AOIFE
SEVERAL ROUNDS OF SHOTS LATER, and I had swiftly moved beyond the point of tipsy and was teetering closer to the verge of intoxication.
Shaking my ass with Katie, who had returned from chaperoning Casey, we danced around the makeshift dance floor with Ken and Baby Spice, while I dutifully ignored the asshole passing around a joint in the kitchen.
So much for being clean.
Asshole.
“You do know that Hughie is going to kill you, don’t you, Gibs?” Katie asked, dragging my attention back to the present, to where Gibsie Gibberson, or whatever his name was, had stripped down to his jocks to Aqua’s Barbie Girl.
Shameless in the act of debauchery, he had thrown his dance partner over his shoulder, and was drumming on her ass to the rhythm.
Squealing in delight as he bopped around the floor with her dangling haphazardly in the air, Claire held onto his biceps for dear life.
Giving Katie a wolfish grin, the big lad continued to dance with his little gal-pal, either unaware or just plain uncaring of the many longing looks he
was receiving.
To be fair, it didn’t take a genius to figure out why the girls from his school were looking. The boy was built like a brick shit house, with both nipples pierced, and more muscles on his body than he had common sense in his head.
Common sense or not, the big man certainly seemed to have his priorities in order, placing his curly-haired queen in a firm first place position. While the rest of his friends had long since abandoned their girlfriends and dates, Gibsie hadn’t taken more than three steps away from Claire all night.
“Honestly, they’re not doing it,” Katie offered, seeming to read my thoughts, as she rolled her eyes. “They’re always like this. Like two weird little unicorn magnets drawn to each other.”
Laughing, I nudged her and said, “Well, when they fuck, there’s going to be fireworks.”
“If it ever happens, then it’ll be on their marriage bed,” Katie snickered. “Because Claire Biggs isn’t opening her legs for anything less than a big fat diamond and the promise of forever.”
“Good for her,” I replied, and then offered her a teasing grin. “Sounds like she’s taking her cues from her future sister-in-law.”
“Hey.” Katie’s face flamed with embarrassment. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be good.”
“True,” I mused, slinging an arm over her shoulder. “But being bad is so much more fun.”
“Speaking of bad.” Catching ahold of my arm, she leaned in close and asked, “Are you going to go over there and talk to Joey?”
“Nope.”
“Oh, stop it,” she growled. “You’re hurting and I get that, but pretending like you don’t want to go over to him is just silly.”
“It’s not, actually,” I lied. “I’m perfectly content staying here with you.” “God, you’re both as stubborn as each other.”
“No, he’s stubborn,” I shot back. “I’m protecting myself.”
“Come on, Aoif, don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.” She sighed heavily. “It’s pretty clear why he’s still at the party.”
“Yeah? If it’s so clear then why isn’t he over here?”
“Because he already tried to talk to you,” she reminded me. “You walked away from him.”
“Because he broke up with me, Katie.” Feeling a lump bob in my throat, I quickly forced it down before hissing, “He dumped me. What am I supposed to do? Stick around for another verse of it’s not you, it’s me?”
“Well, break up or not, it’s obvious that he’s not looking to replace you,” she replied, pointing a finger in the direction of the kitchen. “Gretta Burchill is the sixth girl I’ve watched crash and burn with him tonight.”
Reluctantly, I turned around and peered through the archway to see Joey leaning against the marble kitchen island, rollie in hand, as he chatted to a group that contained Alec, Podge, Katie’s boyfriend, Hugh, the designated driver, Patrick, Shannon’s friend, Lizzie, and a few others I didn’t recognize.
White hot fury scorched through me when the leggy brunette who was sitting on the island next to him, sidled closer and whispered something in his ear.
She was all flirtatious smiles and not-so-innocent petting, as she hooked an arm around my asshole’s neck and dragged him backwards to rest between her legs. Keeping her hand on his chest, she rested her chin on his shoulder and whispered something else in his ear.
Oh, hell fucking no.
“Stem the crazy, Harley Quinn,” Katie coaxed, gripping my wrist when I moved to go cut a bitch. “Just watch.”
Not missing a beat, Joey caught ahold of her hand and deftly slipped out from under her arm, shaking his head when she moved to pull him back to her.
“See?” Katie called over the music. “He’s not interested in any other girls, Aoif.”
I was too far away to hear what was being said, but the hand he held up to warn the brunette off, not to mention the bemused expression etched on his face, momentarily mollified me and sated my thirst for blood.
The girl held her hands up and said something to Joey, and whatever he said in response caused them both to turn in my direction.
The girl had the good grace to blush when our eyes met. Meanwhile, Joey gave her a smug look that said see, I told you.
Narrowing my eyes, I glared at her until she scrambled off the counter and away from my man, retreating from the kitchen with her tail between her legs.
