“He's gate-crashing,” Ben said, out of breath.
“He came after that other freak, that Lily girl.” Ben's voice held a chilling amount of contempt, like he'd never once thought of Lily with affection.
“Apparently, you didn't think she was all that freaky a few minutes ago,” Misty snapped, and a few people tittered.
“What do you want, Evans?” Ben swiped the back of his hand at the blood dripping from his nose. Yeah, I'd done that. I might have felt pride, if I had been capable of feeling more than anything but hurt and kind of broken.
“How about starting college without a criminal record?” she demanded. “Do you remember what happened the last time that chick got into trouble at one of your parties? Cops everywhere.”
A murmur spread through the crowd, as though this was the first time they'd considered the possibility of law-enforcement intervention. Dumbasses. Just because Ben was invincible on school grounds didn't mean the same concept applied here.
“And beating
The crowd murmur grew louder, and Ben, ever the experienced host, looked around and saw his party on the brink of breaking up in a panic. He shook his head and spat on the ground next to me in disgust. “Whatever.” He kicked at my leg, but since he lacked most of his previous force, it was more for show than anything else. “Get her and get out.”
He turned and walked away. “We're not going to let them spoil our party!” he shouted to his audience. “Time to tap a fresh one!”
A celebratory cry went up from those standing around me, and the crowd began to dissipate, without anyone giving me a second glance, let alone checking to see if I was okay. The show was over, and I had all the significance of a discarded prop.
Above me, Misty gave Chris a gentle shove to follow Ben, but instead of going along with him, as I expected, she paused for a quick second and scanned me from head to toe, like she was checking for broken bones poking out.
“Thanks,” I managed to mumble. Misty had saved my ass. I could maybe see now why Alona had stuck by her, even after Misty did what she had done with Chris.
For a long moment she didn't respond, and then she nodded at me. It was barely noticeable — in case anyone was watching, obviously — but it was there. Then she strolled away, beer cup in hand and shrieking a high-pitched greeting to one of her fellow cheerleaders across the yard.
In Misty's mind, we were even now. Fair enough.
I rolled to my side and the pain made me catch my breath, but I pushed myself up to my knees and then slowly to my feet. Taking stock, I could feel countless bruises and scrapes, and from the sharp pain on my left side every time I inhaled and exhaled, I was betting on cracked ribs. I could, however, still breathe, so probably not a punctured lung or anything.
Goody. Yay me.
I raised my gaze to the tree line in the distance, attempting to steel myself for the walk to find Alona and Erin, wherever they'd disappeared to (and with Alona's situation I could only pray that wasn't literally the case) and froze when I got a good look at the woods.
The light — bright, warm, and glorious — reached above the treetops in a gleaming column. It had come for someone. Erin… or Alona?
Or both?
Would Alona be gone before I even got a chance to say good-bye? A real good-bye? One last kiss and the chance to tell her that she'd made my life better even as she'd made me crazy? That we were better together than I would ever be by myself, but that because of her, I would be okay? Not great, but okay, and I owed that all to her?
No. I
My eyes hot and stinging, I pressed my hand against my ribs in an attempt to keep them from being jostled, and took off in a limping run.
I'd barely crossed into the woods and passed a few drunken couples who hadn't bothered to retreat to Ben's house for one-on-one time when Ed came charging out and nearly slammed into me.
