Burning Attraction (21 page)

             
"What the fuck was that?" Avery calls from behind me, but I don't stop until I'm out in the middle of the lawn, away from the house. I really didn't want a scene and hell, there wouldn't be any kind of scene if he just stayed away, or showed up in the first place. Or even answered his own phone.

             
I turn around and face a very pissed off Avery, but I let it known I'm just as upset. "Hm, let me see. That is me, smashed, dancing with two of my friends that actually bothered to show up to my party! Two people, that if I called, they'd answer my God damn phone calls or messages! Why don't YOU explain to ME what you think that is?"

             
His face reddens. "I'm sure he would answer your phone call, when you're calling him to whore yourself out. Is that why you're dressed like that?"

             
I swallow the vomit when I hear him say that. I lower my voice some and take a step closer to him, my entire body shaking with anger. "You know what Avery? That is twice you've called me a whore, but I've been nothing but faithful to you! You can't say the same, can you? Who the fuck is Leah? Huh? Wait, I don't want to know who she is, all I want is for you to get the fuck out of this house and leave me the fuck alone. I hate you." My shoulder shoves into his arm as I storm past.

             
"Wait!" Avery yells out behind me, "get back here Cassie! Let me explain."

             
I whip my head around. "Why bother? We're done!" I turn back around and run inside the best I can without stumbling. Avery doesn't bother chasing after me, and when I get in the house, both Aubrey and Mason are missing. I see Pierce who is standing away from me, staring at me hesitantly.

             
I stride towards him, trying not to cry. "Do you know where Aubrey went?"

             
He shakes his head, "no I don't. You okay?"

             
"Do I look okay?" I snap at him. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. "Sorry, I shouldn't snap at you, you're the only one who gives a shit about me." I open my eyes and smile up at him.

             
Pierce smirks reluctantly. "I don't know about that. But it's your birthday, come, let’s get you a drink."

             
I follow him into another room, and we each take a shot of tequila before settling on a drink for each of us. I pull him behind me and make my way to the makeshift dance floor. The rest of the night is a complete blur, and I fade in and out on different memories.

             
Some girl in a pink tank top puts a shot glass between her breasts and just using my mouth, I manage to take the shot out from her cleavage, throwing the liquid in the back of my throat... I'm on top of a speaker, dancing to Taylor Swift, people all around watching me... Dancing with Pierce and Aubrey... Holding Aubrey's hair as she throws up in the toilet... Drawing on two frat boys that are passed out with permanent marker... Using whip cream bottles like they're silly string... Playing strip poker with a group of people I don't recognize besides Aubrey. Laughing insanely as I have to pull off my dress... Running around butt naked outside the frat house, Aubrey in tow... Someone holding my hair as I throw up in the toilet, wearing some oversized tee-shirt ... Getting carried outside, grey eyes staring down at me with worry.

Chapter 16:
Hangover

             
I hear a buzzing noise and I groan out in pain as my temples throb with each buzz. My eyes remain close but everything around me is spinning, and I feel like I'm going to lose whatever still inhabits my stomach. I sit up as my eyes spring open and I jump out of the bed. Aubrey is on the floor, naked, with a blanket thrown over her, not covering a thing. A puddle of drool falling from her mouth. I look down to see I'm in a tee-shirt that hangs down to my knees, then back at the bed I just jumped out of to see a naked Pierce. Oh. Shit.

             
It's then I realize that I'm in his bedroom. Oh my God, what did I do? I feel vomit start to rise again and I sprint to the bathroom, making it to the toilet just in time. Barely anything comes up, I'm mostly dry heaving. Tears run down my face each time I try to throw up. I get just enough energy to stand up and walk to the faucet, filling my mouth with water several times. Once my belly feels full enough, I walk back to the toilet and force myself to throw up, knowing it's the only way I'll feel better.

             
Once I'm in the clear, I search the medicine cabinet and pull out the Tylenol, taking three tablets before putting the bottle back in there. There is fluoride too, so after I swallow the tablets, I rinse my mouth out with the fluoride. I close the cabinet door and stare at myself in the mirror. I have a massive hickey on my neck, my makeup is smeared down my cheeks, my hair is matted to my head, and I simply look like death.

             
I walk over and fill up the bathtub, adding in some of Pierce's shampoo so I can have bubbles. I grab a towel and wash cloth out of his closet as the water fills up, and when it's to where I need it, I slide into the hot water with a small moan. Laying my head back against the cool tile, I close my eyes and try to replay what happened last night. The only things I seem to remember is the argument with Avery, dancing with Pierce, and Aubrey showing up at some point throughout the night again.

             
Aubrey walks in a few minutes later, the blanket wrapped tightly around her, groaning out. That is exactly how I feel, so I know what is going on with her head. She walks over to the toilet and sits on the lid, staring at me with heavy eyes. "What happened last night?"

             
I shrug my shoulders. "That’s what I'm trying to figure out. I'm a little scared it wasn't so good."

             
She closes her eyes, groaning again. "My thoughts exactly. Why was I naked on Pierce's floor and why are we in his house?"

             
"I wish I knew. I woke up in his bed, just in a shirt and nothing else. And he is naked. And," I point to my hickey, "I guess I proved Avery right."

