Page 53 of Off the Rim
Me: Are you sure you don't want to come to this awful party?
Hot Trash: Well, when you put it like that…
Me: Can I come over to yours?
I'm so ready to get the fuck out of here. I don't give a fuck if the frat considers these parties important, or about the pledges getting initiated tonight. I don't want to be here. It's not that I'm tempted by the booze or drugs, either. It's the company, the whole scene. I'm utterly uninterested, and I truly believe that even if I didn't have a hot as fuck ex step-cousin's dick to suck, I wouldn't want to be here. The only way these parties were ever tolerable was by getting wasted, and too many bad things happened when I let my guard down like that.
"Who has got you smiling like that, my brother?"
I tear my eyes away from my phone, instinctively turning the screen off so Anderson Hearst, Preston Biltman, and Chase Astorfeld, previously known as Bernice, can't get in my business.
"Don't know what you're talking about," I say, stuffing my phone into my pocket. "What's up? Ready for Tennessee this weekend?"
Our first game against a top-ranked team is going to be at the Basketball Hall of Fame in San Antonio this weekend. It's a huge game with a lot of fanfare and media coverage, almost like an early season tournament game. Winning against the #12 team in the nation could push us into a higher seed.
Chase answers enthusiastically, launching into a discussion about how the outcome could affect our tournament chances. Preston interrupts. "None of his tonight, gentlemen. Finals are over and the game isn't for three days. Tonight is for letting loose and having fun. Anderson, call them over."
Anderson looks over his shoulder and lifts a hand with a beckoning motion, like he's signaling for the check at a restaurant. Like they were waiting in the wings to be summoned, three young women walk over, tottering in heels that remind me of the night I met Bianca. She walked in them so effortlessly while these girls look like they've been playing dress up in a supermodel's closet.
"Mindy, I'd like you to meet my friend Chase. He's a new pledge, a walk-on forward for the Cougars basketball team, and his father is a bank executive." It's hard not to roll my eyes at the way Anderson acts like he's handing over an auction prize to the girl, who apparently gets no other introduction other than her name and the fact that she's gorgeous. Chase unfortunately takes the bait, proving that he is not, in fact, better than any of the restof them. He hooks her arm around his and they walk off into the house, to talk or do whatever Chase wants, I'm sure. That's just how it does for Alpha Omega Psi men. No one ever says no. And even if she did…
"Now, this man needs no introduction, I'm sure," Anderson teases, interrupting my downward spiral. "Star of the Cougars Basketball team, heir to the wealthiest family in the southeast, and possessing only the best qualities that a man of his pedigree can have."
"I'm not a dog," I deadpan. But I hold my hand out to each of the ladies and greet them politely. "I'm Ashton. It's nice to meet you. I hope you're enjoying the party." Turning to Preston, I give him a nod and straighten my fraternity issued blazer. "I think I'm going to head out."
"What?" Anderson says, too loudly. Preston levels him with a look, and Anderson shuffles the girls off towards the living room, where the rest of our frat brothers are hanging out. There's a silver tray of white powder sitting in plain sight on the coffee table.
When Anderson comes back, he has a blatant look of disappointment on his face. "What is wrong with you? Those girls are hot, and you just dismissed them."
"Let's not pretend you care about their feelings," I snark back.
"I don't understand what your problem is?—”
Preston cuts him off with a nudge to quiet down. Then he throws his arm around my shoulders. At six-foot-eight, he's one of the only guys that can to do that casually. He lowers his voice. "If the girls aren't to your liking, is there something I can offer you that's more to your taste?" His head tilts in the direction of a guyI've never seen before but must be from one of the other upper-crust fraternities, if his preppy clothes are any indication. He's smaller in stature, well dressed, and good looking. Good looking is probably an understatement. He's actually beautiful, with soft looking blond hair and pink, puffy lips.
"It's pretty offensive for you to assume that he's interested in?—”
"Ashton, brother, don't you trust me? I did my research. He’s safe. I invited him here just for you," he says, squeezing my shoulders playfully. "Would you like me to call him over?"
As he says it, the guy looks over at us. His pale eyes lock on mine, then do an obvious sweep of my body from the bottom up. He lifts his sculpted brows and quirks one side of his pouty lips, a clear indication of interest.
I blink back memories of chugging liquor and leading pretty twinks like this guy into whatever the closest private space was. I'd let them suck me off, then send them on their way with the unspoken agreement that they never repeat a word of what happened between us. And then the last time…
"No, thank you." My gut churns, the taste of vomit and regret climbing up my esophagus. "I'm sure he's a nice guy, but he's not my type."
"But Vell is?" Anderson spits, unreasonably offended that I'd turn down their party offerings. As if I'm turning up my nose at crudites they made from scratch according to my special dietary needs.
"Why do you care?"
"Look, it's not like we care that you like dick, but you don't have to slum it to get some ass," Preston drawls, his entitledtone dripping with false empathy. "We're only saying something because we care about your reputation. He's just not on our level, and you know it."
Anderson crosses his arms. "I know all about the arrangement between our families. And if you give my sister some kind of disease because you're off sticking your dick in some low-rent piece of ass?—”
"You better watch your fucking mouth, Hearst." I growl, the warning clear in my tone. "If that's what this shit is about, I'll have you know that I have zero intentions of marrying your sister or anyone else. I already told my dad I wasn't interested." Stretching to my full height, I take a threatening step towards both of them. "I don't give a fuck who you think you are. You keep Marcus' name out of your goddamn mouths. You're jealous that he's better than you. He's a better player, a better man, a better person, than any of us will ever be."
"I wonder what your dad will have to say about that," Anderson says, clearly not getting the hint to shut up while he has the chance. Like the entitled prick he is, he has to get the last word. "He asked me to watch out for you, you know. To keep an eye out for you, make sure you don't get in anytroubleagain."
Grabbing Anderson's collar, I wrench him to me and get an inch from his face. "If you know anything about what happened at GSU, then you should know better than to test me. I'll fuckingendyou, Hearst."
