Out of Bounds (The Summer Games #2)(90)

What would it be like to walk into a party and have Erik seek me out, bend low, and kiss me in front of everybody? The idea nearly made me laugh. It was based 100% in delusion.

“Do you want to dance?” he asked, tilting his head toward the dance floor.

A new song had just started to play and I strained my ears to hear it over the crowd—“Ride” by Twenty One Pilots.

“I love this song,” I said, offering Rosie an encouraging smile.

She nodded, he took her hand, and they were off.

“Our little Rosie is growing up!” Lexi said, wiping a fake tear from her cheek.

I laughed and shook my head, watching as Hudson and Rosie took the dance floor. It took me a few seconds to realize how jealous of her I was. I wanted Erik to take me out onto the dance floor and smile down at me like Hudson was smiling at her. I wanted Erik’s attention on me, not because he was trying to assess my next move, but because he couldn’t look away.

From the first day I’d met Erik, we’d been at war. If we weren’t throwing knives, we were falling into each other’s arms. I knew we’d never have that simple kind of love, the kind of choreographed affection Noah had bored me with. Erik and I were too much alike in our volatility. We’d drive each other insane on a daily basis. The bickering, the fighting, the day-to-day battles would never disappear, but we could call a truce on the war we were waging. One of us could surrender, lay down our arms, and admit that this thing between us wasn’t just for fun and wasn’t supposed to end after Rio.

“Brie, you want a drink?” Lexi asked, tugging on my arm to get my attention.

I shook my head and waved her off.

I’d known from the beginning I was physically attracted to Erik—there wasn’t a woman alive who wouldn’t find him physically attractive—but it was more than that. I enjoyed sparring with him. I knew to keep my enemy close, but I didn’t know I’d end up enjoying his company and his time. When we weren’t together, I was thinking about him. When we were together, I was focused on him. In the month and a half I’d known him, he’d taken root inside of me so deeply I couldn’t see past the idea of us.

I pulled my phone out of my purse and scrolled through the contacts.

“Hey.” A male voice caught my attention.

I glanced up and locked eyes with Owen, the soccer player I’d met at the seven deadly sins club.

I had my phone gripped in my hand, my thumb hovering over Erik’s name, ready to hit call.

“Are you here with friends?” he asked, scanning around me.

Molly and Lexi had wandered off to find drinks and Rosie was still on the dance floor. I looked lost standing there alone.

I pointed to Rosie with Hudson. “Yeah, they’ve just abandoned me.” I laughed.

He nodded and smiled, running a hand over his short blond hair.

“Lucky for me then.”

My spine stiffened as he ran his gaze down my legs. I tugged at the hem of my dress and offered a tight smile. “Right.”

“You wanna dance?” he asked, angling his head back to center of the room.

“Actually, Owen, you’re really nice, and I don’t want to lead you on. I’m kind of seeing someone.”

His brow arched.

“Really? Is he invisible? Because I don’t see him here.”

My stomach rolled. “Yeah, well…”

“That kid who was in the club the other day?”

Who? Oh, Noah.

“No,” I said, taking a step back.

His smile twisted into something sinister.

“Well whoever he is, he probably isn’t keeping you happy if you’re coming to a party alone looking like that…” He stepped closer and ran his hand down my arm, eliciting goose bumps I tried to cover with my hand.

I shook my head, ready to shove him away from me, but then I caught sight of Lexi and Molly behind him.

“Guys!” I said with obvious distress. “There you are!”

His hand dropped from my arm and he twisted around to take in my two friends. Lexi nodded in greeting, but I shook my head. “Owen was actually just leaving.”

Molly frowned, confused.

“Good seeing you again,” I said with a fake smile, all but pushing him away from the group.

He snorted and turned away, knowing he wouldn’t get anywhere.

“He was cute,” Molly said, watching him walk away.

I scrunched my nose. “Not one of the good ones. Believe me.”

“Are you sure you don’t want a sip?” Lexi said, holding her drink out to me. We had a day off before individual all-around finals, but I still wasn’t in the mood. I needed to call Erik and I wanted my full mental faculties for our conversation.

“Actually, I’m going to head to the bathroom. I’ll be back in a second.”

I sidled through the party, careful to keep watch of Owen. He was on the other side of the room by the time I slipped into the bathroom, locked the door, and called Erik.

It rang four times before he picked up.

“Brie?”

His deep voice sent a shiver down my spine.

“Where are you?” I asked, glancing up at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes were dilated. My cheeks were flushed. I spun away and stared at the wall, waiting for him to answer.

“At my condo—”