Sophia's P.O.V.
Reina gasped, taking offense to my joke. Seeing where her eyes were, I was wrong. She wasn't surprised at my comment. Her eyes weren't on me; she was staring at Bryce's hand, confidently in mine. "Don't tell me you're with her. God, don't you have standards?"
Here we go again. I exhaled, too familiar with what was going to happen for a second time this year. I could see the Lake House repeat like a movie. This time though, Bryce would take Remy's role in being the lousy boyfriend.
Bryce isn't your boyfriend, I remembered. We had kiss – only once – and it was nearly a week ago. With that in mind, it gave me more reason to believe Bryce wouldn't feel compelled to stand by me.
"Say one more thing about her and I'll get someone to throw you and your friends out of this fraternity party." Bryce threatened, not releasing my hand. My gaze floated up to read his expression. It left me awestruck. He was scowling her, going against my previous assumption that he would whimper away. "Choose your next words with caution, Reina. Don't do anything reckless."
She crossed her arms. "You can't kick me out. I'm close acquaintance with some of the Big Brothers at Kappa Kappa Sigma."
"Close acquaintance?" Nicolas reiterated her words. "I can't imagine you being friends with anyone besides yourself."
"You don't know me," she snickered, her words dripping in toxic. "You watch and see. I'll have Ted kick out the three of you!"
"Impossible." Bryce scoffed. "I don't care if you're screwing every member in this damn fraternity. That doesn't change the fact that if I leave and say I'm never coming near this frat house again, they'll do anything to make sure that doesn't happen." Bryce countered, gritting his teeth. His response was harsh, but his stance hadn't altered since she got here.
His body language was lax and he seemed unfazed that she said that she would have us removed from the party. "Now, before you run my patience thin, why did you need to talk to me?"
"You have something I want." She flickered her eyes at me, Nicolas, and then back at Bryce. "But I'm not going to tell you with them in the room." The heels of her shoes clicked as she walked up to me, dusting an invisible substance off my shoulder. "Why don't you run along and do something useful while us grown-ups talk? I hear there's a throw-up mess on the second floor. Go clean it."
The nerve on this girl was unbelievable. I had to take a deep breath and think of furry woodland animals to conceal the rang roaming through me like a tsunami that had just blown on shore.
"First of all, we're the same age. So I don't know who you're talking to like that," I commented, brushing her hand off my shoulder. "Second of all, why don't you go up and do it yourself? It would be nice practice for when you become a housewife."
Reina's jaw dropped and her perfect French-tip nails tapped the corner of her mouth. "Do you see these cuticles? I don't do manual labor. When I get married, I'm not cleaning a single thing."
"Ah, right. I know why you won't be cleaning." Bryce said, rubbing his chin. "You'll be too busy masturbating to a fashion catalogue, because even at that point in your marriage, your sex life will be so non-existent that you'll have to start doing all the work yourself."
The room erupted, finding humor in Bryce's crude remark. People in Reina's entourage were caught giggling at the what Bryce said. She shushed at them, but her attempt was useless.
"C'mon," I said, wiping the corner of my eye. "You should be allowed to laugh at yourself. It was funny."
"Shut-up. I didn't ask for your input." Grabbing the first red cup she set her eyes on, Reina flung the content at me, splashing my shirt.
"What the hell, Reina?" Bryce hissed and reached for the napkins near the sink. "She didn't say that joke, I did."
After handing me the white napkins, Bryce retrieved his phone from his back pocket and started dialing. At the end of the call, a fleet of dark-clothed men stomped into the kitchen and began escorting Reina out, along with her friends.
"What. Was. That?" Nicolas asked, dumbfounded. "D-did you see that Sophia?"
"Yeah, I did." I peered up at Bryce. He had a knowing smile and slid his phone back into his pocket. As soft as a whisper, I asked, "How did you do that exactly?"
"I told you, I have friends here."
"Friends who dress the same and work together as a cohesive team?" I pressed on. "Sounds a little far fetched."
