Say Something...

by T. A. Roth

  Say Something ...

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Acknowledgments

  Playlist

  About the Author

  SAY SOMETHING

  Copyright © 2015 by T.A. Roth

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher ~ T.A. Roth.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover design by

  Regina Wamba at Mae I Design and Photography

  www.maeidesign.com

  Editing by

  Jenny Sims at Editing4Indies

  www.editing4indies.com

  Interior design and formatting by

  Christine Borgford at Perfectly Publishable

  www.perfectlypublishable.com

  ARI

  I LOOK AT MY CELL for the tenth time tonight. What the hell am I doing here? It’s a Thursday night and the house is packed. Every Greek letter imaginable is represented. Drunken couples doing God knows what are pressed against every available space. A sea of red Solo cups are being waved in the air while an old school remix of Fatman Scoop’s “Be Faithful” pours out of the speakers. The bass feels like a second heartbeat in my chest. I’ve spent the last hour swaying my hips to the hypnotic beat while unsuccessfully trying to avoid getting my ass grabbed by drunken frat boys all night. The music is awesome and I love to dance but this is not my scene, my senses are currently being engulfed by the smell of Axe body spray and cheap beer.

  We’re at a party somewhere on USC’s fraternity row. By we, I mean my best friend Vonne and me. She called me at work this afternoon and guilted me into going out tonight. My usual answer to her invites is no. She has this annoying friend named Katie who’s in a sorority, Delta Delta something or another. I don’t know what it is about her. She’s nice, but you know that fake kind of nice? The saccharine smile, laugh a little too hard at your jokes, trying too damn hard, I want to punch you in the face kind of nice. Like I said—annoying.

  At the mention of her name, I tried to get out of going. I may have lied and told her I had a date tonight. Of course, it didn’t work because she knows me too well. She laughed and told me a date with my sweatpants didn’t count. So, when that plan crashed and burned, she just wore me down. She put every ounce of her newly acquired negotiation skills to use until I caved.

  I was promised free beer, we would leave if it sucked, and there would be a plethora of hot guys for me to choose from. She didn’t realize that one was more of a deal breaker. When all of that didn’t sway me, she resorted to calling me a dick. Did I mention she doesn’t like the word no?

  So here I am, pretending to be a sorority girl when I have to be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow. I’m quickly pulled from my thoughts when a splash of beer hits my arm. “Perfect,” I grumble. I’m in the middle of using my jeans as a towel when a pair of strong hands grips my waist. What the . . . My heart rate immediately spikes. This is exactly why I didn’t want to come out tonight. I try to keep my face impassive. Vonne’s eyes go wide and she laughs. She knows how awkward I am around guys and she thinks it’s hilarious. I take slow and steady breaths to calm my nerves. My hands are starting to get clammy, and as usual, I’m battling the desire to flee. I take in another breath and a waft of cigarettes and beer hit my nose. ”Do you want to dance?” a husky voice whispers in my ear.

  I pull it together and force a look over my shoulder. ”I sort of already am but thanks!” I say plastering on my best fake smile. He is the epitome of a frat boy. He’s tall, has a nice body, perfect white teeth, blonde hair, crystal blue eyes, and proudly displays his Greek letters across the chest of his gray t-shirt. Not bad looking at all, but the glazed look and the way he’s slurring his words are a total turnoff. He smiles accepting my brush off and staggers through the crowd, trying his luck with some other coed. “Thank God he took the hint. I’m not in the mood to be roofied tonight,” I yell over the music. Vonne rolls her eyes at me. “You’re so dramatic. He only wanted to dance and he was cute,” she yells back.

  We continue dancing for a while. I’m smiling on the outside, but my uneasiness won’t subside. The crowd is growing larger, and I’m being shoved and elbowed from one side of the dance floor to the other. The hairs on my neck have been standing on end for the last twenty minutes, and I can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching me. I run my hand across my neck for the hundredth time and instinctively begin to scan the room. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. Everyone around me is preoccupied with dancing, drinking, and talking to their friends.

  The DJ changes up his set, making the crowd cheer in excitement. Steve Aoki’s “Delirious” is playing and the lights start flashing to the quick beat of the music. People are tossing glow sticks and necklaces around, illuminating the room in different shades of neon. The crowd is swaying to the beat, and I use it as my opportunity to move around and change my position. The fast flicks of the strobe are now lighting up the dark corners of the room. I nonchalantly continue my search into the darkness. With every flick of the light, people’s faces are coming in and out of view. Still, nothing. I’m about to pass this feeling off as my usual crazy and then I see him.

  His eyes are coming in and out of the darkness in small flashes, but there is no mistaking that they’re fixated on me. I want to look away, but he holds me in his gaze. A chill runs through my body and the hair on my arms join the ones still standing on end at the back of my neck. A beautiful dark-haired girl comes up and seductively presses herself into his chest. He’s completely unfazed. His penetrating gaze becomes more intense and I nervously break it. I put my head down and my face begins to heat. I’m positive you could hear the faint hum of electricity coming off my skin if the music wasn’t so loud.

  “What just happened?” Vonne yells. Her voice snaps me out of the moment, and I try to pull myself together to answer her.

