CHAPTER 7

**VERONICA**

I went upstairs and took a shower. When I checked the time, it was 7:15 PM.

I quickly went to my wardrobe and grabbed a white crop top, denim bum shorts, a jean jacket, and my boots. After that, I went to my dresser and applied light makeup, then straightened my hair and pulled it into a ponytail.

Just then, my phone rang—it was Sam.

Thank goodness! I hadn't spoken to him in a while.

"Hey," I said as I answered the call.

"Hi! Today is the party, right?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied, grabbing my purse from the bed.

"In fact, I'm almost done getting ready for the party," I added.

"Okay, just be careful and don't drink more than two cups of alcohol if you're offered any. You know you can't handle alcohol," he warned.

"Yeah, I'll do just that," I assured him as I headed for the door.

"Good luck, and don't hesitate to call me if something happens," he said.

"Yes, Mom," I replied, hearing him chuckle on the other end.

"I'm really grateful you called, though," I told him.

"Why? You're my best friend, and I'll always be there for you," he said.

"Ditto," I replied.

"So, how are you holding up?" I asked, referring to Steph.

"I'm over it," he said. I knew he couldn't have moved on so quickly, but I didn't want to push, so I decided to give him the space to heal.

"Okay, take good care of yourself. I love you," I said as I went downstairs.

"You too," he replied before ending the call.

Right after, my phone rang again, and it was Hunter.

"Hey," I answered.

"Hi Veronica, I'm outside your house," he said, his tone a bit awkward.

"Okay, I'll be there in a minute," I replied as I reached the living room.

"Liam, I'm going out for a few hours. I have a party to attend," I said.

"Okay, but don't be late, and be careful. Keep your phone on in case I need to call you for something," he said.

"Bye then," I replied, wondering why he didn't give me any pep talk today as I stepped outside.

When I got outside, I saw Hunter leaning against his obviously new red sports car. He didn't notice me because he was on his phone.

I took in his outfit: black jeans, a denim jacket, and white and black sneakers. His white t-shirt hugged his hard upper body perfectly.

Oh my, he is so hot! I was practically screaming inside.

As I approached him, he noticed me and looked up. I had to stop myself from reaching out to touch his soft-looking chocolate-brown hair.

What's wrong with me?

He smiled as he saw me, and I couldn't help but admire the glint in his green eyes and the curve of his pink lips.

He raked his gaze from my feet to my head before looking directly into my eyes. "You're really sexy," he said with a grin.

I felt my face turn hot as I tucked my bottom lip into my mouth with my teeth.

"Your eyes are really pretty too," he added. I knew that, but I was still glad he noticed. If only he knew what his words and stares were doing to me—he would definitely stop before I did something stupid that I would regret.

I actually have cobalt blue eyes and very long lashes, which people often mistake for being artificial. I was pretty sure the little smoky eyeshadow I used made my eyes look darker.

"Your eyes are very green," I replied, trying to return the compliment, even though it made me uncomfortable.

"Okay then, shall we?" he asked.

"Sure," I replied.

"At your service, my lady," he said as he opened the passenger door of the car.

"Please stop it," I said, feeling my cheeks heat up with embarrassment.

He laughed, sensing my discomfort.

When I got into the car, he closed the door and went around to the driver's side. He turned on the radio, and "Dusk Till Dawn" by Sia and Zayn Malik was playing.

"You like Sia, huh?" I asked him as he started driving.

"Not really. I thought you would like it, but I can change it if you don't," he replied.

"No, it's fine. I like it. Besides, Sia is one of my favourite musicians," I said.

"Really?" he asked, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Of course! She's really talented. So, what about you? Who's your favourite musician?" I asked him.

"Well, I can't really say because I don't actually have a favourite. I listen to whatever sounds good to me, but I kind of like One Direction and Westlife," he replied.

"Oh, that's cool," I said with a smile as he focused on driving.

After a while, we arrived at the party, and the music was blaring.

This is going to be really fun.

Hunter parked his car in a corner since there were already a lot of vehicles there. After that, we got out, and I shivered at the cool breeze.

"Cold?" he asked.

"Kind of," I replied, although I wanted to say "obviously."

"Are you nervous?" he asked again.

"A little. Don't get me wrong; I've been to night parties before, but this just feels different," I admitted with a smile.

"Don't worry; you'll be fine. Let's get you something to drink," he said as we headed inside.

****

"What's up, bro?" someone said as we reached the door.

"Hey man," Hunter replied to what I suspected was the bouncer. They shared a brief hug, and Hunter introduced him as Josh to me.

"What a hot girl you have here! What's your name, pretty?" he asked, looking at me.

"Veronica, nice to meet you," I said, extending my hand for a handshake. Instead, he took my hand and pecked the back of it.

I smiled as he released my hand.

"Josh, and it's really nice to meet you too. I hope I'll be seeing more of you from time to time," he said with a charming grin.

"We will go in now," Hunter said.

Once inside, I was surprised to see the place packed with people. Some were smoking, others were playing spin the bottle (truth or dare), while many were making out, dancing, or just chatting and drinking.

"I'll be back; let me get you something to drink," Hunter said before he left.

"Hey, beautiful!" came the slurred voice of a guy with blonde hair as he approached me.

I looked up to see a clearly drunk guy, and I chose to ignore him. He didn't seem to take the hint and came closer, but before he could do anything, someone pushed him away from me. It wasn't that I couldn't defend myself—I just didn't expect that someone would step in so quickly.

I looked up, surprised to find Bryan Klein, a.k.a. Hunter's cousin and the hottest guy at Addison High.

"Hi," he said, taking my hand.

"Hi," I replied, feeling unexpectedly shy.

"Thanks," I told him for helping me.

"It was nothing. Besides, I don't like seeing a beauty like you in discomfort," he said with a smirk.

"Such a charmer," I said, blushing, and we both started to laugh. I blush easily; I can't help it.

"You find me charming?" he asked, and I felt my cheeks flush even more.

"Oh yeah! Besides, who wouldn't find you charming?" I said, looking up to meet his eyes. For a moment, I felt lost in his sea-blue gaze.

As I took in his sharp jawline, which seemed to be begging for me to touch it, and his soft blonde hair pushed up on his head, I couldn't help but wonder how a guy could look this good. These cousins and their charm.

I heard someone cough beside me, which snapped me out of my trance. I was grateful for Hunter's arrival.

"I brought you a drink," he said, handing me a red plastic cup.

"Thanks!" I replied, taking it. To my relief, it was Coke—alcohol doesn't really agree with me.

Hunter held another cup, but I wasn't sure what he was drinking.

"Hey, bro, I didn't know I'd see you here," Hunter said as they hugged.

"I guess I'll leave you two to talk, then," Bryan said with a smile.

"It was really nice meeting you," he said to me, and for some reason, it felt like he knew I would be here today.

"You too," I replied.

"Later, then, Veronica," he said, smirking.

My head was spinning but in a good way.

"Alright," I said after swallowing hard.