I allowed my curiosity to drop. Bryce wasn't caving anytime soon. He kept his lips sealed. "Fine, stay silent. I need to go wash this off anyway." I pointed at the stain on my shirt. The burning smell of alcohol crept to my nose. I had to delude it with some water and soap to weaken the scent. "I'll be back."
I headed for the restroom alone, using my elbows to maneuver around the large body mass of people dancing. I craned my neck, searching the area for the stairs that led up to the restroom. Remaining close to the walls, I limited my contact with the crowd by squeezing past them as fast as possible. I didn't want to go directly through them. I'd be stuck in there forever.
At last, I discovered the stairs and raced up them, grateful that there weren't many people getting in my way. A couple to my right was planet at the top of the stairs, lips locked and eyes shut as the girls hand crawl over every inch of the guys chest, leaving nothing off boundaries.
Two boys, leaning on the railing and wearing Fraternity sweatshirts, mirrored each other as they looked at me walk by, sharing a glance. I didn't think much of it and continued my journey to the restroom.
A shadow merged with the beige colored walls, lurking down the hall from where I was. "Sophia?" The shadow approached, stretching in length. "Sophia?"
I snuck a small gaze over my shoulder. The hallway had a warm, faint glow across the walls. I squinted at the person who had called my name. To my misfortune, it wasn't Nicolas, but Remy at the end of the stairs. Hastily, I flung the restroom door open and rushed inside - creating a safe distance away from Remy.
Why couldn't he take a hint?
•••
Bryce's P.O.V.
The night was reaching its peak when Reina decided to sashay in the kitchen in that ostentatious outfit of hers. I hadn't glanced at her long enough to even remember what color it was. Sophia had on more clothes than her, and she stood out far more than Reina ever could.
When Sophia announced to go up to wash up, I was ready to request if she wanted me to go and stand guard. Kappa Kappa Sigma parties wore the bad reputation of mistreating their visitors. Sophia left before I could've asked.
Dwindling on what could've been, I left the empty kitchen and started my search for Conner.
I found him with his tongue down Kelsey's throat, a millisecond after entering the living room. They were both seated at the couch, unaware of the guy smoking a cigarette to their left and a huddle of lanky freshman guys with foggy glasses, peeking glances at them make-out.
I needed new friends, friends who wouldn't end up dating. That's where I messed up during my Freshman year by befriending these two.
"Conner," I shouted. He detached from her gazed at me, sleepily looking around as if he only recently took note of his surrounds. "Get the hell up."
He tugged up the collar of his shirt and wiped off Kelsey's pink lipstick. "Oh, uh sorry man."
"I thought you said you were meeting up with Ernie tonight." Ernie was a lower ranking associate, ranking lower than Anthony in comparison. He had reported to one of my guys that he had gained info on Audrey and her location. I was waiting on his input so I could run a raid on her hiding spot.
I had fifteen of my best guys, ready for the job and waiting on my call. They were going in on a kill-first ask questions later bases. I followed my fathers old school rules and ordered my guys not to kill if it wasn't necessary. The only person I had a bounty out for was Audrey.
"Ernie hasn't shown up yet." Conner pinched the bridge of his nose. "I called his landline, but it went straight to the voicemail machine. I'll try to call him again in ten minutes."
I snatched the back of his shirt and prevented him from rejoining Kelsey on the lumpy sofa. "No, I want you to call him now. Go step outside if you have to."
Conner cursed and popped the collar of his jacket, unapologetically bumping into people as he walked to the exit.
"You could've said please." Kelsey chirped. "That's not so hard to do."
"I don't have to say please to him. I pay him for his work."
"But he's also your friend, Bryce. You guys were friends way before this," Kelsey said, shaking her finger at me. "He doesn't say it, but I can tell he misses the way you guys were."
Taking the seat Conner left, I relaxed into the sofa cushion. "We hang out every day."
"Only because it's relate to do... 'work' stuff." She made air quotes with her fingers. "When has it ever been about anything besides that though? You don't call each other anymore either."
