Towing the Line by Nicola Marsh

Author:Nicola Marsh [Marsh, Nicola]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: bad girl, new adult, love, college
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

DANI

The moment I’d agreed to hang out with Ash, casually or otherwise, I knew this would be inevitable.

Me doing tequila shots in some seedy Melbourne bar with a group of fellow art students I should probably avoid. A small faction of my course that skipped lectures, flunked assignments and partied hard. Very hard.

They were the crew I’d blown off when I’d first started because I’d been there, done that, still detoxing to prove it.

They weren’t conducive to my new life: study hard, stay clean and hang out with sensible Ash.

Which is exactly why I was here, downing my fifth shot.

Because hanging out with Ash was scaring the shit out of me.

It had been two weeks since he’d told me about his mom. Two weeks since I’d ended up spending the entire weekend with him. Holed up in his bed. Strolling Carlton hand in hand. Buying gourmet cheese and dips at the Queen Victoria Market. Visiting the zoo. Watching an Aussie Rules footy team train while feeding each other chips and donuts. Doing nauseating couple things that didn’t make me feel so sick.

What had I done? Avoided him since. For three long weeks. Been polite via text and email, but determinedly keeping my distance. And when the party crowd asked me out? I accepted. Four times.

The first time I’d avoided a hangover. The second, I’d avoided having sex with the lead singer in a band. The third, I’d avoided accepting a hit of E. The fourth? The night was young.

"So Dani, how hard do you want to par-tay?" Rick, the ringleader of the flunkies, draped an arm over my shoulder. In the past, I would’ve flirted. Now, he made my skin crawl. "Because our chief supplier just texted me and he’ll meet us ASAP. You in?"

It would be so easy to say yes. So easy to lose myself in the mistakes of my past. To slip into a way of life that was easy to forget.

Because ultimately that’s what I wanted to do. Forget.

Forget what I’d done. Forget the pain. Forget everything.

"Come on, babe, you know you want to." Rick leaned in close, his lips grazing my ear, and I actually flinched.

"I’ve got a paper due tomorrow. Rain check?" I shrugged out of his embrace and pasted a bright smile on my face, wondering if the nausea rolling over me was a result of the alcohol I’d imbibed or a result of how he was leering at me.

"I’ll hold you to that." He cocked a thumb and forefinger in a gun shape and mock-fired.

Loser.

I made my escape, dodging stumbling patrons and writhing bodies on the dance floor, the boom of the bass reverberating through me.

I’d thrived on this scene once. Had made an art form of scoping the worst guy in the place and going home with him.

I could do it now. Get Ash out of my system once and for all. And start again on my plan for a new life, this time without being plagued by constant doubts:

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