Tethered Hearts | ✓ | Books 1 & 2

Episode 27| Love(sick) In the Head

Sophia's P.O.V.

Reina gasped, taking offense to my joke. Seeing where her eyes were, I was wrong. She wasn't surprised at my comment. Her eyes weren't on me; she was staring at Bryce's hand, confidently in mine. "Don't tell me you're with her. God, don't you have standards?"

Here we go again. I exhaled, too familiar with what was going to happen for a second time this year. I could see the Lake House repeat like a movie. This time though, Bryce would take Remy's role in being the lousy boyfriend.

Bryce isn't your boyfriend, I remembered. We had kiss – only once – and it was nearly a week ago. With that in mind, it gave me more reason to believe Bryce wouldn't feel compelled to stand by me.

"Say one more thing about her and I'll get someone to throw you and your friends out of this fraternity party." Bryce threatened, not releasing my hand. My gaze floated up to read his expression. It left me awestruck. He was scowling her, going against my previous assumption that he would whimper away. "Choose your next words with caution, Reina. Don't do anything reckless."

She crossed her arms. "You can't kick me out. I'm close acquaintance with some of the Big Brothers at Kappa Kappa Sigma."

"Close acquaintance?" Nicolas reiterated her words. "I can't imagine you being friends with anyone besides yourself."

"You don't know me," she snickered, her words dripping in toxic. "You watch and see. I'll have Ted kick out the three of you!"

"Impossible." Bryce scoffed. "I don't care if you're screwing every member in this damn fraternity. That doesn't change the fact that if I leave and say I'm never coming near this frat house again, they'll do anything to make sure that doesn't happen." Bryce countered, gritting his teeth. His response was harsh, but his stance hadn't altered since she got here.

His body language was lax and he seemed unfazed that she said that she would have us removed from the party. "Now, before you run my patience thin, why did you need to talk to me?"

"You have something I want." She flickered her eyes at me, Nicolas, and then back at Bryce. "But I'm not going to tell you with them in the room." The heels of her shoes clicked as she walked up to me, dusting an invisible substance off my shoulder. "Why don't you run along and do something useful while us grown-ups talk? I hear there's a throw-up mess on the second floor. Go clean it."

The nerve on this girl was unbelievable. I had to take a deep breath and think of furry woodland animals to conceal the rang roaming through me like a tsunami that had just blown on shore.

"First of all, we're the same age. So I don't know who you're talking to like that," I commented, brushing her hand off my shoulder. "Second of all, why don't you go up and do it yourself? It would be nice practice for when you become a housewife."

Reina's jaw dropped and her perfect French-tip nails tapped the corner of her mouth. "Do you see these cuticles? I don't do manual labor. When I get married, I'm not cleaning a single thing."

"Ah, right. I know why you won't be cleaning." Bryce said, rubbing his chin. "You'll be too busy masturbating to a fashion catalogue, because even at that point in your marriage, your sex life will be so non-existent that you'll have to start doing all the work yourself."

The room erupted, finding humor in Bryce's crude remark. People in Reina's entourage were caught giggling at the what Bryce said. She shushed at them, but her attempt was useless.

"C'mon," I said, wiping the corner of my eye. "You should be allowed to laugh at yourself. It was funny."

"Shut-up. I didn't ask for your input." Grabbing the first red cup she set her eyes on, Reina flung the content at me, splashing my shirt.