"Hey, you can't blame this on me. The phone works both ways, you know. I never see him break his neck to arrange something."
"Whatever. At least try once in a while." Kelsey uttered, weariness wearing her voice into a mousy whisper. This mopey mood was something new on Kelsey and unrecognizable. "On more important news, how's it going with you and Sophia? Conner said you came here to see her, but I haven't run into her at all since I got here."
"She's in the restroom right now." I lamely pointed at the ceiling. "We're...actual, there is no 'Sophia and I,' so I can't say we're doing well. I mean, it's not like I don't want there to be. I do -"
"You do?!" The Kelsey I knew perked-up and started smiling from ear to ear. "Have you told her that yet?"
"No, I haven't," I replied, winning me a slap on the shoulder from Kelsey.
"Ugh. I can't believe you." Kelsey flicked my ear. "You're such an idiot! Tell her already. I can't do all the work for you, Bryce."
"What am I supposed to say? I don't know what I want."
All I knew was that I wanted her, exclusively her. I hadn't slept with another girl since that day Sophia walked into my apartment with Clementine in the guest room. Which, to me, was saying a hell of a lot. It spoke volumes to me when I denied Clementine the second time at my apartment.
There was not a black and white, clear way to depict my feelings for her. What I originally thought was purely physical gave birth to something so powerful, that I couldn't bare on my own. Admitting that to Sophia would be a death sentence though. I'd look like an idiot. Sophia repeated herself numerous times, saying she didn't want this to go that far.
On top of that, I wasn't a hearts and roses kind of guy. Sophia deserved someone that did those tiny, significant romantic gestures. For crying out loud, I hadn't gone on a proper date since I was in High School.
Juggling my type lifestyle with a girlfriend meant I was risking whoever got close to me. This morning proved even having Sophia as a friend put her life in danger. I'd hold on to that burden for an eternity if something tragic occurred on my behalf.
Reality darkened the idea of being with Sophia. Our concept of a relationship would be plagued by the nagging thought that her life was dangling on a string, ready to be cut loose at any waking moment.
Because of me. Because of what I couldn't prevent.
But, even with that straightened out in my head, I couldn't see myself stopping our interactions. I hated how selfish I sounded. I craved the essence of her being, holding me captive under the spell of her gaze, like a pawn in her game. I hadn't yet explored the curves of her body, but after one taste of her lips made me long for more.
You're being creepy again, my thoughts chimed. Creepy and cheesy.
It wouldn't be the end of such thoughts. In the long term, being with Sophia was what I imagined the center of a sea storm felt like. The rain beating down on you, relentless and tireless waves crashing against the boat. And then for a brief moment, the eye of the storm makes way and gifts you with second of pure hope in the form of a ray of sunlight. Until, again, you're faced with the dark gray clouds, swarming you like never before.
No matter how many times I played out the metaphor, I was always the destructive storm, ripping through her life. And she was always the boat, foolishly entering the black waters, fully aware of the strong currents that would be the cause of her demise.
"I'm not good for her." My throat felt raw. I twiddled my thumbs to avoid eye contact with Kelsey. "It's for the best if I kept it friendly, right?"
"Wrong." Kelsey said, knocking her knee with mine. "You're a good guy, Bryce. You shouldn't let what happened before dictate your future. If you don't make a move, someone else may."
"Who would?" I growled. "Do you know something I don't?"
"I'm not talking." Kelsey pantomimed zipping her lips shut.
"Tell me, Kels." I ordered. "Is it Kennedy? Remy?"
"Ding-ding-ding! We have a winner," Kelsey cheered. "Someone - I'm not saying who - said that Remy is coming to this party."
"I knew that."
"Not only that, but he came to the frat house earlier today and supposedly paid off the frat brothers."
I swear to God, if he gets any ideas...
My jaw tightened. "Paid them off to do what?"
"They never specified. I heard it was something to get her attention."
Every light in the frat house burned out, making the room pitch-black. The music had cut off only seconds before the lights. Loud footsteps boomed from the stairway as someone ran to the first landing, turning the corner and hurrying down the steps. "I don't care, Remy. I told you, I don't want to talk."
