Page 25 of A Good Book

It wassoloud.

With a jerk of her head, she turned, and I followed her back outside.

“I said?—”

Before I could repeat my condolences for her situation, Matt grabbed her face and kissed her. There was so much tongue involved, I nearly lost the contents of my stomach. They were experts at licking peanut butter from a spoon.

“Baby, you’re so drunk.” She giggled as he moved his lips to her neck.

“Just so fucking horny,” he mumbled over her skin.

It’s like I wasn’t there, but I was there. Right there. Yet, they ignored me and everyone else on the crowded deck as they groped each other. So I took another bite of my pizza, slowly chewing it while watching them. How could I turn away? And why wasn’t everyone else watching them?

Oh yeah, they were all drunk.

I wasn’t trying to be rude, but I had nowhere to go, so I took notes on how he liked to be kissed. How she touched him. And what noises she made that drove him wild. When his hand snaked up her red sweater, I stopped mid-chew. His other hand gripped her butt while she kissed his neck. That’s when he made eye contact with me.

ME!

Could I have been a bigger freak, just gawking at them?

She whispered in his ear, and he removed his hand from her shirt. Then they laced their fingers together and brushed past me toward the door.

“It was nice meeting you,” Julianne said. “Get more pizza. There’s plenty.”

Before I could respond, Matt pulled her into the house. When I craned my neck to look for Olivia or Ben in the crowd, something wet penetrated my shirt.

“Oh shit,” a tall guy wearing a baseball cap said.

I looked down at his beer soaking into my top and right through to my bra as well. Everyone could see the outline of said bra, so I quickly set my plate and pop can on the railing and pulled the material away from my skin.

“I’m so sorry,” he said with a laugh that didn’t feel as apologetic.

I offered a fake smile. “It’s fine.” I stumbled again in the stupid boots as I stepped toward the door, but thankfully I recovered without landing on the ground. Most everyone ignored me and my drenched shirt as I wormed my way through the throng of drunk people.

“Hey, how’s it—” Olivia cringed when she saw my shirt.

“Where’s Ben? It’s time to go.”

She shrugged with a Diet Coke in her hand. “He found some guy who’s a music major, too, and I think they went out front because it’s so loud in here,” she yelled. “Go get cleaned up while I look for him. The bathroom is upstairs.” She pointed toward the split-level stairs.

At the top of the stairs, there was arguing coming from the room next to the bathroom. It was Matt and Julianne. Despite it being none of my business, I leaned toward the door to hear better.

“Maybe your mom is only thinking of herself,” Matt said. He dragged out each word.

“You’re drunk,” Julianne replied.

“So are you. Maybe if you’d sober up, you’d see that putting yourself first isn’t always bad.”

“I hate it when you get like this.”

“Well, I hate that you’re fucking leaving me!”

I jumped at Matt’s outburst.

“Grow up! Not everything is about you.”

They were just making out. What happened?

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