We both know he didn’t forget but got caught staring.

He gives a sheepish grin, glancing toward Valine. “New girl?”

I tilt my head. “So you live around here, then?”

His eyes pop to mine. “I do, yeah. Just moved back actually, so I’m sort of out of tune with things. Need to play catch-up, reunite, you know?”

I nod. “Well, there’s supposed to be a party tonight, you should come. You can give me your number and I can send you the address?”

He rubs his lips together. “Who are you going with?”

“Oh, I’m actually working,” I tell him and a slight frown forms above his brows. “But I’ll be there, and I’m sure some others you might know will be if you’re from here. Did you go to Brayshaw High?”

A low chuckle leaves him and he looks over my shoulder. “Maybe next time, but I’ll see you soon.” He begins walking backward, and then spins and cuts behind the building.

A few seconds later a horn honks, and my name is called.

I turn to find Chloe at the curb, staring this way.

I rush over, smiling at her little convertible.

“Girl, if your man knew you were out here like this, he’d whoop that ass.” She chuckles. “But maybe that’s what you’re into, huh?”

I shake my head. “Not my man, trust me.”

“But you are into it?”

I laugh and she nods for me to climb in. “Mac’s supposed to pick you up in a couple hours, right?”

“That’s what Royce said, yeah. Do you mind?”

Her head snaps my way, and she smirks. “Girl, if you only knew how good I am at sharing.”

A few minutes pass and then she’s pulling up in front of the group home.

I climb out, but something has me turning back to ask, “Hey, do you know a guy named August?”

“August?” She tips her head. “That would be a no. Why?”

“I met him twice now since I’ve been here. He said he just moved back.”

She nods, her eyes narrowing. “Huh, be careful, maybe ask Royce?” She pauses and then we’re both laughing because yeah right.

I head inside and before I know it, I’m climbing into Mac’s truck and headed for the party.

Excitement swims in my abdomen as we arrive, and promptly fifteen minutes later, it’s long gone.

I was excited to ‘work’, but now I’ll be excited when it’s time to go home.

With a huff, I toss the plastic cups in the garbage and pull out a new stack, setting them beside the array of half-empty bottles.

When Royce said ‘work’ I thought... I don’t know what I thought, but I definitely didn’t expect to be cleaning up after half drunk, half sober, half-naked, Brayshaw students. Yet, here I am, doing exactly that.

Yay freaking me.

Mac steps through the screen door with an empty beer bottle and lifts it up, so I open the bag in my hand and he drops it inside.

“Thanks.” He leans his hips against the counter near me, glancing over when his girlfriend, Chloe, walks in behind him.

She steps between his legs and leans her back to his chest.

“Hey.” She smiles, her eyes roaming over my outfit in approval.

It’s just a simple black romper with no straps that lays about mid-thigh, but it’s cute and fun and something I’ve had for so long but never had a place to wear it to.

“Hey.”

“You know he’s fucking with you, right?” She tilts her head, letting me in on a secret that should have been obvious. “He has a cleanup crew. They take care of everything before, during, and after.”

“Then why am I doing this?”

She smirks. “I don’t know, why are you?”

“He said—” I cut myself off.

He said to ‘keep it clean’ and followed with a clipped ‘find a way’.

I look to the garbage can I just filled up that’s somehow already emptied, fresh bag already inside of it and the small splash I’d spotted on the wall already gone.

I lower my arm, the half-full bag in my hand resting near my feet as I survey the kitchen.

At the round table, several guys play a game of King’s Cup, drinking based on the cards they pull while a few girls laugh and chat behind them.

A burst of excitement flows from the living room in the form of whistles and quick cheering, so I lean slightly to get a better look.

A guy tugs his shirt off and starts spinning it over his head, only to toss it onto a girl who sits on the couch not far from him.

The girl blushes, her head tipping a little, and I smile to myself.

So cute.

A few others dance around him, getting loud and enjoying their night.

A scrape of wood against wood pulls my attention back this way right as a girl with brown hair decides to join one of the guys in his chair.

She straddles him, completely ignoring the other players at the card table. Each of them observes her public playtime as well, except one.

He watches her and closely, his grip on the bottle in front of him tight.

Awareness prickles at my skin when bottle gripping guy’s leg begins to bounce, but my head snaps up when a rush of red catches my eye.

Back in the living room, a dark-haired dude wearing a Bulls jersey gets into shirtless guy’s face and the shy girl, still holding onto that discarded T-shirt, sits straight up in a panic.

Shirtless guy grins, but when he’s shoved backward a few spaces, a heavy glare takes over and he steps forward again.

I look between the two about to fight over shirt girl and the three toying with each other at the kitchen table—the new hookup and the last one, I decide.

Lap dance guy’s hand begins to disappear under his rider’s skirt and in the living room shirtless guy and jersey guy are bumping chests.

“Keep it clean,” I whisper to myself.

I look to Mac and Chloe, and Mac winks, offering a subtle nod.

I drop the bag to the floor and spin around, grabbing a bottle from the ice bucket and a half tray of Jell-O shots off the counter and head for the table.

I smile, walking up to the group of chatting girls with a bit of nerves.

At first, they scowl when I interrupt their conversation, but as they realize what I’m holding, they shout in drunken excitement and all take one, effectively gaining their lost friend’s attention.

She lifts her head from the dude’s neck, eyes pink and cheeks flushed to match.

I lift the tray in one hand and reach for her with the other, the neck of the beer bottle tucked between my fingers.

She smiles, reaches out, and lets me tug her up. I subtly spin her and pass off the tray and then I’m forgotten, but I make my way over to the ex, trade out his empty bottle with the new, and wink.

He smiles but drops his grin to his chest to hide it.

I pat his back and quickly make my way into the living room.

I offer an apologetic smile to the couch girl and when I reach for the shirt she’s clutching. She lets it go.

Jersey guy shouts, something about “stay away from his sister” and as he does, he rears back a little. Probably to come back even stronger, more aggressive, but I take his slip out as my way in, and place my palms on shirtless guy’s waist driving him backward.

At first, his eyes narrow and his hands begin to come down to shove me away, but I tip my head, lifting my brows and he freezes. It only lasts a second, and then he forces himself to chill, wraps his arms around me lazily, and his head lifts.