Page 99 of Defend Me

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I’d parted ways with Brooks as soon as we got to the frat house. It was a party and I didn’t want to feel gloomy the whole time, which was why I was in the dining room that smelled like Hempfest.

Like the antisocial butterfly that I was, I’d claimed a corner to avoid all the people who got super talkative when they smoked. I tucked myself into it, leaning against the wall while I simply observed.

Linc and West were talking in the kitchen and it didn’t look like they were at each other’s throats. Maybe they’d become friends now. It was impossible not to notice how gorgeous Linc was. He was wearing a beanie, which was hot as hell on him. I thought about going up to him and making a joke about us matching because I was wearing one too, but that was stupid.

When West looked around, Linc noticeably checked him out. His eyes stayed on him the whole time.

A girl came up and started talking to them excitedly. There was no doubt that she was related to West. Both had shimmering black hair, pale skin, and the bluest eyes known to man. I was convinced they had Fae blood in them or something.

Moving on from them, I saw Brooks talking to some guy I’d never seen before. He was smiling and laughing, having a grand time. The guy was aggressively gay, which was a term I’d never use if I wasn’t feeling sort of bitchy right now. It pissed me off more that his hair was blonde. I was pretty sure it was dyed, though, so fuck him.

I pulled out my phone and started scrolling through Instagram. My party mood was nonexistent at this point and I considered getting an Uber home, but I figured I’d get violently high on free weed before I did that.

There was a commotion in the living room that almost made me leave my corner. It was a frat party, though, so it was probably some dumb drama.

A text came in from my brother, which was almost enough to lift my mood.

Alex:Miranda wants u to bring Brooks on Saturday.

Mood unlifted.

Tilian:I’m not enough? Lol

Alex:No.

Tilian:

Alex:She said and I quote: Brooks is cooler and more interesting than Tilian. Let’s adopt him and disown ur brother.

Tilian:Ok, stop being a little shit. I’m not bringing him.

Alex:But I like him. Aren’t u bfs or something?

Tilian:No, he’s not my boyfriend.

Alex:U fucked it up, huh?

I hated teenagers. Wasn’t the older sibling supposed to torment the younger one? Alex was a menace.

It had been, like, an hour, although I wasn’t completely sure because time had stopped existing a while ago. I had another joint, so I lit it and decided that I’d head home once it burned out.

“Have a shot with me,” West demanded.

Where the fuck did he come from? He was standing in front of me with a manic look on his face. Bright smile, bright eyes, and energy that I could feel trying to claw its way into my veins.

“You’re high as fuck, aren’t you?” he asked.

I laughed and nodded. “Just a bit. Uh, a shot?”

Instead of answering, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into the kitchen. I’d interacted with him a few times, but we hadn’t talked much. We were polar opposites in the personality department. It was kind of weird that he’d targeted me. Maybe his friends were busy.

“Hell, it’s a party,” he said as he poured us each two shots of tequila.

“Aren’t you too young for these?”

“Gonna turn me in, Tilian?”

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