With You (NOW PUBLISHED)

chapter four

We arrive back at the massive couch and find Becks and Penny blissfully distracted. "This is Mark, Liam, and Graham," Becks exclaims, pointing to each guy separately as she says their name.

I watch them squirm uncomfortably in their chairs as I sit down next to Luca. The one wearing our schools University of North Texas fraternity jacket kinks his brow in my direction.

"Yes, they were nice enough to keep us company." Penny's nose crinkles over the rim of her drink. "You know, since Luca had to go looking for you, and my brother decided to take his turn on the campus bicycle."

I cut my eyes to the dance floor, when I notice Ethan and Hallie are in fact missing. Then turn back and flash the guys a meek smile, choosing to ignore Penny's blatant attempt at getting a rise out of me, when a petite waitress turns her attention toward our group. Her arms precariously holding a tray of drinks.

"Hey, y'all!" she greets us. Her heavy twang and wrist tattoo that reads "Made in Texas" makes me smile. She splits the tray between the two cube tables, cautiously making sure to set each drink as close to the center as possible. "I hope you're thirsty. Mr. Wescott asked me to send these over to you guys."

"Wesc—wait. Wescott?" Becks shifts her weight and slides to the edge of her seat.

Without question, I take a drink from the table in front of me. The pink-and-orange one that smells tropical, a nice reprieve from all the blue, and raise it to my lips. The fruity concoction tastes delicious on my tongue as I gulp down almost half the glass. I don't even try to hide the massive stamp on my hand that's meant to indicate that I'm not twenty-one. Twenty is close enough—at least, it is tonight.

"Um, thanks," Becks mutters to the girl, narrowing her eyes as she shoots me a look of concern. I can tell that she wants to ask me what the hell she must have missed, but, thankfully, she lets it go. For now, which is good since I'm not even sure what I think myself at the moment—only that, my stress levels have officially peaked.

The waitress nods her head, then walks off when I hear Becks gasp. Her hand darts under the table to take hold of mine as she leans into my side. I turn my eyes in the direction that she's staring in and find a tall guy, with a muscular frame and broad shoulders standing next to our table. His tangled mess of blond hair hangs down, covering most of his face as he works to smooth it back.

"And you'll tell your father how much we appreciate him stopping by," he tells the couple he's with. We can't see their faces, but by the way this guy is talking to them, they have to be important.

Beck's jaw practically drops to the floor the longer she watches him, and it takes all I have not to burst out laughing. I think she's found her new plaything. When I hear the name Russo, I lean in further trying to get look, when I notice the other guy he's standing beside. Theo. And he's not alone.

Adorned with a tall, gorgeous woman tucked under his arm, I try not to let it bother me but it does.

What the hell is wrong with me?

As if just noticing him, Becks twists to the side. The knots in my stomach twist to an uncomfortable state.

"Can you believe that asshole?" Luca groans, then adjusts himself so that his arm now drapes behind me.

"Hold on. So you do know Wesley?" Penny chuckles from her seat. The three guys she'd been entertaining suddenly appear to look awkward without her constant attention. When we don't answer her, she motions with the hand that's carefully holding her drink back at the guy with the blond hair.

"No, but if he's anything like the guy standing next to him, I'm good," Luca says automatically.

I lick my lips and taste remnants of my cocktail. I take another sip, purposefully ignoring the guilty feeling that's building in the pit of my stomach. It's clear I need to talk to Luca about what happened between Theo and him, but seeing the way he's reacting, I'm not sure if tonight is the right time to do it.