Watermarked by Danielle Butler

Author:Danielle Butler [Butler, Danielle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-01-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

The party is already going when we arrive, and cars are stacked up and down the street. We park and hear a shout as Luke calls us over. There are a few people out front and many more stuffed in the sparse living room. Most of them are at least five or six years older than us. The music is pumping, and someone hands me a drink as I walk through. I sniff it and set it down. I’ve heard enough cautionary tales; I’m not accepting an unknown drink from a stranger.

A guy with the same shaggy, dark blond hair as Luke waves to us through the crowd. Luke introduces me to his older brother, Alex, who is standing at the entrance of the kitchen. There’s another guy there as well, with dark hair and a devil’s grin.

“I’m Theo,” he shouts over the music and actually winks at me.

I toss a look at Blue, but she’s not paying attention. She heads into the kitchen toward the keg. I go after her, and as we pass, Theo stares at me with a slight smirk. I just keep on following Blue. She is already pumping frothy beer into a red plastic cup which she hands it to me. I look around to see where the others have gone. Luke is talking to his brother, and Diego and Wolf are still by the door. Wolf is smiling, chatting easily with a couple of people there. He must not always be as shy as he is with me.

I take a sip of the beer. I’ve tried it once before when a kid brought some to a party, a rare outing back before the divorce papers had come, before Mom needed me all the time. Before everything changed. I hadn’t liked the taste then, and time hasn’t improved it. Blue swallows a great gulp of her beer.

“C’mon, let’s go see if we can change this music!”

“I’m going to get some water. I’ll be right there.”

Blue makes a funny face at me and tells me to hurry. There’s a couple making out next to the stove. I slip around them, dump my beer and then fill my cup from the faucet.

“Not drinking?” Theo slides in next to me. His eyes crinkle when he smiles. “Or just not beer?”

I shrug. He is about Alex’s age, kind of cute but maybe a bit too convinced of his own charm. The music stops and then comes back on even louder. Blue must have found the stereo. Theo leans in to speak to me.

“How do you know Luke?”

“Luke?” Theo is too close, and I half step to the side.

“Isn’t that who you came with?” He leans in again.

“I guess… We’re in a group.” I take another step away. He follows.

“You live in Williams Point?”

“Close enough.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” He laughs and pokes me lightly in the side with his forefinger.

I jerk back and bump into the couple. “Sorry,” I say, but they are too wrapped up in each other.

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