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I rose The party was losing its appeal I should run up to the fourth floor and take a quick picture with o home and block out place hohtfor you to call me" Impatience was etched on his face

"You’ll wait a long time, then, because I threw your nuive h his hair and settled it at the back of his neck He leaned forward "Can we get out of here?"

"You had a chance You had two years of chances I don’t knohy you’re here, but it has nothing to do with ain, but the hand onin aagain

"It has everything to do with you," he said, his face intense, leaning down to an to spread through my body, and I tried to beat it back

"Really? I don’t believe you" I knew I sounded petulant, but I didn’t care I just wanted out of there before I let hih ti

"I know," he replied He sounded frustrated, and I could feelat each other The crowd of people streaht on low-speed film

While the crowd had felt oppressive before, it now seemed a safe harbor Within the mass of people, perhaps I could lose Noah or, even ht now to deal with hiement had been unsuccessful, I tried a different tactic

"I can’t deal with this now"

"When, then?"

I felt like I was being interrogated, and the sense of injustice threatened to chokethe questions, setting the li our boundaries

"I don’t knoo years frouy who looked like hiirl on the line for four years expected her to lie down and beg to be walked over I looked down pointedly at his hand still encircling o anytime now"

He released me immediately, and I headed for the stairs to collect Lana or maybe drink myself into oblivion with tequila shots

I felt Noah’s body heat behind nore him

But a clearly tipsy Lana and an every drunker A Jack was nowhere to be seen New plan

"You two ready to go?" I asked Lana ide-eyed and ht behind you" to me Correction--Lana wasn’t tipsy She was drunk

"I know," I said, "and you aren’t invisible to him I’m sure he can see you"

"Yup," Noah affirmed

"Oh no!" Lana said "What about your cure?"

"Are you sick?" Noah asked, co at me intently

"Not that kind of cure, silly," Lana said before I could openno pain She stu Aht, as if I hadn’t been huh before

"I’ll drive y’all home," Noah said "My truck is out front"

"You can’t park on the street," Lana said, poking one long fingernail into his chest When her poke found no purchase, she began patting "Wow, this is like marble Amy," Lana turned and held up their joined hands, "feel this" At which point both girls proceeded to pat Noah’s apparently very hard chest

He, at least, had the grace to look embarrassed by this I had to hustle Lana out before her drunken state revealed soh at this point, I wasn’t sure what that could be

I pulled their hands down "Coed back "No, there’s another house party over on Forest Let’s go there"

This night was fast becoet Lana to come home with me Part of me wanted to just sit down on the floor and cry like a toddler, but I had already done that earlier today

I let out a frustrated breath "Where’s Jack?"

Lana and Amy turned in unison to look up the stairs We all waited for a heartbeat but the upstairs hall re sister is at the party on Forest," A sister in the sorority could watch over the you up on the ride offer"

He nodded and didn’t shtly more acceptable As alked behind him, I noticed how the crowd just see the Red Sea

Outside, Noah stopped briefly beside the blond guy I’d seen with hiirls This must be the infah, and instead shepherded us toward his truck sitting in the driveway of the fraternity

I’ the vehicle had been there, and its presence surprised ot to park in the driveway

"No," Noah shook his head "Just know soer side doors and helped all of us into his dual cab pickup