Page 62 of Only Fate

“Nah, I’ll go.” I tuck my hand into my pocket and play with the Skittles. “Nine o’clock. Got it.”

A frat party sounds like a nightmare, but I’ll do it to spend time with Essie.

It might give us time to sneak away too.

It’s confirmed. I’m not afrat partykind of guy.

I don’t think one person in our group is afrat partytype of person.

This is the first frat party I’ve attended since starting college, and unless Essie is there, it’ll be the last.

The place is shoulder to shoulder with people.

I’ve never felt so claustrophobic.

Standing against the wall, I cross my arms, watching Essie dance with her friends. Every few moments, she glances in my direction.

When a buzz-cut guy holding a drink attempts to grind on her, she pushes him away. I can’t stop myself from laughing.

She fans her hand in front of her face, like she’s hot, and yells, “Be right back,” to her friends.

I push myself off the wall and beeline toward her. “Water?”

She nods and sticks out her tongue. “Yes, please.”

Fun fact: water is the hardest drink to find at a frat party.

Jungle juice. Beer. Cheap vodka shots. But no H2O.

“Jesus, don’t these guys hydrate?” I mutter while searching the cabinets.

“They hide all the water,” a guy finally tells me. “So random people don’t steal them.”

“It’s funny, isn’t it?” the short girl beside him says. “They’ll shove alcohol at us all day, but Lord forbid anyone touches their water.”

“Come on,” I tell Essie. “I have some in my car.”

They rode with River to the party, and I drove separately.

Capturing Essie’s hand, I lead her outside to the road lined with cars.

“You look beautiful,” I finally say what I’ve wanted to all night.

We’re normally dressed casually when we hang out. Tonight, she’s wearing a loose floral dress and pink cowgirl boots.

Essie shyly pulls at the hem of her dress. “Thank you.”

This isn’t the first time I’ve told Essie she’s beautiful, but we’re out of our element here.

I unlock my car and grab a water from the storage basket in my back seat. I always keep extra drinks and snacks for when I visit Essie and we hang out in here.

She takes the water from me and drinks half the bottle in one gulp.

“Thank you,” she says around a sigh.

She grins when I tug the bag of Skittles from my pocket. I waited for the perfect time to give them to her. When I hand them to her, she rips the corner of the bag open, spills a few into her hand, and pops them into her mouth.

I cross my arms and lean against my car.

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