Misbehaving (Sea Breeze #6)(33)

This dress was my favorite creation. If he was embarrassed by it, then he shouldn’t have invited me. I wasn’t one of these people, but I refused to feel like less than a person because my label wasn’t a designer one.

He was intent on not speaking to me, so I remained quiet. I’d asked him twice now if I had done something. He’d said no. I wasn’t asking again.

When we arrived at the double doors of what I assumed was a penthouse because it wasn’t a normal-size apartment, he rang the bell and the doors swung open almost immediately. The music was loud and the girl at the door looked like something out of a magazine.

“Jason!” she squealed, throwing her arms around him. “You’re here! We’ve missed you.”

I watched as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back. I would not care. Besides, she was probably the girlfriend of his friend who was throwing the party.

“Told you I’d be here,” he replied, stepping back and scanning the room. I was almost prepared for him not to introduce us. I wasn’t sure how I would respond if he didn’t. It wasn’t like I could leave. I had no money. I hadn’t brought my purse because it didn’t match this dress and wasn’t nice enough.

“Vanessa, this is Jess. Jess, this is Vanessa, a friend of mine from school,” he said, surprising me.

Vanessa’s appraising gaze made me nervous and angry at the same time.

“Guess it’s a good thing Jo isn’t here,” she replied, shooting Jason a look that made me cringe. “It’s nice to meet you, Jess.”

“You too,” I managed to choke out.

Jason placed his hand on my back and led me inside. That small touch helped ease my fear a little, but the moment we were inside he dropped his hand.

“Jason, you’ve been hiding,” a guy said. “Talked to Jax last night, and he said you were vacationing.” The guy shifted his gaze to me, and a slow grin touched his face. “And who is this?”

“Cameron, this is Jess. Jess, this is Cameron,” Jason said in a bored tone.

“Jess, huh? Well, Jess, how have we not met before?”

I wasn’t sure how to answer that.

“Because you don’t visit south Alabama,” Jason replied, taking a shot glass from a tray as a waitress walked by.

Cameron raised his eyebrows. “You’ve been hiding out at Jax’s summer place? Why no invite?”

“Been busy,” Jason replied.

Cameron’s eyes shifted back to me. “Yeah, I can see that.”

Jason glanced at me. “I need something more than this to drink. You thirsty? I’m going to the bar.”

Those were the first words he had spoken directly to me since we were in the limo. Startled, I just shook my head. Jason didn’t ask if I was sure or take my hand. He just walked off and left me there.

Cameron, on the other hand, didn’t go anywhere. “So, you and Jason been seeing each other long?”

I wasn’t sure if we were seeing each other now. “Not really,” I replied.

Cameron’s grin changed, and I knew that grin. The guys here might be wealthy, but they were still males. I knew how to handle men. I also knew that just because Jason was bored with me, standing back and playing the victim wasn’t my style.

“Since he seems to have left you,” Cameron said, glancing over at the bar, “and is now preoccupied, why don’t you dance with me?”

I looked over at the bar and saw a girl with dark brown hair pulled up in a classy bun, dressed like the elitist she no doubt was, curled up against his side. He wasn’t moving away from her and he seemed to be deep in conversation with her. Had I been the means to make someone jealous? A rebound?

My stomach felt sick. How could I have been so stupid? Guys like Jason didn’t take girls like me seriously. Momma had been trying to warn me with her screwed-up Gilmore Girls analogies.

“Sure, I’d love to,” I replied, slipping my hand into Cameron’s.

Cameron pulled me out onto the dance floor as the live band played. Luckily, it wasn’t a slow song. I wasn’t in the mood to get close to anyone at the moment. I felt as cheap as my dress. Thinking about it would make me cry. I wasn’t going to cry. Not here. I blocked it out, all of it, and danced. Forgetting myself, I enjoyed the sound of the music and moved my body to the beat. When Cameron’s hand touched my hip, I didn’t move away. I let him get closer. I might as well. If I was going to get through this night without being destroyed, I would have to deal somehow.

“I’m trying to decide if this is worth getting my ass beat over. I’m thinking it is,” Cameron said, and I opened my eyes to look at him. He was dancing close to me, but his eyes were on my body. I could see the gleam in his eyes, and I knew he was turned on. He lifted his eyes to meet mine, and the lust was there.

“No one will beat your ass for dancing with me,” I replied, hating the bitterness in my voice. A few times spent with Jason and I start expecting more from guys.

Cameron’s other hand rested on my waist. “Yeah, he’s watching us. He’s considering it. I can feel his extremely jealous glare from here,” he said as he pulled me closer.

“You’re imagining it,” I told him. I was pretty sure Jason would be glad to get rid of me for the night. The thought hurt, and I pushed it back. I wasn’t going to think about it.