Westbrook

Chapter 1

Just Another Summer Night

The first time I saw Ethan's villa that summer, I understood why Lauren had refused to tell me how many people were coming.

The music was already loud enough to shake the windows, and we could hear it from halfway down the driveway. Cars lined both sides of the street, some parked neatly along the curb and others abandoned wherever their owners had found space.

Lauren glanced at me as we approached the front gate. "Don't look so worried."

"I'm not worried."

"You're judging."

"I'm observing."

"There's a difference?"

"There is when I'm doing it."

She smiled and pushed open the gate.

Beyond it, the villa glowed beneath the warm California night. Its floor-to-ceiling windows were lit from inside, revealing flashes of people moving through the rooms. Students crowded the entrance with drinks in their hands, while someone I vaguely recognized from Westbrook sat on the hood of a Mercedes like it belonged to him.

It definitely didn't.

"You said it would be small," I said.

"I said smaller."

"There are cars parked on the sidewalk."

"Which is smaller than last time."

I looked at the villa again. "Last time, there were cars parked on the lawn."

"Exactly." Lauren continued toward the entrance, completely unbothered.

I followed her. "I'm pretty sure someone's parents are going to kill them."

"Not our problem."

"That car costs more than my dignity."

Lauren looked me up and down. "So, like, forty dollars?"

I stopped walking.

She kept going.

"Lauren."

She laughed over her shoulder. "Come on."

I caught up and bumped her shoulder with mine.

The Beverly Hills heat still clung to the pavement, even though the sun had disappeared hours ago. It settled against my skin, mixing with the perfume, smoke, and faint chlorine drifting from the backyard.

Before we reached the front door, someone opened it from inside.

The music became instantly louder.

I looked at Lauren. "No."

She smiled. "Yes."

"I hate you."

"You'll survive." She grabbed my hand and pulled me inside.

The villa was already packed. People filled the living room, crowded the staircase, and spilled through the open glass doors toward the backyard. Two guys from my economics class were arguing beside the stairs with matching red cups in their hands, while a girl from English kissed someone against the wall. A pair of heels lay abandoned beside the couch, which seemed optimistic considering it wasn't even midnight.

Outside, the pool glowed blue beneath strings of lights. People sat along the edge with their feet in the water, drinks passing between them. Someone had already ended up in the pool fully dressed.

I checked my phone.

10:42.

"Twenty bucks says that was Ethan," I said.