Project Integrate Series Boxed Set

by Campbell, Jamie

  It was some random guy that I didn’t know. He had a satchel slung over one shoulder, his blonde hair flopping into his eyes. I wound the window down. “Yeah?” I asked. I probably should have been more polite.

  “I couldn’t help but notice you two hanging around,” he said, so much nicer than I had spoken to him.

  Lola was obviously still reeling. “Yeah, and what about it? Do you own this piece of road or something?”

  The guy shoved a flyer through the window. “I don’t own the road, but I am having a super awesome party tonight. You should come, it’s going to be epic.” He gave us a blinding white smile and then left with a small wave.

  I looked at the flyer, it was for some frat house party that promised plenty of booze. I scrunched it up and threw it onto the dashboard. Lola immediately grabbed the ball and unraveled it.

  “A college party? We should totally go to this,” she said.

  “No, we’re going home.”

  “Not until you talk to Lochie. Considering I didn’t get anywhere with him, it’s going to have to be you.” She said it so matter of factly that it was like a done deal already, no arguing was allowed.

  Except, I was going to argue. “If he wouldn’t even speak to you, then he’s certainly not going to talk with me.”

  “He’s going to have to if we keep showing up. Come on, Amery, we have to go to this party. Considering neither of us are college bound, it might be the only chance we ever get,” she pleaded.

  I countered with the only thing I had: logic. “We don’t have any more clean clothes.”

  “And we’ve got all day to get something.” Damn, she was using logic too. “Just think, it would be the ultimate payback for you to show up at that party looking super hot. It would make Lochie ridiculously jealous.”

  “If he even shows up.”

  “He’ll show up. It’s summer school, there can’t be too many parties going on. Make him so jealous he’ll regret what he did for the rest of his life.”

  Okay, call me shallow or vindictive, but I was kind of liking the sound of the plan. A small part of me really wanted to hurt him as much as he hurt me. It was petty and wrong, but I couldn’t help it.

  And I was probably going to regret it later. “Fine, we’ll go to the party.”

  Lola squealed with delight. “Now, it’s shopping time.”

  CHAPTER 6

  It took Lola almost an hour to talk me into buying the tight, black dress I was now wearing. We had left the clothes store, only to return after she convinced me it was my best option. Turning up looking hot to the frat party, that was the only plan we had.

  We stepped out of the car. Lola was wearing a red dress with cut outs lined in black around the waist. If anyone was looking hot, it was her. I felt like a kid dressing up in her mother’s clothes.

  I pulled the dress down again, it had a tendency to ride up when I walked. And I could only just walk as it was with the tightness. I wasn’t used to having my body so on display.

  “Quit pulling it down,” Lola angry-whispered at me. “It’s supposed to be short, that’s the entire point.”

  “I don’t think I’ll be able to sit down in it,” I replied. The car had been one thing, there was nobody to see my panties in the driver’s seat.

  “You’re not here to sit down.”

  “What are we here for then? Remind me?” Because I still wasn’t convinced we were doing the right thing. I could have been at home now, curled up in my bed and pretending the rest of the world didn’t exist.

  Lola sighed with exasperation. “We’re here to have fun. That’s it. It’s not rocket science, Ame. Just relax and enjoy yourself. You know, that thing we’re supposed to do while we’re young?”

  I ignored her snarky comments and tried to keep up with her. As we approached the frat house, there was no mistaking we were in the right place. Every light in the building was on, lighting up the house like a Christmas tree. Music streamed from every open window and door, people spilled out everywhere. It was the hot and happening place in town.

  Lola and I joined the crowd, folding into the mayhem like we were supposed to be there. Everyone stared, making me instantly regret coming.

  “Everyone’s looking at us,” I whispered to Lola, staying as close as possible to her in case we needed to make a quick getaway.

  “Because we’re hot. They’re all checking you out. I told you that dress was killer.”

