Collide (Collide, #1)(56)

Emily nodded and leaned up to kiss him. With that, the driver pulled away.

“Your boyfriend’s…nice?” Fallon said while her fingers moved over the keyboard of her phone like a well-oiled machine.

Olivia laughed but tried to hide it by covering her mouth.

“Thank you, Fallon,” Emily drawled the words out as her eyes traveled to Olivia. “He can be a little overprotective sometimes, but he’s a good man.”

As Olivia laughed again—this time without trying to conceal it—Fallon gasped. “Oh shit! A friend of mine’s having a house party in Staten Island tonight.” She continued to frantically text away. “His pad is incredible, and he throws killer parties. Let’s go there instead.”

“I’m down for whatever,” Olivia replied, rummaging through her purse. She glanced in Emily’s direction. “Is that cool with you?”

“Aren’t we all a little overdressed for a house party?”

Fallon pulled a flask from her bag, unscrewed the top, and took a sip. She shook her head. “No, believe me, it’s an anything-goes party.” She handed Emily the flask. “Here, it’s my specialty.”

Emily took it from her and smelled its contents. “What is it?”

“Just take a sip, Em,” Olivia piped up. “You’re always worried about how much you drink.”

“I’m already a little buzzed from those tequila shots, and I had some wine while I was getting ready.” They both shot her a look, waiting for her to drink it. “Okay, fine.” She took one last whiff of the liquid and chugged some back. She started to cough and tried to blink back the stinging tears in her eyes. “What the hell is that?”

Fallon’s eyes brightened with silent laughter. “Moonshine, baby.”

“Oh, hell yeah,” Olivia chirped and reached for the flask. “I had this once when I was in high school.” She tossed some back, her face crinkling from its taste as she wiggled her head back and forth.

“Okay, so are we going to my friend’s party?” Fallon laughed.

Emily shrugged. “Let’s do it.”

After redirecting the driver to their new destination, they pulled up to a swanky three-story townhouse in the Todt Hill area of Staten Island thirty minutes later. Olivia paid the driver the difference, and the women slipped out from the taxi, each a little wobbly from the moonshine. From the street, the music hammered out of the closed windows, vibrating the ground beneath Emily. With a hiccup, she laughed as they made their way up the stairs and into the house.

Multiple towers of speakers stood in every corner of the downstairs level, amplifying the noise to the point where Emily could barely hear herself think. Her eyes scanned the party, and she realized that Fallon wasn’t kidding. It definitely was an “anything-goes” gathering. From people sporting casual attire to others dressed like they were headed to prom to girls wearing practically nothing while gyrating against one another, the crowd was a mixed array of every type of partygoer.

Chain-linking hands, Emily, Olivia, and Fallon snaked their way through the throng of a hundred or so people, ultimately finding the owner of the home, Fallon’s friend, Jacob.

After hugging him hello, Fallon yelled over the music. “Jakey, this is Emily and Olivia.”

Without saying a word, he smiled widely and picked each of them up off their feet, hugging them as if he had known them for years. Once he placed them down, Emily and Olivia burst out laughing hysterically.

“Welcome to mi casa, ladies,” he flashed a smile, his voice booming. “Alcohol’s in the kitchen; free lap dances from some of the hottest strippers in New York are located in the downstairs den; pool table’s to the rear of the house; bathrooms are strategically placed on each level; and if you decide to get a little out of control with someone, bedrooms with king-sized beds in each are plentiful on the second and third floors.” He said it all in one breath.

“Fuckin’-A, cool,” Olivia smirked. “You have strippers here?”

Running a hand through his carrot-colored hair, he smiled devilishly. “They come in droves to my parties.”

Olivia grabbed for Emily and Fallon’s hands. “Shots are needed in my system right about now, chicks.” She turned back to Jake and gave him a wink. “Thanks, bud.”

He nodded and disappeared into the crowd.

The women dodged multiple dancing bodies, a guy running around with underwear on his head while a topless girl chased after him, and several couples making out. Eventually, they made their way into the kitchen where a fully stocked bar awaited each of them.

After consuming two more shots of tequila, they headed out to the backyard to partake in an hour-long game of flip cup. Using Captain Morgan as her preferred liquid, Emily’s head was pleasantly fuzzy to say the least.

Walking back into the house with Olivia at her side, she leaned up against a wall. “Olivia,” she slurred. “I’m pretty…”

“I know you’re pretty, Em,” Olivia chirped, her own words slurring. “But stop bragging about it.”

Slowly shaking her head, Emily laughed. “No…you didn’t let me finish, bitch.” Her head lolled to the side. “I’m trying to—” she hiccupped, “tell you that I’m pretty—” hiccup, “drunk right now.”