Nineteen

Chapter Twelve

"You okay?" He says as I walk onto the steps.

"Yeah, just talking."

Clark gives him look and walks back into the party.

My phone rings just as I make it back into the house.

Bailey.

I let it go to voicemail and decide to text him instead.

"Can't talk right now. The party is too loud."

After a few seconds I get a respond. "Are you cheating on me, Emory?"

What?

I don't feel like defending myself over something way out of proportion so I just reply, "No. I'll talk to you later."

I turn my phone off.

I follow Collin back into the kitchen and he hands me another drink.

I'm drunk as it is, but one more wont hurt.

The more I drink, the more uncomfortable my dress becomes.

I walk over to where Collin is just as another girl stumbles in and crashes right into me.

I spill my drink on my dress and on Collins shirt, soaking it.

"Shit!" I say, way too loud.

He glares at the girl and I swear his eyes are stone until he looks at me and says, "It's alright, it wasn't your fault. But you should change before your dress is ruined."

He's right, and the dress is way too uncomfortable now.

"Yeah, I'll go find Clark to take me home."

I start to walk but he grabs my wrist, "I can take you to get changed and then bring you back if you want. We don't have to bother him."

He nods in Clark's direction and I see he has a girl in his lap drinking something from a tub in front of her.

I nod in agreement, grab my bag, and walk out the door behind him.

He pulls a set of keys from his pocket and I say, "Aren't you too drunk to be driving?"

"No, I only had one and that was hours ago. I have been drinking water ever since."

We walk to a black truck in the middle of the driveway. It's high off the ground and he has to help me into it. I drink what's left in my cup before setting it on the ground.

In order to get around all of the cars in the driveway, he drives right through the yard.

At this point I'm drunk and tired. My feet ache and my body itches from the dress.

About 15 minutes later we're outside of the dorms.

"I'll walk you up and wait outside the room while you change, if you want." He says as he gets out to walk to my door.

"I don't think I want to go back to the party. I'm tired."

At this point I can't remember how many drinks I had or how I even got there. I believe Clark took me, but I wouldn't bet money on it.

"Okay, but let me at least walk you to your room. You're pretty damn sluggish." He laughs as he wraps his arm around my waist.

His hands are warm. His shirt smells nice as he practically carries me up the stairs. 

When we get to the door he knocks a few times until he realizes nobody is coming to answer it. 

"Do you have your key?" His caramel eyes cut into me.

"Uh."

I pat my invisible pockets until I remember I left my bag in his truck. I giggle a little.

"It's in your truck. I'll run down and get it."

Before I can turn to leave he says, "No, you stay here."

I bring my phone out of the top of my dress and cut it on. Instantly I get a few messages.

One from Bailey that reads, "I don't know if I want to talk to you after tonight." Same story, different day.

One from Clark that says, "Where are you?" I respond with "Home, where are you?" and I laugh at my lame joke.

I slide down the wall to sit and before I know it, I'm sound asleep in the middle of my dorm building's hallway.