Begin Again (Again #1)(12)

“I heard my name mentioned,” Sawyer said as a greeting. She looked at Monica, smiling stiffly.

Kaden, who had also risen and in two strides had caught up with Sawyer, seemed to sense the tension in the air. He threw an arm around Sawyer’s waist and pulled her close. But the gesture didn’t have the intended effect. The opposite, in fact. Instead of relaxing, Sawyer shook herself free with a jerk and folded her arms at her chests.

“Is there something you’d like to tell me, Monica?”

“No … Allie just … ” Monica turned toward me, helpless.

“I was just saying, that until recently I had very similar—”

Sawyer turned to me and glared. “I wasn’t talking to you.”

Her voice was ice cold, and I blinked, confused.

Kaden leaned his head, and his lips brushed Sawyer’s ear as he murmured: “Everything’s okay, Sawyer. Don’t make a scene.” But even this attempt to calm her down failed.

“Leave me alone. They were talking about me,” hissed Sawyer, edging away from Kaden. Then she turned toward Monica. “It’s not the first time she’s bad-mouthed me.”

“That’s old news, Sawyer,” Spencer now chimed in.

“Shut up, Spencer,” she snapped. She looked as if she were going to reveal her claws at any moment and throw herself on one of us. I raised my hands in a calming gesture.

“I only said that I had a similar hairstyle to yours. You have gorgeous hair, honestly. And I don’t know the history between you two, but we didn’t say anything bad about you. Really.”

Wow, the wine had loosened me up. The words had just shot out of me.

“Tell that to someone who believes you. The next time you want to complain about me, say it to my face instead of lying. That’s pretty low.”

“Oh, come on,” hissed Monica, but Sawyer interrupted her.

“If you talk about me again, I can’t promise I’ll be nice.” She moved toward Monica, threateningly.

At that moment my protective instincts took hold. I liked Monica and didn’t want to see this girl kick her down for no reason.

“Listen,” I began. “This isn’t the right place to discuss something like this.”

A strange silence had settled in the room. The other guests were watching, curious. Someone had even turned down the music.

I cleared my throat. “Probably we’ve all had a bit too much to drink—at least the wine has really set in. I don’t think that this is the kind of conversation that should take place under the influence. Better to be sober, right? On neutral ground. Without spectators.” I tried to smile.

“I think it would be better if you went home now.”

Kaden’s cold voice caught Sawyer by surprise.

“Are you kidding me?” she cried out, confused, and moved toward Kaden. She pointed first to me and then to Monica. “Your shitty friends are attacking me in your presence, and you throw me out? You’re the biggest ass.”

Kaden opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say a word, I let loose again.

“Just because your feelings are hurt doesn’t mean you have to insult everyone else. There was nothing wrong until you came over and stirred it up. And that’s not cool.”

Sawyer turned so red that I thought she was about to punch me in the face. But just then Kaden grabbed her around the waist and pulled her out of the living room into the hallway, closing the door behind them.

Someone turned up the music again, and the party kept going as if nothing had happened.

Monica linked arms with me and leaned her head on my shoulder. “Sorry, Allie,” she sighed. “I didn’t want that to happen.”

I patted her hand. “Don’t worry. I can handle a little drama. Besides, it’s part of the college experience.”

We could hear bits of conversation drifting from the hallway, and Monica winced as Kaden’s voice grew louder.

“He’s going to be so mad at me,” she said, worried.

Spencer shook his head. “You know how Sawyer can be. I think her ego has never recovered from when Ethan … ”

Monica tore her arm away from me and covered her ears with her hands.

Spencer shook his head, grinning. He explained: “Sawyer fooled around with Ethan at a first semester party. After he got together with Monica, Sawyer was pretty mad. Guess she wanted more.”

I nodded. If Sawyer hadn’t just behaved like a total idiot, I might have felt sorry for her.

I flinched as the apartment door slammed. Kaden came stomping back into the living room. Our eyes met, and a chill ran down my spine.

He looked angry. Really angry. I found myself thinking about his stupid rules and cursed myself out for getting involved.

“I’m tired,” I said to those nearby and bid them good night. I made my way to my room and, relieved, sank down with my back to the door.

Great. It was my first party at Woodshill, and thanks to my blabbering, the host had to throw his girlfriend out of the apartment.

I was a walking fiasco.





Chapter 4


So much for sleeping in. I awoke with an unpleasant feeling. It must be damned early. My eyelids barely opened. I grumbled and pulled the blanket over my head.

Then I froze as something rustled in my room. Slowly, I slid the blanket down a bit and squinted against the sunlight shining on my bed.