Free Maybe Fate: A Novel (New Adult Paranormal Romance) by Cynthia Brint

teeth, she dropped down on her bed and hung her head. “Ugh.
I can't believe you walked in on that.”
    Biting
my cheek, I looked to the side, then back at her hunched figure.
“So, well. I mean.” Glancing away again, I drew out my
next word. “Who...?”
    “ Just
a guy I met,” she muttered, propping her head on her hand,
glaring at me.
    “ Right.
Just some guy.” I couldn't keep the biting implication from my
tone.
    Scoffing,
she pointed at me fiercely. “We weren't having sex, don't get
the wrong idea. Just some making out, that's it.”
    Remembering
how I'd witnessed her rather bare chest, I turned red from chin to
scalp. “Mmhmm. Yup.”
    “ Gale,
next time, just knock. Better yet, turn around and go do something
else for awhile.” Pouting, she flopped back on the mattress,
glaring at the ceiling. It felt good to not be on the other end
anymore.
    Poking
dejectedly at my thigh, I watched her from the corner of my eye. “I
am really sorry.”
    Inhaling
audibly, she breathed out, sitting up with a weak smile. “Eh,
whatever. Sorry you walked in on it. It could have been worse.”
    I
didn't want to imagine how.
    “ Oh!”
she said, standing and digging under her bed. “Here, think
this is yours. I kicked it out of the way when Ethan left.”
    “ Who?”
    “ Ethan,”
she said, crawling backwards. Lifting my thick book proudly, she
offered it to me like a peace treaty. “This is huge, by the
way.”
    Grinning,
I took it, feeling comfort in the weight. “I know, right?”
    Squinting
at it, she rubbed her hands on her pants. “What is it? A giant
dictionary?”
    Thumbing
the torn edges, I placed it on my desk. “Not exactly. Just...
something for research.”
    Laughing,
she tossed her hair with an exaggerated shake of her head. “Ugh.
It's the weekend, this is the time for fun! Not extra class work or
whatever. Come on,” she said, leaning down and gripping my
shoulders. “I was thinking of going out tonight with Ethan,
why not come with? Stewart will be there again.”
    Her
wink made me gag. “Oh, uh, no thanks.”
    “ Then
invite your secret boy there, Nethiun or whatever.”
    Imagining
the blonde twaelin hanging out at the club brought a nervous sweat
across my back. “I don't think that's going to happen.”
    Folding
her arms, she leveled her eyes at me. “You walked in on me
having half-naked makeouts. You owe it to me to come out tonight.”
    Gaping,
I shook my head slowly. “Becky, that's not fair. We went out
last night! Also, I thought I was forgiven?”
    “ Nope!
Now you have to come, or I'll give you the silent treatment.”
    Lowering
my eyebrows, I cupped my cheeks petulantly. “You're awful.
Fine. But keep that Stewart guy away from me, got it?”
    Laughing,
she dug into the closet, pulling out a pair of particularly tall
heels. “Let me help you get ready, and it's a deal.”
    Groaning,
I rolled across my bed like a kid whining about dinner. “Becky,
no.”
    “ Let's
look our best if we're going to hit the town! Besides,” she
said slyly, holding up a slinky piece in emerald and gold, “I've
got just the thing for you.”
    I
immediately regretted asking for her forgiveness.

    ****

    The
club was called something ridiculous, the 'Pink Leopard' or some
such. I didn't know, I wanted to forget the night already.
    Squeezing
through the crowds of people, dressed only in the form-fitting dress
Becky had essentially blackmailed me into wearing, I wanted to
scream.
    Wanted
to scream at people to move, to get off of me, to put on better
deodorant. Everything was sticky and humid and smelled like ham.
    Why
didn't I just notice the dumb sock.
    Sighing,
I followed Becky until we broke through into a slightly less packed
section of the dark club. It was hard to see, everyone was dimmed by
the lack of good lighting. Occasionally, an awful black light would
wriggle to life, lighting my dress and peoples' teeth in electric
blue fire.
    “ Hey!
Ethan!” The raven haired girl, dressed in a