Our eyes met, green on green, and he winked at me from across the room. And just like that, I was ruined.
“Go on,” Katie urged, giving me a little shove in the direction of the kitchen. “You’re Aoife Molloy. Since when did you start letting a boy call the shots on your life?”
“I don’t,” I mumbled before snapping my attention back to my friend. “I
don’t.”
“Exactly.” She smiled. “So, go on over there and claim that incredibly sexy and incredibly scary boyfriend of yours before anymore girls try to snatch him up.”
“Damn straight I will.” Narrowing my eyes, I turned on my heels and marched straight for the beautiful pothead himself only to swing back at the last minute and grab Katie’s hand. “But you better take your own advice and come with me because that moody-looking pal of Shannon’s is looking like she wants to eat that posh boy of yours up.”
“Who, Lizzie?” Katie laughed, trailing after me. “No way. She’s in their super elite inner circle at school. She’s just a friend.”
“Uh-huh.” I rolled my eyes. “Rule one, my innocent little neighbor. Never trust a girl who looks like that around a boy who looks like that.”
“Wah-hey, sexy-legs,” Alec cheered when Kate and I joined their little circle of smoke in the kitchen. “How’s my favorite girl?”
“Don’t push your luck, lad,” Podge chuckled, ribbing Al with his elbow. “You’re looking well, Aoife.”
“Cheers, Podge,” I acknowledged, feeling awkward when Katie moved straight for Hugh, leaving me standing alone in front of a group of boys who, normally, I wouldn’t bat an eyelid at chatting to.
But this is different.
“Molloy.”
Heat flooded my belly when he spoke my name, and I forced myself to face him. “Joe.”
I cocked a brow and watched as he exhaled a cloud of smoke.
“On the straight and narrow?” I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, asshole, it sure
smells like it.”
His brows furrowed in confusion, while Podge let out a very loud ha. “A smoke doesn’t count, Molloy.”
“Yes, it does.”
“Since when?”
“Since always.” Frustrated and weary, I rolled my eyes and gave him my back, unwilling to fight him on this. “Hi,” I said instead, giving the scowling blonde my attention. “I’m Aoife.”
“Lizzie,” she replied, giving me a half-hearted smile, shaking her head when Alec held the joint out for her. “Your friend was wrong earlier, just so you know. I wasn’t trying to get with your boyfriend.”
“It’s not my business who Joey gets with,” I replied, achingly aware of how close he was standing behind me. “He’s a free agent, and so am I.”
“Like fuck we are.” His hand came around my waist, fingers flexing against my flesh, as he pulled me backwards into his embrace. “Pack it in.”
“Woo,” Alec spluttered through a fog of smoke. “Is there trouble in paradise I’m sensing?”
“What’s the matter, Joe?” I taunted, resisting the urge to shiver and sag against him. “You want to be done, then deal with the consequences.”
“Molloy.”
“Shush.” Keeping my ass pressed against the front of his jeans, I flicked my long hair over my shoulder and smiled at the stranger taking a hit from the joint. “Are you planning on sharing that, blue-eyes?”
Offering me a flirty wink, the lad held out the joint for me.
“What are you doing?” Joey’s tone was hard. Releasing a frustrated growl, his big hand splayed across my belly. “Put that the fuck down, Molloy. Now.”
Not having a notion of what I was doing, I balanced it between my fingers, pressed it to my lips and sucked in a deep drag, willing myself not to splutter my lungs out, as my head swam and my eyes burned.
“Molloy.” Twisting me around in his arms, Joey glowered down at me. “I’m not fucking around here.”
Forcing myself to exhale slowly, I beamed up at him. “What’s the saying, Joe? If you can’t beat them…”
“Join them,” Alec cheered, drumming his hands on the counter at his back before quickly quietening down when he was met with a death glare from Joey. “Or not?”
“No,” Joey deadpanned, turning his attention back to me. “No.”
“What’s wrong, Joe? You can have fun, but I can’t?” I taunted, putting the joint to my lips once more and taking another eye-watering hit.
“Molloy!”
“Lynchy, just relax.”
“She’s only having a bit of craic, lad.”
“I said no,” he snapped, snatching the joint out of my hand and handing it off to the stranger standing behind him. “I said no, Aoife.”
“You can’t tell me what to do, Joe,” I growled, feeling a combination of drunk and dizzy. “You don’t own me.”
“Well, that’s bad fucking luck on my account, because you sure as shit own me!”
Drunk or not, his words hit me like a wrecking ball to the chest.
Feeling the air whoosh from my lungs, I glared up at him, feeling a torrent of emotions crashing through me. “Why would you say that to me?”
“Because it’s the truth.” “Since when?”
“Since I was twelve.”