             
"Proved him right?" she asks, walking over to me and sitting on the floor next to the bathtub this time.

             
I take a deep breath in, "he called me a whore last night, again! And apparently I am."

             
She starts to laugh, but it obviously hurts her head, so she quickly stops. "Ouch," she rubs her temples, "you're not a whore. It was your birthday and you had fun, while he was God knows where with God knows who."

             
Pointing to the medicine cabinet, I tell Aubrey that is where the Tylenol is. She gets up and grabs a few for herself, then walks back over. I scoot over in the tub, since it's plenty big enough for two people, probably more. Aubrey drops the blanket and climbs in with me. Most people would probably find something like this weird, but we've been friends for so long, it's no big deal to either of us. When she is plunged in the warm bubble water, she lays her head on my shoulder. "I want to cry," she states softly.

             
"Me too," I admit. "What happened with Mason?"

             
I can feel her shrug against my shoulders. "He said they were with Mouse. He says Avery got asked to do some training thing, and that no cellphones were allowed or some shit. And when I asked who Leah was, he said Mouse's sister. Then he said when they were done, they came to surprise us. We argued because a lot of what he said seemed fishy, then when Avery found us he was flipping out, and I told Mason I was joining you. Carson and Joe both asked them to leave if they were going to start problems and they left, without so much as a goodbye to me."

             
"Oh, I'm so sorry Aubrey. I know you guys don't ever argue. I'm not sure what to do. Are you going to call or see Mason later?"

             
She groans, "I'm going to wait for him to call me. I didn't do shit wrong. Well, before he left. I don't know about after."

             
I laugh quietly, "yeah, that’s how I feel."

             
We both just lay in the tub together for several minutes, staying quite. I hear a knock on the door a few minutes later. "Um, Cassie, are you in there?" Pierce asks through the door.

             
"Yeah, just taking a bath, I'll be out in a minute."

             
I hear him chuckle through the door. "Oh really now? Well, I'm glad you made yourself at home. Can I join you?"

             
"NO," Aubrey yells out louder than her head can even handle.

             
"Oh, you're both in there together?" I can only imagine the thoughts running through Pierce's head. "Anyways, I just wanted to tell you that your phone keeps going off. Mostly Avery, some Carson." Shit, shit, shit. I'm about to find out things I don't want to hear.

             
"Okay, I'll be right out," I say back to him.

             
Aubrey groans again as I climb out, and once I have a towel snug around me, I grab her one out of the cabinet. While she dries off, I wash my face in the mirror. I'm starting to feel better, I just need some extremely greasy food and coffee to really feel good. When we're both all set, I walk out of the bathroom and back down the hall to Pierce's bedroom. He is dressed in a pair of jeans, but his shirt is still off and I can't help but stare. I miss seeing him shirtless.

             
"Shit," I mutter, "are our clothes here?" I ask him, realizing I have nothing to change into. Aubrey pulls her towel closer when she walks in behind me and I see her eyes take in Pierce's body with approval. Her cheeks blush pink then she looks at me, knowing she got caught starring, then looks towards the door ignoring me and Pierce both.

             
Pierce chuckles, "as much as I'd love to see you ladies walk around in towels, I'm sure you don't. You're clothes aren't here actually," he laughs harder, "um, but here." He tosses two tee-shirts and two pairs of boxer shorts onto his bed. I grab one of each and tell him to turn around as I put them on, Aubrey doing the same as quickly as she can. I keep my eyes on Pierce to make sure he doesn't peak, and he doesn't even once. Impressive.

             
When we're all dressed I give him the okay to turn around. "You two look pretty hot in my clothes."

             
I scowl at him. "Ha, funny. Now. Any way you could explain anything about last night before I answer any phone calls?"

             
He smiles full of mischief. "Oh, I'd love to replay last night. But you girls may want to sit down."

             
Aubrey and I sit on the bed and Pierce sits in a chair opposite of us. He tells us everything he can remember about the night, all the way from us getting so incredibly smashed, to dancing and having loads of fun. He says we drew dicks and hearts and all sorts of weird things over some of people who had passed out before us. We had a whip cream fight that pissed some of the frat guys off because of the mess we made. Thus resulting to us to sitting down at a table and playing a game of strip poker, which is where we lost our clothes.

             
The majority of the night after that we were naked while dancing, running around, and making out with one another in front of guys. We played leap frog outside naked, but Carson, Pierce and Joe got us inside before we could make any more fools of ourselves. Carson is the one that gave me a shirt, that I took, but Aubrey refused to wear anything and was kicking at people who tried to make her. Joe was sober, so once I started getting sick, he helped bring the three of us back here. Pierce says that Carson was furious that Aubrey and I left with him, but he promised nothing would happen and we were safer at his house.

             
He thinks that is why Carson is blowing up my phone, to make sure that I'm okay. And he swears up and down that nothing happened between the two of us, and the reason he was naked was because I told him I would sleep outside if he didn't get naked. He says he just stripped down to keep me inside, and fell asleep before he got the opportunity to re-dress.

             
I'm mortified but I cannot help to laugh at some of the things he explains from the night before. Aubrey is laughing alongside me, making me feel a little bit better that I wasn't alone in the night of insanity. Apparently she is the one who gave me the hickey too, which of course makes me feel so much better about myself.