  “What are you talking about?” I ask in a shaky voice.

  She looks behind her then back at me. “Dude, you were zoned out for like two minutes.”

  I try to keep my voice steady. “No, I wasn’t.”

  “Oh my God, you’re gonna try to lie? Your face is red and you’re all winded,” she says through a laugh. My brain is still processing what happened, and I’m too nervous to try to deter her.

  “Fine, that guy behind you was staring.”

  She looks behind her. “Who?” she asks when she can’t figure out who I’m talking about.

  “The one with the girl wrapped around him in the corner,” I say exasperatedly.

  She turns to look behind her again. Realization hits and she turns to face me with a huge smile, clapping her hands like I had just promised her a new pony. I wrap my hands around hers. ”Will you stop?” I yell.

  “Holy shit, Ari, that’s Ben Rodriguez.”

  I look at her blankly. ”Okay, am I supposed to know who that is?”

  She rolls her eyes at me. “Sorry, smartass, he’s president of this fraternity and the football team’s starting running ba
ck. He’s like a frickin’ God at this school. Everyone wants a piece of him.”

  I look over her shoulder and catch his broody gaze. The beautiful girl is still wrapped around him whispering in his ear. I quickly look away, not wanting to catch her attention. My rattled nerves can’t take much more. I pull my phone out and check the time. “I have to go, it’s late,” I blurt out.

  She cocks an eyebrow at me and shakes her head. I reach over and give her a quick hug before she has a chance to lecture me. I know that she’s pissed. “Text me when you get home,” is all she says. I nod and shove my way out the door, breathing a sigh of relief when I reach the front porch.

  I spend the car ride home trying to get my jumbled thoughts together. I send her a text the minute I walk into my apartment.

  Me: I’m home :)

  I’m in the middle of washing my face when I hear my phone ding with an incoming text.

  Vonne: You owe me, biatch! The only reason I didn’t give you shit is because I have class tomorrow. I’m keeping you out till at least 11:30pm next time! GN ;)

  I smile to myself, tossing my phone onto the coffee table. The night’s events have me too wired. It’s late for me, but sleeping will be impossible. I decide to pull up the DVR list and scroll through it.

  BEN

  It’s a Thursday night; all the frat houses are packed with students letting off steam after finals. I still have one more tomorrow so I’m taking it easy in my usual corner of the house with a bottle of my favorite beer in hand. The music is blaring and the crowd is growing by the minute. I know most of the faces here. The ones I don’t definitely know me. We tend to get the usual house groupies, and every now and then, some new talent comes through. I take a long pull on my beer when I notice Vonne walk in. She’s cute, with long brown hair, light brown eyes, and a tight little body. I’ve had her in a few classes and we’ve chatted a bit, but a couple of the brothers have hit that, so hands off for me. My eyes move past to the girl towering behind her. Hmmm, interesting. I’ve seen most of the girls on campus, but this one I definitely would have noticed. It’s been a while; I think it’s time to shake up my current rotation.

  I’ve been secretly watching her all night. Her beautiful chestnut hair is swaying just above the curve of her perfect round ass as she dances. I’m like the horny wolf you see in a cartoon. Tongue wagging and willing to do anything to have those long legs wrapped around me. She has curves for miles, and she’s filling out every inch of those jeans. I can’t keep my eyes off her mouth. Her full pouty lips curve up every time Vonne says something she thinks is funny. I would do anything for just a taste. She’s mesmerizing in every sense of the word.

  I notice Jake staggering his way toward her. His beer accidentally splashes on her arm and my fists ball up. “What the fuck?” I hiss under my breath. He closes the space behind her and grabs her waist. The urge to go over and rip his arms off is unsettling. I’ve never had this reaction toward anyone. I ignore the rage that is currently running through my bloodstream and focus on her reaction.

  She stiffens and a look of sheer panic washes over her. He’s clearly wasted; he’s swaying and not because of the music. It could be from the six Jaeger bombs I saw him pound earlier. He leans in to whisper something into her ear and she looks like she might bolt. She plasters on a shaky smile and turns around. I hope that she tells that fucker to get lost. The thought of anyone else getting to her first has me on edge. A few seconds later, he staggers his drunken ass away. The adrenaline is still running through my veins as I try to get my hands to relax.

  As I open and close my fists, I notice that Vonne is having a good laugh at her friend’s expense. My new obsession, on the other hand, looks shaken and her hazel eyes look panicked. I keep watching her like some creep in the shadows. The DJ switches up the music and the lights immediately begin to flash, making every one of her movements look like slow motion. She’s scanning the room and rubbing the back of her neck. The feel of my eyes on her must be burning a hole in the back of her head. She turns in my direction and I wait with bated breath. The light bounces at the perfect moment and our eyes lock. Pinpricks shoot up my spine and my stomach does some weird shit. What the fuck? It’s just a chick, man, don’t get all Disney. I can’t get myself to look away from her. She breaks our gaze first and it takes a few seconds before I realize why.