  I stared back at the faces. It took me a few moments to realize they were smiling back at us. A few were nodding their heads appreciatively. Okay, so perhaps it wasn’t time to run yet. I could kind of get used to the attention. At least it was the good kind for a change.

  Lola found the beer keg and waited for two red cups to be filled. She handed me one. It tasted like spit. I kept it around just so I didn’t seem like the only sober one there. I didn’t want a repeat of Garrick’s incident with the alcohol.

  “Oh, he’s cute,” Lola said, checking out a guy checking out her. She nodded at him and he immediately came over.

  “Hey, gorgeous. You need to dance with me.” I rolled my eyes, certain Lola would send the guy on his way again.

  “Sure,” she replied, slipping her hand into his. My mouth dropped open before I could compose myself. That wasn’t the Lola I knew. She was obviously there to prove a point herself. Asher didn’t know what he was missing.

  I stood like a lonely loser, trying to pretend I was fine with it, that I didn’t need anyone to party with. I wasn’t doing a very good job of it.

  “Hey! Hey!” It took me a moment to realize the guy walking down the hallway was yelling at me. My eyes darted for the nearest exit, it was way across the room. Damn it. He reached me. “Hey, you’re one of those aliens!” His voice was so loud that the music was the only thing to rival it.

  I adjusted my bracelets – purchased with my outfit to avoid this very incident. “Could you be a bit quieter, please?” I asked politely. The attention I was getting now was not the good kind.

  The guy, probably only barely older than myself, leaned against the wall behind me. I was completely enveloped as his gaze went all down my body before returning upwards. He didn’t quite reach my eyes, stopping around the cleavage area. “You’re a hot alien.”

  “Thanks. Would you mind stepping back a bit?” Or back a lot. His breath could have been set alight it was so alcohol fuelled.

  He didn’t move. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be with an alien. I didn’t think you’d be so hot. Where do you keep your tentacles?” I felt a lot more naked than I actually was with the way he was staring at me. And not in a good way like when Lochie did it.

  I went to take a step out of the guy’s hold but his other arm shot out to completely trap me. Both his hands rested against the wall behind me now. Perhaps if I ducked underneath them, I might have a chance. He’d probably block that escape attempt too.

  There was only one way around the guy and that was going to be by talking my way out. “While I’m really flattered, I’ve got a boyfriend. Sorry.” It was only a small lie. I would have said anything to get away from him.

  “That don’t bother me, ET. We can be done nice and quick. Or slow and long if that’s what you’d prefer.” He smiled, laughing through his teeth. It made every piece of my skin crawl.

  “I really should find my friend.” I tried ducking. For a drunk guy with more alcohol in his veins than blood, he could move impressively fast.

  “Where do you think you’re running away to so quickly, little alien? Don’t you want to integrate?” He put so much infliction in the last word that I would never be able to think of it as something not dirty again.

  I’d tried subtle. I’d tried polite. I got the feeling there was only one thing this guy would understand. I pushed at his chest, putting all my strength into the shove.

  He didn’t move. I could have been an annoying fly for all the impact I had. “Please let me go.”

  The guy laughed at my atte
mpt. Panic was starting to rise, even though we were in a crowded party. Nobody else was paying any attention to us, lost in their own good time. I couldn’t see Lola anywhere in my limited view.

  “I’ll scream,” I threatened.

  “Little alien, you can do whatever you like, nobody is going to come running.”

  He made a reach for my chest as his mouth went for my lips. I pushed him again, dreading what was about to happen. If he got his hands on me, it would just seem like we were any other couple making out. I couldn’t let that happen. I put all my strength behind my struggling. All to no avail.

  Suddenly, the guy’s head shot to the side as his body followed. He slumped to the ground. I stared at him, he wasn’t moving. But he was breathing. My wide eyes shot up to see what happened, trying to process what the hell was going on.

  Lochie was standing there, breathing heavily with his clenched fist still in the air. “You’re welcome.”

