But Jamie Bradshaw has a dangerous air around him I'd rather not touch. Easy on the eyes, but bad for a girl's well-being. Fortunately for him, most girls from Holy Oaks Prep don't care about that part.
"Come on, I need another smoke," he beckons over his shoulder, sauntering away, giving me no other choice but to follow.
Are we heading outside? But instead of taking the stairs, we meander down the hall and step out onto a balcony.
There's only a handful of people around—Bennett, Giovanni and Parker as well as a few girls. Two of them are dancing to the music drifting from below, with Giovanni sandwiched between them.
"Jamie—fuck—man, where you been?" Bennett hollers. He's stretched out on a bench, his head resting on the lap of Lyla Matthews, one of the cheerleaders. She's lazily stroking his dark blond hair while fiddling with her phone.
"Balls deep in Mystery Girl, where else?" Giovanni snickers, prying himself away from the dancing girls. His black hair is unruly, a sheen of sweat glistening on his tanned olive skin. Turning to me, his smile grows wide. "For his sake, I hope it's not you."
Parker, who is right across from us, flicks an unreadable look my way before staring hard at Jamie.
"Calm your tits, Holloway," Jamie says, walking over to Giovanni and lighting up the cigarette his friend just handed to him. "I know better than to fuck around with her."
My lips press in a tight line. They really should stop caring what Liam thinks. It doesn't make sense, anyway. Aren't they angry with him for betraying Parker?
I glance over my shoulder at the door. Maybe I should just go back to my friends.
Giovanni raises a brow at me. "You're not thinking of leaving, are you?"
"She's not going anywhere. She's staying here and hanging out with us," Bennett says, his eyes closed, still enjoying Lyla's fingers on his hair.
Angela Hobbs—Lyla's friend and one of the dancing girls—approaches Jamie and sits on his lap, plucking his cigarette and taking a couple hits before going back to dancing, but not without giving him a seductive look over her shoulder.
"If that's the case…" Giovanni hands me a bottle of Corona.
Reluctantly, I take it from him, my eyes meeting Parker's as memories of that night at the beach flood me. My cheeks heat and, I swear, a small smile curves his lips.
Since the only empty seat is beside him, I hesitantly sit on it. "Um, hey."
"Make sure you're not getting drunk tonight, Peaches. I'm not going to carry you to your room again."
My mouth falls open. I can't believe he just said that. "Are you serious? It only happened one time."
He doesn't look convinced.
I scowl at him. "I'm telling the truth."
"I didn't say anything."
"You didn't have to. Your face said it all."
He just shrugs and takes a pull of his Corona.
Why is this guy so infuriating? And why haven't I noticed before? Then again, before Carson's party, the only interactions I had with him were limited. I usually hung out with him when Liam or Peyton was present. I guess I never really knew him.
Parker sighs. "Is there dirt on my face?"
"No." I glower. "But there's an asshole in it."
"Holy shit," Bennett howls, sitting up to throw his head back in laughter.
"Fuck." Giovanni almost spits his drink.
Jamie exhales a plume of smoke and points his cigarette at me. "I think I'm in love with you, Pretty Girl."
Parker glares at his friends, his jaw ticking, then turns to me with narrowed eyes.
I just shrug. It's the truth.
"Um, Parker?" It's one of the girls, peering down the railings.
"What?" he replies in a clipped tone, his eyes still on mine.
His gaze feels like it's searing through me, but I make sure to keep a neutral expression.
"Peyton's here."
That has all of us whipping our heads to the railings.
Bennett is the first to move there. "What the fuck is she doing here?"
Like a unit, the guys stalk out the door, with Parker in the lead. Judging from the stormy expression on his face, Peyton is in for an intense confrontation. What was she thinking crashing Parker's party, anyway?
I don't want to miss it, so I quickly follow the guys. And sure enough, when I get there, the guys are in a standoff with Peyton. Well, Parker is in a standoff with her. Jamie, Bennett and Giovanni are at his back, showing their support. While everyone gathers around them, preferring to watch the spectacle than continue partying. Even the music has stopped.
"Girl, you've got some nerve coming here," Bennett whistles.
"Fucking shameless," Jamie tsks, taking a drag of his cigarette and blowing the plume of smoke in her direction.
Ignoring them, Peyton curls her lips into a smirk. "Come on, Parker. Why are you mad at me? I actually did you a favor. We both know you never really wanted me." Her eyes flicker to mine for a brief second before moving back to her ex. "Right?"
My eyebrows draw together.
Why is she looking at me like that? And why is she always talking cryptically?
"You're not welcome here," Parker tells her in a chillingly arctic voice, ignoring her words instead of responding to them.
She lets out a humorless laugh. "Was I ever?"
"Leave."
"Fine," she spits. "This is a boring party, anyway." Then hisses at the people gawking at her before finally storming out.
"I'll make sure our unwelcome guest stays gone," Giovanni says, following after her.
I blink. That was kind of anti-climactic.
Since the spectacle left, the crowd quickly disperses and the music comes back up.
Bennett takes that as a cue to move toward a group of girls, snagging the waist of the nearest one to him, making her giggle.
"You okay?" Jamie asks Parker quietly.
Parker stalks off instead of answering, and the strong urge to follow him almost staggers me. Why on earth do I suddenly feel the need to comfort him? Why should I care?
"Peyton really fucked him up," Jamie comments, reminding me that he's still there.
"And she said he never wanted her."
"People will say things to make themselves feel
