Chapter 48: Chapter 48

Tonight, I feel like I'm in my element. Everything in my body feels like it's vibrating. After the week I've had, I'm having so much fun tonight that I almost can't believe it. But I wanted to feel happy again and have fun.

Abby was the perfect person to drink with because she wanted to dance, just like me. We weren't great dancers or anything, but we were having fun, and that was the most important thing to me.

"Let's go shoot something!" I nod when Abby calls. We run back to the bar and each get a shot of vodka. We quickly tap the glasses together and shoot them back. I wince a little and get shivers up my back, but I try to keep it to a minimum. "One more?"

"We've had like seven of them already, shouldn't we stop?" I ask, and she gives me a shrug.

"Probably, but let's just do one more." She begs with her hands folded, and I nod. "Jagger?"

"Yeah, it's inexpensive!" She leans forward and yells the order to the bartender as I tell her. I see him put a shot glass in each of two cups, and then he opens a Red Bull. Not good. Most of the time, energy drinks and I don't get along.

The glasses are set down in front of us, and Abby pulls out money to pay for them. She then gives me the shot. We tap our glasses and drink what's in them. It was too sweet, but it was easy to drink. My mind makes a map of everyone. The guys are all dancing in the middle, and Ellis is probably telling Sydney something from the corner. Three of Piper's friends are also on the floor, and when I see Kent and Piper sitting at a table together, my stomach turns.

"She is so bad." I tell Abby, and she agrees. "If you get close to her, she's not even pretty."

"You'd think by now she'd get the message." She continues, and I enthusiastically nod. She leans over and whispers something in his ear. Then she hops off her stool, waves, and heads down the hall to the bathroom.

Because of what happened last night, I want to yell at him and punch him in the face. I just want to be mad at him. But I can't be because I know what's going on right now, and it's given me some of my best and worst memories.

"I'm going to go tell him how I feel." I slur my words, and she laughs.

Tell him, "I'm going to dance, Julianna." She says this as she bumps my hip with her own.

I run across the room and straight back to our table. I had a lot of alcohol in my system and a new sense of confidence. I actually felt smarter when I was drunk.

"Having fun?" When I return to my seat and ask him, he rolls his eyes.

"Not nearly as much as you think." He answers, and I roll my eyes back. "What did I do wrong when I left you alone?"

Well, I just wanted to tell you this:. I say something straight out, and he folds his hands and bats his eyelashes in a condescending way.

"What is it? He asks.

"You're not very good at kissing. I thought you'd be better after all the times you've done it." I just shrug and pat his arm. "That's all, go cry and roll your eyes for the rest of the night." He grabs my arm and pulls me back to my seat. I smile and stand back up.

"Terrible?" He says it again, and I smile and nod while crossing my arms. "When you were moaning my name back to me, you seemed to have a different attitude."

"You did the same thing when you whimpered "fuck" like a little girl." I answer, feeling like I'm strong. Oh, I like this. When we talk, I never sit like this. "It's your turn." I'm smiling because I feel so mean right now, and I love it.

You sure are talking a lot tonight:. He murmurs, and I laugh. "Why did you come all the way over here, Julianna?" He asks with his eyebrows raised. "Because you and I both know how that kiss felt, so what do you want?"

I didn't want anything else." I answer with pride. "You think our kiss was great." I put my lips together and whisper. I add, with my hands folded together, "That you kissed your weird, annoying, boring roommate." "And you liked it."

"I never said I liked it." He shrugs, and I do the same. He had, and the fact that he wouldn't admit it didn't bother me. "And shut your fucking mouth!" He says it, and my eyes dart all over as I snort.

"Right, because this music is so loud that everyone 20 feet away will be able to hear us." I roll my eyes and sigh. "I've heard that nightclubs are a lot like the ocean in that the sound just keeps going,"

"Julianna, you make me crazy! "Please be quiet." I roll my eyes when he grumbles.

"At some point, we'll have to talk about it."

"Well, why can't it be here with all of our friends?" I roll my eyes when he sighs.

When I think about our group of friends, what he said makes me smile. "You and I both remember how that kiss felt," she said. I was kissed by the most attractive person I'd ever met, and he felt something.

When I see a waitress coming toward me with a drink, I make a funny face. She puts it on a napkin and sets it down in front of me. I shake my head. "This is not what I ordered." She smiles when I tell her.

"I know, it came from the guy at the bar." She whispers and points to a tall blonde guy at the end of the bar.

Wow, that guy looked good. He looked like a Ken doll in a magazine and winked at me from across the bar.

"Are you sure?" I ask because I wasn't sure if it was for me, and she nods.

"Yes, his number is written on the napkin." She gives her tray a wink, puts it under her arm, and walks away. Kent's jaw is tight again, and I smile, thinking that this is a great way to get back at him for all the times he denied.

"Well, it looks like I won't be bothering you after all." I pick up the glass and put the napkin in my pocket as I whisper.

"You can't be that stupid." I just give him a shrug.

"What else would I be?"

"Because Julianna, you've been living with us for nearly two months. I know you're not like this." I clear my throat when he tells me.

He was right, I didn't usually try to date or flirt with guys. I was definitely not the type to pay back a loan, but maybe I should start trying. Kent was obviously not an option, so I might as well give this guy a shot.

"You don't really know me." I tell him, and he just blinks at me as if I were making no sense.

"Julianna-"

"Tell me why I shouldn't." I give a shrug and cross my arms. "Don't tell me that he's a stranger, either," she said.

"I'd rather you didn't."

Wow, he really did say it. I couldn't let him off that easily, and I was just going over to talk to him anyway.

"Oh well," I shrug. Kent, you can't say that you don't want anything to do with me but don't want anyone else to see me at the same time.

He chews the inside of his cheek in anger and drums his fingers on the table while giving a defiant shrug.

"All right, do what you want."

"Thank you so much for letting me." I lose my temper and get up from my seat while shaking my head. I try to forget about the awful conversation and go talk to the person who sent me the drink. I try to get rid of some of my stress by walking around the dance space.

"Hi." As I stand by the bar and smile, he looks up from his drink and smiles back. Then my smile goes away and I start to feel scared. I can't talk to this guy; why am I here?

"Hey." He says this while smiling. I didn't know how old he was, but I think he was older than me. He has gelled back his blonde hair, and he has a pretty good beard. "I'm sorry if that drink isn't your thing. I wasn't sure what you'd want."

"No, I'm sure it's great," she said. I shrug, feeling awkward.

"So, what's up with that guy you were sitting next to?" He leans in a little closer and asks. "Are you dating him?"

"No." I give him a shrug as an answer, and he smiles. "I'm single."

"That's great." He smiles. "I'm Dane."