Hoax in One

| 02 |

After the fifth song, Millie left me to dance by myself for a little while to use the bathroom. At least Alice and Matt weren't on the couch canoodling anymore so I didn't have to tear my eyes out, and I couldn't find them when I scanned the room.

After the tenth song, Millie shouted over the speaker blaring in our ear, "You want a beer?"

"Liquor before beer... I'll throw up."

"Liquor before beer, you're in the clear," she laughed. "Besides, that's a myth—I think."

I shrugged my shoulders and shimmied my boobs into her as she walked away.

I swirled around as I danced by myself and caught a glimpse through the window of Tate standing by the keg with one of his old friends, Seth. Or maybe Seth was still his friend. I wasn't sure if I was the only person he'd cut off contact with in the last year. Seth had always hated me—and that's putting it rather nicely.

When the song ended, I realized I had been staring at Tate like I was batshit crazy, but when I started to turn around, Matt caught my eye.

He slithered like a snake (fitting) out the door and stepped slightly in front of Tate at the beer keg.

Tate did a double take and slipped one hand into his pocket. Matt said something to Tate, who gestured sarcastically with his hand to the keg like he was telling Matt to please continue. Tate's mouth moved, but I couldn't read his lips. I could feel the tension between them from the living room—whatever man nonsense was going on between them, it was palpable.

Matt filled his red cup and pushed past him, passive aggressively bumping Tate slightly with his shoulder. Tate was leaner than Matt but had at least two inches on him. I was positive neither of them had ever been in a fight—Matt would probably be too worried about messing up his face. But Tate's expression was showing ever so slight amusement.

I backed up when my and Matt's eyes connected when he came back into the house. They were dark and a little evil in the way he was looking at me. He ran his hand through his blond waves—on purpose. I'd always told him how much I liked it when he did that.

I took the beer Millie had brought back at the same exact moment. "I'm going to pee."

Millie nodded, took a sip of her beer, and pulled the nearest guy into dance.

I found the stairs and slipped into a bedroom upstairs that I found unlocked.

Tate was like a routine—like putting on warm cozy socks—easily slipped back into. I didn't realize it would be that easy for me to talk to him like I had every day of college. Maybe it wouldn't have been if I hadn't been drinking.

When I opened the bathroom door after I finished, Matt was sitting on the bed.

"Oh, hello," I deadpanned, even though he'd scared me so badly I'd almost shrieked.

He rose sure-footed and quickly closed the gap between us. His large body filled the doorframe, trapping me.

"How are you?" he said with a frown, pity dripping from his voice. Matt's curls fell over his eyebrows—his face too pretty for his own good, and he knew it.

I didn't need his pity, and I didn't need him. "I'm great, Matt. What do you want?"

He just stared at me with a sickly sweet expression.

I tried to push past him, but he didn't move. He placed his palm on my shoulder, rubbing his fingertips in a small circle, and brought his eyes across the outline of my neck and up to my eyes.

"I've always loved this dress on you."

I scoffed under my breath and looked down at the red floral dress I was wearing. My boobs did look great in it, but he would never see them again.