Chapter 127

I hadn’t given up on my plan to get Jack and Matt together, and the minute Matt’s concussion was healed, I decided I needed to stop putting it off. He still had a couple of bruises where he’d bashed his head, and a sore arm, but he was mostly okay. It was a relief to walk out of class a few days later to find him leaning against the far wall with an easy smile on his face–headache mostly gone, and his broken bone well on the way to healing completely.

No one really spared his bruises a second look, and he didn’t wear a sling. Hockey players were often getting injured, and Matt’s friends seemed to take it all in stride. He still hadn’t told me what really happened, but I planned to ask him about it when we had some time alone. I didn’t like the idea of him keeping secrets from me.

That night I paced my room, my thoughts jumbled. Tomorrow was Saturday, which meant Jack would be having one of his parties. The cabinet was already stocked with booze, and the freezer had a huge tray overflowing with ice. If I could convince Matt to come for the party, then maybe he and Jack would hang out. I hoped the alcohol and party atmosphere might take the edge off their animosity. Them realizing they still enjoyed spending time together was the first step. I just had to hope it didn’t go poorly.

The next morning, Jack had me up early to clean the house. I didn’t complain, my mind turning over all the possible ways I might convince Matt to come over. If I just told him I didn’t want to be alone at the party, that would get him over here, wouldn’t it? I didn’t want to use Matt’s feelings for me against him, but I couldn’t think of a better alternative. Fixing their friendship was just too important.

When Jack sent me off to get ready for the party, I immediately called Matt. He picked his phone up after a few rings.

“Hello?” he said. His trunk banged shut in the background, and I heard the jangle of car keys.

“Hey, it’s me.”

“Oh hey, sorry. I had a bunch of stuff in my hands. What’s up?” The door closed, and the sound of the engine drifted over the line. I could picture him in his car, and then I could picture the both of us there. Kissing. Exploring. I swallowed hard and tried to focus on the conversation at hand.

“Are you busy tonight?”

“No,” he said in the sort of tone that made me think he was smiling. “Are you busy tonight?”

“No…well, not really.”

He chuckled. “What do you want to do?”

“I was actually wondering if you could come over here. Jack’s having one of his parties and I’m supposed to stay and help with drinks.”

He was silent for a moment, and I braced myself for his answer. “I don’t know, Celeste,” he said after a minute. “I don’t think your brother would like that very much.”

“He’ll just have to get over it.” Before he could respond, I decided that a little pleading was definitely needed. “Please. I don’t want to be here alone with all his friends.”

“Well, alright. What time?”

“The usual.” He was very familiar with Jack’s parties.

“Alright.”

“Thank you!” I said, hoping he could hear how grateful I was. It meant a lot that he would come to the party with me, even if it was clear he didn’t want to be around my brother if he didn’t need to be. Now I just had to remind them why they used to be so close.

“No worries,” he said, the smile back in his voice. “I’m looking forward to seeing you.”

I twirled a strand of my hair, butterflies settling in my stomach. “I’m excited to see you, too.”

“I’ll text you when I’m on the way.”

“Okay.”

He hung up first, and I threw my phone onto my bed. Now all I had to do was get ready. Usually, I wore baggy clothes and didn’t bother with hair or makeup for Jack’s parties, but tonight was different. I wanted to look good.

I put my hair up in a high ponytail and did my makeup the way Fiona taught me. It was simple but effective–the kohl making my eyes stand out, and the blush giving me some much-needed color. For clothes, I put on a pair of black skinny jeans and a black tank top. At the last minute, I threw on a hoodie, but I left it unzipped. I even put in contacts, so I didn't have to wear my glasses.

By the time I made it downstairs, some of Jack’s friends had already arrived. I busied myself with carrying around drinks, doing what I could to appear as nondescript as possible. A few of his friends sent me curious looks, probably not used to me putting effort into my appearance, but I did my best to ignore him.

Jack and his friends were already drunk, and the main floor was packed with people when Matt finally arrived. I’d gotten his text saying he was on his way, so I met him at the door. He had on a pair of jeans and a form-fitting black long sleeve. He peered around at the crowd, a weary expression on his face.

“He’s in the living room,” I said.

“Oh.” He gave me a once over, a grin breaking out onto his face. “You look great,” he said, leaning down to talk in my ear. I could just hear his sultry voice over the music.

“Thanks,” I said, my cheeks warm. “You do too.”

He put his arm around my shoulders and kissed me quickly on the lips.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

We both froze at the sound of my brother’s hostile voice. Matt was the first one to recover. He rose to his full height and turned to face Jack, his expression guarded.

“Celeste invited me,” he said, his tone low.

A few of Jack’s friends had inched closer, maybe hoping for a fight. Others were too drunk to even notice that Matt had arrived.

My brother leveled a heated look at me, his eyes narrowing. “Celeste should know better.”

Matt just shrugged, a bored look crossing his face.

“Get out,” Jack snarled.

“This is Celeste’s house, too,” Matt countered. “I’ll leave when she tells me to.”

Things weren’t off to a great start. I gave my brother a pleading look, and he considered the two of us for a moment. “Well, since you’re both here, you might as well come into the living room.”

Matt looked weary, but he took my hand and led me into the room. The couches and chairs were occupied, and Jack motioned for them to get up. He took the chair while Matt and I sat down on the couch. Matt’s shoulders were tense, and he didn’t take his eyes off my brother.

“That’s quite the bruise,” Jack said, pointing to the side of his head.

“It’ll go away.”

“I’m sure.” Jack grinned, but it looked more like he was baring his teeth. “You do seem to heal fast, don’t you?”

Matt tensed even further. “No faster than anyone.”

Jack laughed. A few of his friends inched closer, drawn to the obvious drama like flies drawn to a carcass. Despite being friends with both Matt and Jack, they wanted to see a fight happen. It was just entertainment for them.

“I’m actually glad Celeste invited you,” Jack said with a sneer. “You took quite the tumble the other day. You had everyone worried.”

Matt gave him a questioning look.

“Hey, at least Enzo and Nina were there to help you.” No one seemed to have any idea what he was getting at. No one but Matt.

He leaned forward. “You were there?”

“I was just out for a little walk. I stumbled on quite the scene.” I looked between them. Jack clearly knew what happened to Matt the other night. “Funny, I didn’t get an invitation to your little hike. Maybe you thought I couldn’t keep up? So much for friends, right?”

“You couldn’t keep up,” Matt answered.

“You should be careful, you know,” Jack continued, as if Matt hadn’t even spoken. “I hear there are wolves out there.”

“Wolves?” his friend Henry laughed. “I doubt that.”

“No, there are. I heard them whining. Sounded like one was in pain.”

Matt stood up, and I got to my feet too, my mind reeling. “You’d know more about whining than me.”

Jack just laughed.

Matt took my hand and led me out of the room, not bothering to respond to Jack. I followed him upstairs but stopped him at the top.

“My room’s over there,” I said, pointing at the closed door.

He nodded and walked into my room. I followed, my heart racing. He whirled on me the minute the door was closed. “What the hell was that?”