Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“Psst.” Sybil pokes her head in, and I shoot upright, making an attempt at casual. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing,” I answer, my voice way too high. My face feels like it’s on fire, but she doesn’t seem to notice.
“A few of us are going down to Bryer’s pond for a gathering. Want to come?”
“A gathering?” I discreetly adjust my skirt and stand.
“Yeah, it will be fun. A good way to blow off some steam after the stress of the first week.” She wiggles her eyebrows.
Sebastian’s earlier request comes to mind, and I wonder what he would say about this. Then I realize how foolish I am to consider it. It’s not like he’s watching me or really cares what I do in my spare time. Something happened between us today, and I can’t deny it, but I’ve already convinced myself numerous times over that he probably regrets it, and it will never happen again.
There are rules about this sort of thing, and we broke a lot of them today. He could lose his job. I could lose my place at Loyola. There are too many consequences to consider, and none of them are good. But even as I try to talk myself out of it, I know that if he came to me again, I wouldn’t deny him.
“A gathering sounds fun.” I force the words from my lips, and Sybil smiles and rubs her palms together gleefully.
“Thank God, I didn’t want to go alone.”
Without giving it too much thought, I follow her down the hall and out her bedroom window, which happens to be closest to the shrubbery.
“It’s only about a mile through the trees,” she whispers. “But we have to be quiet until we get there. Mr. Carter usually takes late night runs around the perimeter, and we don’t want to get caught.”
“He does?” I ask, getting caught up on his name and forgetting everything else she just said.
Sybil nods and doesn’t give me any more details, obviously unaware of how desperately I want them. We trek through a well-worn path between the trees, and when the pond finally comes into view, I’m almost disappointed we didn’t get caught. Sybil said it was a small gathering, but it looks like half the lacrosse team is here, including Ethan and his buddies. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Louisa is here too.
“Do you really think this is a good idea?” I ask.
Sybil glances at the source of my concern and waves them off. “Just ignore them. We’ll make our own party.”
I try to do as she suggests and follow her lead as she heads for a guy in the back who’s manning the keg. She bats her eyelashes at him and holds up two fingers. “One for me and my friend please?”
The beer smells gross, and I already know from this summer that I don’t have a taste for it. But I’m hoping Sybil is right, and I can relax if I just have one or two. We barely even have our drinks in hand before someone calls us over to the larger circle gathered near the pond.
“We’re playing truth or dare,” Josh informs us. “You should join in.”
I’m about to say no when Sybil answers for both of us. “We are so in!”
Crap. I’m pretty sure this would go against Sebastian’s do whatever he says policy. I did not know Josh was going to be here. Or Ethan. Or the whole damn lacrosse team.
“All right.” Micah, Sybil’s crush of the week, slings his arm over both of our shoulders. “Who wants to go first, ladies?”
“Stella will go first.” Sybil nudges me with her elbow in good fun.
“Rules are, you can pass on whatever you’re challenged or asked, but you have to drain your cup if you do,” Josh explains.
“Fine.” I roll my eyes. “Let’s do this.”
“Truth or dare?” Louisa challenges, and of course, she’s the one who gets to taunt me.
“Truth.” I take a sip of my beer, trying to play it cool.
“How many guys have you been with?” she asks coyly and then giggles. “I bet it’s a lot.”
Some of the crowd joins in on her laughter, and I try not to let it get to me. There isn’t a way I could answer this question that she wouldn’t use as ammunition against me, so I decide to skip.
“Pass.”
“Lame.” Louisa rolls her eyes as the crowd chants at me to chug my beer.
I drain the glass, and before I’m even finished, someone’s handing me another one. Sybil goes next, taking on her dare to do the splits with a smile on her face while all the guys ooh and ahh over her flexibility. The circle continues, and I continue to drink from my cup, dreading my next turn. I feel woozy, and I don’t know why I even came here when I’m already counting down the minutes until I can leave. Eventually the circle comes back to me, and this time, it’s Sybil who gets to challenge me, which fills me with a little relief.