  As relieved as I was to have the guy on the floor instead of pressed up against me, my anger at Lochie always lingered near the surface. “I didn’t need you to save me.”

  Before he could say another word, I stormed out of there. I disappeared into the crowd, my eyes darting everywhere. Seeing Lochie up close, thinking he could still have any say over me, it made me want to hurt him as badly as he had hurt me. I was out for revenge.

  I merged with a group of three guys, our bodies grinding together to the beat of the music. I refused to look Lochie’s way, but I didn’t need to, I could feel his eyes drilling into me.

  One of the guys got closer, sliding his arm around my waist and pulling me against him. We danced dirty as I pretended to have the time of my life.

  And I kind of was. I’d never felt so exhilarated before. I was free, not thinking for the first time in my life. I let my body do whatever it wanted, dance, grind, and just be happy.

  A girl walked by with a few drinks. I took one, downing it and throwing the cup over my shoulder. My dance partner approved, whispering indecent propositions in my ear. I had no intentions of taking him up on any of them, but it didn’t stop me giggling.

  The alcohol rushed straight to my head. It definitely hadn’t been beer in that cup, but something stronger. I felt giddy, light, and carefree. Consequences didn’t matter, only dancing and the beat of the music. Lola was going to be so pleased with me.

  The guy’s hands slid lower, down my back to my butt. I thought they might stop there but one didn’t. It went down lower to my thigh, squeezing my bare skin before skimming the hem of my dress. He started pushing it up, coming dangerously close to areas that were not for public display.

  I caught his hand, pulling it from my thigh and bringing it back up to my waist. He pouted, leaning down to start nibbling at my earlobe.

  The next second, someone clamped their hand around my arm. I was snatched out of the guy’s embrace and roughly tugged away. The drunk guy must have come back to claim his prize, recovered from the punch. I tried to twist out of his grasp but he was too strong. I started panicking.

  It took a moment to realize it wasn’t him. The hand was familiar, one I had spent hours holding before. It was Lochie dragging me away. Somehow, that seemed worse.

  Weaving through all the bodies, it took a while for us to reach the door. I only got felt up twice and received four elbows to the ribs along the way. As much as I tried to get free, Lochie’s grip was far too strong.

  Being outside was a reprieve. The summer night air felt like a cool breeze compared to inside the packed house. It helped sober me up a little.

  Lochie finally let go, shoving me away. I stood on the lawn, pulling my phone out to text Lola so we could leave. I didn’t want to spend another minute at the party. And I certainly didn’t want to do it with Lochie.

  I managed to send her a quick text before my anger at Lochie demanded my attention again. “How dare you drag me out like that? You have no right to put your hands on me.”

  His mouth dropped open like he couldn’t believe what I had just said. Well buddy, I couldn’t believe you had the gall to think you had any kind of ownership on me. I wanted to say the words out loud but my tongue wasn’t quite working.

  “You were making a spectacle of yourself in there,” he shot back. “All those guys, their hands were… everywhere. These are college guys, drunk college guys, Amery. You have no idea what they’ll do to you.”

  “I can take care of myself. I don’t need you or anyone else to rescue me.”

  “It didn’t look like that to me.” He hadn’t lost his stubbornness in any way.

  “You shouldn’t even have been looking,” I countered.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He demanded.

  “Dancing.” My answer didn’t seem to make him all that happy. He rolled his eyes, taking a few breaths to control himself.

  “What are you doing here?” He asked, a little nicer.

  “Partying,” I replied, just as contrived.

  “So you came all the way to Greenfield just to go to a frat house?” He was standing right in front of me, crossing his arms. I knew that stance well, it was how he stood when he was blazingly angry.

  “It’s none of your business why I’m here.” He wasn’t the only one with anger issues. Every conversation I’d had with him in my head since I found out about what he was doing behind my back exploded into my head. They were threatening to erupt like a volcano.

