing back shots on the kitchen island as if she were drinking water from the fountain of youth to prevent a lifetime of Botox.

"Well, this feels like a mistake," I say as I lean in close to Jen, hoping she can hear me above whatever song is blasting throughout the house.

"Agreed," she replies while scanning the place for Harry. When she sees him, she waves, and we head into the living room to join him and Erik.

"There's my baby." Harry kisses Jen while Erik embraces me in the familiar hug I've grown accustomed to.

"I can't believe you actually came." Erik laughs, wrapping his arm around my shoulder as he had earlier on campus.

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