“Love you. Bye.” Summer hung up. “If this thing never rings again it’ll be too soon.”

“What was that about?”

“Mom has a surprise for me.” I rolled my eyes. I wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out.

“Uh-oh.” Felicity gave my shoulder a sympathetic squeeze. “I know what’ll cheer you up.”

I groaned. Loudly. Felicity’s idea of cheering someone up was to find them a vat of beer to drink and a hot guy to grope them.

“Where’s the party?”

“The guys over at Sigma are having a huge end-of-the-year blow out.” Felicity stood and unzipped her garment bag. “And I have just the outfit for you.”

Chapter Two

“I feel ridiculous,” I said as I yanked the hem of my dress down for the tenth time.

Felicity had a daring fashion sense. Plunging necklines, backless, lace, leather. If it was sexy, she owned it. I had ten different pairs of yoga pants.

“You look hot.” Felicity grabbed my hand and led me up the steps of Sigma’s frat house.

I followed Felicity toward the beer. My short skirt was already attracting attention. I’d need a whole lot of alcohol to get me used to this dress. Felicity handed me a cup, and I drained it.

“Holy crap, Summer. Take it easy.” Felicity laughed her words, but she was serious. She knew all too well what could happen when you hit the booze too hard and too fast.

“Relax, Felicity.” I reached for another beer and took a sip. “I just needed to down that first one to help me get used to this dress.”

“Oh, it’s not that bad.” Felicity gave my shoulder a shove.

I looked down at the tiny red dress she’d made me wear. I felt as if everyone could see everything about me. “Are you sure you didn’t leave the other half back in the dorm?” I managed a wry smile as I tugged the hem, willing it to stretch even a couple inches.

“Oh, relax, Summer. You’re so uptight.”

I frowned and took another drink. Felicity put her hand on my arm. “I’m sorry, Summer. You know I love you.” Her grip tightened. “Fuck.”

“What?”

“Mitch is here.” She nodded in his general direction.

My heart slammed against my ribcage as a burst of adrenaline surged through me. Mitch swayed through the crowd. He looked pissed off about something. I clenched my hand into a fist, turned and pretended I didn’t see him. My skin prickled as I felt him come up behind me.

“I thought you were gone already.” The stench of alcohol wafted over me. Mitch had a big head start.

“My life is none of your business anymore.” I grabbed Felicity by the hand and tried to escape into the crowd, but drunk as he was, Mitch was fast.

He stepped in front of me. His gaze trailed down my body.

“Summer, you shouldn’t be here.” His gaze met mine. There was anger in his eyes.

“Why, Mitch?” I guzzled some of my beer. Ten minutes into the party, and I’d just about finished two cups. The night was off to a great start. He reached for my waist, but I lurched backward. “Don’t touch me.”

“You look good.” He softened his gaze. He was doing it again. “Too good.”

“Mitch, you’re drunk. Go home.” Felicity tried to pull me away, but Mitch grabbed my wrist.

“I just want to talk to Summer.”

Felicity forced herself in front of Mitch. She got in his face and stared him down. “Leave her alone, Mitch.”

“I just want five minutes.”

Felicity shoved him. “No.”

Mitch’s face went red with rage. It was my turn to step in. “Felicity, it’s fine,” I said as I guided Mitch away. “We’ll go outside and talk. I’ll be back in five minutes.”

Her face fell. “Summer, no.”

“I’ll be okay.”

“Don’t go anywhere with that creep,” she protested.

“It’s fine.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Fine, Summer. Fine. Find me when you’re done being an idiot.” She flicked her wrist, turned on her heel and stormed off.

I gritted my teeth and followed Mitch outside. The fresh air hit me like a ton of bricks, and so did the two cups of beer I’d slammed. I was never much of a drinker.

I took a deep breath. “What do you want, Mitch?” I crossed my arms in front of myself.

“I want you back.”

I threw my head back and laughed. “Oh, that’s not going to happen.”

He took a step toward me and put his hands on my upper arms. “I love you, Summer.”

I wrenched out of his grasp. “I don’t love you.”

He furrowed his brow. His expression was full of pain. Whether he was sincere or not, I didn’t care. “I don’t believe you.”

“Believe it.” My words came out clipped and cold. This seemed to anger him. He balled his hands at his sides, un-balled them and raked his fingers through his hair.

“You’re mine, Summer. Mine.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me toward him. “Do you understand? You’re mine.”

I tried to pull away, but his fingers were like rods of iron. His face was right in mine. He reeked of booze. “Mitch, let go.”

“No.”

“Mitch, you’re hurting me.” My voice wavered as I tried again to get away. I was scared now, desperate, almost frantic. “Mitch, please.”

He grabbed my waist and pulled me to him. His hand roamed down and he gripped my ass. “Why did you come here then?” He looked at my cleavage. “Dressed like this if you didn’t want me?”

“Mitch, let me go.” I pushed against his chest, but his grip tightened.

“Let her go, Mitch.” The voice of an angel.

I turned, teary eyed to see Hunter standing there. He took his jacket off and draped it over a lawn chair.

“Get out of here, man. This isn’t your business.”

Hunter balled a hand. “Let her go. I won’t tell you again.”

“Fuck you, Hunter.”

Mitch tried to pull me farther away from the party, but Hunter was faster. He slammed his fist into Mitch’s face. I didn’t know a punch to the head would make such a sickening thud. Mitch let go of me and dropped to the ground. Just as fast, he sprang up again and lunged for Hunter, who stepped out of the way. Mitch landed on his face and tried to get up, but by this time a crowd had gathered.

Mitch picked himself up. He sneered at Hunter, then vanished into the crowd.

“Are you okay?” Hunter collected his jacket off the back of the chair.

My lip quivered. I tried to speak, but I took a deep breath instead. I shook my head.

“I can walk you to your dorm if you like.”

I nodded and let Hunter drape his jacket over my shoulders, grateful it was still warm. A chill had settled in my core. I wrapped my arms around myself as Hunter put his hand on my lower back and guided me away from the party.

Chapter Three

“Thanks.” We were halfway to my dorm when I finally managed to find my voice again.

“You don’t have to thank me.” Hunter shook his head, dismissing my gratitude.

“You slugged Mitch.” I paused. “For me.”

Hunter glanced at me, his face unreadable. “I punched him because he’s a sack of shit.” He looked away. “No one deserves what he did to you.”

“I know, but friends don’t usually punch each other.”

Hunter laughed. “Mitch is not my friend.”

I scrunched my face. “He’s your roommate.” I paused. “And your cousin.”

“Not everyone gets along as well as you and Felicity.”

“Shit. Felicity. I bailed on her.” I grabbed my phone from my purse. Three missed texts. All from Felicity. She obviously hadn’t heard about the scene with Mitch. “She’s fine. She’s, ah…found someone to occupy her time tonight.” The idea of sitting alone in my dorm room wasn’t so appealing anymore. “Seventy-two percent.”

“What?”

“My chemistry grade. Seventy-two percent.”

Hunter grinned. “Same.”

“Looks like a tie. Too bad.”

Hunter arched an eyebrow. “Too bad?”

“Well, if there was a clear winner, we could have celebrated together. Felicity keeps a bottle of vodka in our room.”