  “Considering you came here, to my college campus, I think that qualifies me for an explanation.”

  “Really? Because explanations are so big with you, right?”

  “What is your problem?” He yelled at me. There were only a handful of times I had seen Lochie so mad before. This was threatening to top them all. Perhaps I should have chanced it with the drunk guy.

  “My problem?” I yelled back. Two could play at that game. I was the one with the reason to be upset with the situation, not him. An ex-girlfriend invading your territory was one thing, a boyfriend cheating on his girlfriend trumped it. “You want to know what my problem is?”

  “Yeah, I do.”

  The volcano erupted. “I’ll tell you then. You didn’t give me a chance to fight. You didn’t have enough guts to have a real conversation with me about us. You made all the decisions for me without even thinking how I would feel about it. You were selfish and horrible and plain mean. And after everything we’ve been through, I deserved more. I still deserve more.”

  When I’d finished, Lochie actually looked hurt. Like I had punched him in the face instead of just yelled at him. Good. Perhaps then he would feel a fraction of what I was feeling.

  He uncrossed his arms and let me have it right back. “We did discuss it. We did nothing but discuss it for weeks before it happened. You knew why I did what I did. You knew better than anyone else in the world. I made all the choices for you without thinking about how you would feel? That’s all I did, Amery! All I thought about was how it would impact you and tried to make the best decision I could. How dare you come here and pretend like that didn’t happen?”

  Was he serious? He considered me when he got a new girlfriend? When I had to find out about it through his mother? Oh my God. “How dare me? How dare you?!”

  Silence crackled with the tension in the air between us. The tears were threatening to sting my eyes but I would not let them fall. I would not let him know he caused me to cry uncontrollably. He didn’t deserve to have that satisfaction.

  When the silence was broken, it was by Lochie. “So, what? You decide to come here, dressed like that, and have every guy here put their hands on you? Is that your big plan? Are you trying to punish me?”

  I really didn’t have a good reason for being there. All excuses were because of him and I didn’t want to admit that now. I didn’t want him to know he was still the center of my world when I so clearly wasn’t his.

  I grappled for something to say but my brain was still processing the alcohol and our argument had rattled the fe
w coherent thoughts that still remained.

  Instead, I said the most honest thing I had. “I want you to hurt as much as I am.”

  That stopped him dead in his tracks. His shoulders slumped as all the anger seeped away, leaving only a look of despair. In that moment, I got a feeling he might know some of the hurt that was inside me.

  “Well, congratulations Amery, you succeeded.”

  Our eyes locked together and I wanted to take back every bad thing I had said to him. He looked so heartbreakingly sad that it made my own chest ache. As much as I fooled myself into thinking otherwise, I still loved him. I loved him with every fiber of my being. To see him in pain only made my own even worse – even if he had caused it.

  I had to stay strong. I had come here to tell him what I needed to and that mission had now been completed. Even though I wanted to throw myself in his arms and beg him to come back to me, I couldn’t. It was over. I had to walk away with some dignity or I wouldn’t be able to leave at all.

  “Uh, guys?” Lola’s voice snapped our eyes apart. “Ame, we need to go.” She ran down the stairs, taking me by the arm and pushing me to move.

  Lochie and I shared one more sorrowful look before I started moving. I let Lola lead me away. She was in a hurry. “What’s wrong?” I asked, shaking my head to get everything back to normal again. If normal even existed anymore.

  She never slowed down while she spoke. “Because I may have kicked a guy in the balls. And said guy might now be really angry and looking for me.”

  Now I understood her haste.

  “Did that guy deserve it?”

  “Of course he did. I don’t go around kicking guys randomly. He was trying to touch my junk. Nobody touches my junk without my permission.”

  I wanted to laugh even though I was still so traumatized. Thankfully, we reached my car. I froze. “I can’t drive, I’ve had too much to drink.”

  “Well I’ve been drinking too. I can’t drive.”