Red Alert/Red Notice (The "Super Jerk" Prequel)

17 - Catch Me I'm Falling

^^Above, chapter title credit: Song by Real Life.^^

{Geoffrey}

I never thought this could happen, but I've finally met a girl who makes me feel good. Like really good. Touching her was like a drug — every time I did it, I needed more. But kissing her...man, that blew my mind. She kissed like she'd never done it and done it a thousand times before, all at once.

But then I remember her expression after I'd found out about her scars. I think of the panic, the helplessness, the fear. The burn scars on her skin, scattered circles of scar tissue all over her torso. At that I feel my fists curl. It didn't take a detective to figure out what her relationship with her dad was — or is. He'd abused her, deliberately burning her and marking her forever.

"Like I said before, she's a firecracker, Raina," Matt had said when I told him.

Somehow, I didn't think that description was appropriate.

It's right before the fraternity event that I see her again, and man, for the first time that night, I wish I'd put on looser pants. She's in a red dress that hugs her curves, and her hair's in shiny silky waves, some of it pulled back into a braid. And, noticeably, a little more cleavage than usual. It makes me want to pull her in and kiss her right there on the spot.

"Wow, Raina," I say when she joins me at the curb, waiting for Damon to come pick us up. "You look great."

A small smile pulls at her mouth. "You like it? El helped me pick it out."

"I love it." I catch her chin and pull her towards me, our lips meeting just as the sound of a car reaches my ears. She pulls away first, her blush almost as deep red as her dress.

Damon rolls down the passenger-side window, wolf-whistling. "Say, brother, save me a little when you're done, huh?"

"Damon," I hiss, but Raina catches my elbow, stopping me.

"Geoff, it's okay. He doesn't mean it." Then to Damon, she says, "Do you?"

Damon shrugs noncommittally. Raina seems to take it, though. I open the car door for her, and then climb into the back. Damon's dressed a lot like me — slacks, dress shoes, a red and blue striped necktie, and the fraternity blazer with the patch stitched on the front. It makes us look a little too boarding-school, but Jake reminded me that all fraternities have a uniform similar to this.

The dinner's at the country club a little off the beaten path, but if I know Jake, he used his connections and his parents' money to get in here. Everything seems a little over-the-top, including the valet who takes our car ("If you so much as dent the bumper, I'll cut you," hisses Damon) and the guys who open the doors for us. Dinner's in the room to our right, a large room with big bay windows and carved dark wood around the walls.

"Hey, guys." Jake hurries over, right as Damon peels off to go sit down. "Lookin' good, Cromwell. It's like it was made for you. And Raina, look at you. Stunning, as always."

Raina blushes, looking away. "Thanks, Jake."

I take a quick look around the room as Jake leads the way to our table. There's only three other girls in here, one whose gaze snags mine and I feel a familiar pulling sensation in my stomach. It's Felicia.

What is she doing here?

"A couple of you already know each other, right?" Jake says, distracting me and breaking our eye contact.

I see Matt looking over at us, and he winks. That makes me feel a little better. So at least if something crazy decides to happen tonight, I won't be completely by myself. I'm a little unsettled when I see Ridley there too, pulling at his clothes and looking uncomfortable. He doesn't look any worse for wear from the other night, even though my eye's still a little bruised. Damn, he must be self-healing.