Sophia's face matched the voice of the girl that sprinted down the stairs. Students whispered amongst themselves, complaining about the lack of electricity.
When Nicolas had said he almost didn't recognize Remy, I understood why. His hair was dyed to a brunette shade - different than his blond locks. That wasn't what I, and surely the entire room of party people, was gawking at.
His hair was fluffed into a hairdo I'd only seen on my parents back when I was in middle school. His light blue trench coat had shoulder pads and jems on the cuffs and sleeves. To take the ridiculous costume to a whole new level, he wore sweatpants with green clovers to finish the look.
Some theater kid, high on meth must've told him his outfit was appropriate. Maybe he was the one on drugs, too. You had to be on some kind of illicit drug to wear that at a frat party.
Sophia faced him when a single light shined on Remy.
I tapped Kelsey's shoulder. "By get her attention, did he mean embarrass her?"
"Looks like it." Kelsey responded, gaping at the scene. She was eating this up, loving the live reality show she was getting for free.
With poor light provided, I pushed through the dense throng of partygoers. Remy had another thing coming if he thought he could do this without any negative repercussions.
"I'm sorry I cut your party short, ladies and gentlemen, but I'll keep my message short," Remy shouted from the fifth to last step. "For those of you who don't know me, I'm-"
"A waste of my time," Sophia interjected, loud enough for everyone in the back to hear her. They were in tune with her joke and laughed as expected. "Get to the point, Remy."
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I made a colossal mess by doing what I did." He shook his shoulders, letting the trench coat fall. "I'm sorry it took me this long to publicly say it. I'm owning up to my shit, Sophia."
Sophia checked a watch that wasn't there. "I think you're a few weeks too late."
"It's never too late." Remy walked down the last steps. I hadn't managed to reach them yet.
Remy snapped his fingers and crouched to a kneeling position. A song started playing over the speakers. I knew the song after the first set of lyrics were sung. It was Let's Stay Together by Al Green.
"I am so in love with you," Remy started singing along. "Whatever you want to do, is all right with me because you make me feel so brand new."
Poorly as possibly, Remy sang to the rest of the song to the best of his ability. It was like nails on a chalkboard. His shitty singing aside, he made it enjoyable by dancing with his two left feet, scooting around awkward on the carpeted floors. The weird side-step moves, mixed with the shaking of the hands, resembled what I called "Dad Dancing."
When the song entered its second verse, that's when I got it. He was embarrassing himself, similar to how he had made Sophia feel embarrassed at the Lake house. Everyone in the room was having fun mocking him.
"Stop." Sophia's scorn melted away. He had cracked the code in getting her to smile.
"Nope, I'm not stopping." Remy said in a sing-song voice. "Only if you agree to talk with me."
Sophia paused. "Okay."
Hectic to get to her first, I broke through the crowd, arriving at the stairway where they were. Remy placed his hand on the small of her back, unsettlingly me to the core.
A sheet of static cloaked my vision, gripping his arm and ripping it off of her. "Unless you want to leave with a missing arm, I suggest you keep your hands to yourself," I warned.
Remy snarled. "I don't need you to tell me what I can and can't do with my g-"
Heaving a breath, I lost sense of control. I blinked, shocked at my own strength to see Remy pinned underneath me, sailing punches in to his face. Blood caked his bushy brows, trailing to his cheekbone.
"Get off of him," Sophia's demand dragged me out of the blind anger. I rushed up off of him, wiping my knuckles on my jeans. Conner, Kelsey, and Sophia ushered me out the front door, too fast to see the reaction on everyone's face.
"I don't know what's with him, but can you please drive him back to his place." Kelsey pleaded, giving Sophia the keys. The adrenaline hadn't died down yet, I was coasting on the high and the ear-busting sensation.
The stupidity in my actions would follow after, and then regret. I waited and waited, but it never came.
I didn't regret a damn thing.
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a/n: please don't forget to vote and comment.