  Maria has her tits pressed against my chest desperately trying to get my attention. Her lips are wrapped around my earlobe and she’s whispering to me all of the dirty things she wants to do tonight. If she had approached me a few hours ago, she would be flat on her back in my bed right now. But now, now I can’t think straight. Maria is usually my go-to girl. She has a banging body and the face of a Victoria’s Secret model. So why isn’t she mine? Simple, I don’t do commitment. I’ve laid out my rules for her. No promises and no drama. I know. You’re rolling your eyes and calling me a dick. Go ahead; I’ve been called much worse. But at least I’m upfront. She knows the deal, we hook up and give each other what we need, when we need it, and then we’re done.

  “Let’s go upstairs!” she breathes. I use restraint to keep myself from pushing her off me. She may have just ruined my chances with this girl. I steal a glance toward my unknown beauty’s direction. She’s leaning into Vonne for a hug. They exchange a few words, she turns making her way through the crowd, and then poof she’s gone. “Shit.”

  Maria pulls her mouth away from my ear and locks her eyes on mine. “What did you just say?”

  Crap, I didn’t realize that I’d said that out loud. “Nothing. Look, I’m not feeling it tonight,” I say, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice.

  She laughs sarcastically. “Really?” she asks, sliding her hand over the front of my pants. “Because I think he begs to differ.” She has her hand over my raging hard-on.

  I take a step away and adjust myself. “It’s still early. Let’s hang out for a while and we’ll talk later.” I give her a quick kiss on the cheek and walk away, not giving her a backward glance.

  I head straight to the kitchen and grab another beer. I’m staring at Vonne, pacing the kitchen like a caged animal. I’m dying to ask her a million questions. She doesn’t know me that well but my reputation precedes me. How in the hell am I going to ask about her friend without looking like some idiot? She’s had a few drinks; maybe she’s buzzed enough that she won’t remember me making a total ass out of myself.

  I work up the nerve to make my way over to her, making sure Maria is nowhere in sight. She’s talking to a small group and I work my way in. “Hey Vonne, how’s it going?”

  She looks at me with a knowing grin. “Good, what’s up?”

  I fumble a minute. Normally, girls get nervous around me, not the other way around. I pick at the label of my beer. ”Did you study for the final tomorrow?” I’m such an idiot. She laughs a little.

  “Yeah, I probably should be doing more studying instead of hanging out here, but my brain is fried. It sucks having a Friday class.”

  I take a pull on my beer. Shit, think of something stupid. “Yeah, Professor Lessig is pretty brutal.”

  “Yeah, he is. I feel like a complete idiot in his class sometimes.”

  I nod in agreement and clear my throat. “So, where did your friend go?” Real smooth.

  Her eyes widen, and she grins. “Oh, she had to be up early for work so she took off.” That’s it? That’s all she’s going to give me. Damn. She’s going to drag this out.

  “Oh, she doesn’t go to school here?” I ask.

  She shakes her head. “No.” Seriously? I narrow my eyes at her. Now she’s the one getting flustered. Good. “Um, no, she’s my best friend. Her name is Ari. We’ve known each other since junior high.” Finally.

  I’m about to ask another question when I notice Vonne’s eyes narrow and a “don’t fuck with me” look washes over her face. I’m confused for a minute until I feel a hand squeeze my shoulder. I don’t even have to turn around to know who it is. I grab Maria’s hand
and walk away.

  ARI

  I’m staring at the TV, but my mind starts to wander back to that haunting stare. What was that? I’ve been attracted to guys before, I’m not a prude, but I’ve never felt that. We were like two magnets trying to fight their natural pull. Even with the strobe light hindering my view, I could make out the outline of his strong jaw. It had just the right amount of scruff. He’s tall, with dark hair, and I noticed a deep dimple every time his jaw did that ticking thing. His eyes were narrowed so I couldn’t tell what color they were, but good Lord, the guy gives good smolder. I swear if I’d stood there any longer that my panties would have caught fire. Or was he angry? Maybe, I’m crazy and he was pissed that I was there. Vonne said the frat has an open door policy. Maybe they just meant for students?

  No. He was looking at me like he wanted me. That scowl was pure hunger. If we were alone, he would have thrown me up against the nearest wall, and holy hell, I would have let him.

  The ding of my cell phone breaks my lustful thoughts. I look down and see Vonne’s name.

  Vonne: Are you still up?? Holy shit, Ari, he asked about you!

  A swarm of butterflies begin to battle it out in my stomach, and I quickly text her back.

  Me: Who?

  Vonne: LOL! Who? Like you weren’t thinking about his hot ass the whole drive home. I know you remember; don’t play stupid with me!

  Me: Why do you have to be such a smartass? What did he say? :)

  Vonne: LOL! What did who say?

  Me: Such a bitch!!! Ugh! What did Ben say?

  Vonne: LMAO! Why do you assume it was Ben? What if it was drunk boy who hit on you earlier!

  Me: Argh!! Just tell me!

  Vonne: LMAO! I knew you thought he was hot!

  Me: Of course, I did. You’d have to be blind not to!

  Vonne: I’m calling you!

  Two seconds later, my phone rings.

  “Hello,” I answer nervously.

  “Oh. . . . . my. . . . God . . .” Vonne squeals out. I can almost imagine her clapping her hands and jumping up and down again.