Chapter 1
Lea Winther
The heat was unbearable, i could feel the fabric of my dress sticking to every patch of skin, as i moved along the house trying to stay in the shade.
The heat was unbearable. My dress clung to every patch of skin as I moved along the house, trying to stay in the shade.
Around me, people lounged in the sun, drinking from red plastic cups that reminded me of every teen movie I’d grown up watching. It felt kind of unrealistic and overwhelming to watch, and I kept wondering how these people were handling the heat. I felt like I was dying.
“Lea!” a voice called from across the yard, and I immediately spotted Eva. She was hard to miss, between the frantic waving to catch my attention and the neon pink bikini; she wasn’t exactly subtle.
I stepped out of the shadows and crossed the small area beside the pool toward her.
“Guys, this is my friend.” She wrapped an arm around my waist as I came close enough for her to grab me and pushed me toward two guys I’d never seen before. “Her name is Lea.”
“Hi.” I smiled at the two guys.
“Hi, Johan.” One of the guys held a hand out to me, his accent deep and unmistakably German, or a least German-ish.
“Alex.” The other guy held a hand out to me, clearly British.
“Johan and Alex are in my philosophy class,” Eva explained, leaning against me. I was surprised I could smell her sunscreen through the scent of booze.
“Wow… the future philosophers of the world, huh,” I said. Both smiled.
“And you know each other from…” Alex tried.
“Orientation,” I said. “Apparently Sweden and Denmark are the same country, so we were grouped.”
“Ah.” Johan laughed. “Typical, Americans.”
I nodded slowly and glanced at Eva as she put her head on my shoulder. “Had enough?”
“What, no!” She straightened immediately. “No way.”
“I think it’s time to get you back to your dorm,” I said, giving her a playful nudge.
Eva shot me a bright, mischievous grin. “See, this is exactly why Sweden went to war with Denmark. You guys are total buzzkills.”
Both of the guys laughed, and I kept a steady hand on her arm as I guided her across the grass.
“Did you even have any fun?” she drawled, peering down at me with wide, hazy blue eyes.
“Sure,” I nodded.
“You really should have! It’s your first pool party ever,” she insisted.
“Actually, it’s not my first.”
“Well, it’s your first American pool party,” she laughed, nearly tripping over her own feet.
I caught her before she could stumble, smiling down up her. “I think you had enough fun for the both of us today.”
“I definitely did,” she beamed, nodding along with her own thoughts.
“Good,” I said, grinning back at her.
She suddenly swerved in front of me, forcing me to trip right over her heel. As I stumbled, flailing to keep her from face-planting while trying to stay on my own two feet, I reached out and blindly grabbed onto something solid. A second later, a firm, steadying grip clamped down on my upper arm.
“Easy there,” a voice murmured.
Eva giggled, a messy, breathless sound, and swayed dangerously as she tried to focus on me.
“Whoa, watch your step, big guy,” she slurred, her words practically melting into each other. She reached out to pat my arm, but her aim was way off, missing me before she finally managed to steady herself by leaning her full weight against me.
I looked up and met a set of deep brown eyes, a smirk playing on his lips as if he were thoroughly entertained by the sheer comedy of it all.
“I’m sorry, she’s a little… festive,” I said, tightening my grip on Eva’s arm to keep her from sliding into the dirt.
He looked at me with a flicker of surprise, his eyebrows arching as he clocked my accent. Great, I thought. Here we go again. For some reason, my slightly broken English was like a magnet for guys, instantly kicking off the dreaded “twenty questions” round where they’d try to guess which corner of Europe I crawled out of.
I really didn’t have the energy to explain my entire life story while holding up a human anchor.
“I see,” he nodded, glancing at Eva, who was now using my shoulder as a glorified pillow. “Do you need a hand with her? Or are you planning on just dragging her home by the ankles?”
“I’ve got her, thanks,” I shot back, trying to sound more confident than I felt. “And sorry for the blind-grab back there. I didn’t mean to assault you.”
He chuckled, and his gaze dropped down to where my hand was still clamped tightly around his bicep like a terrified barnacle.
“Shit… sorry,” I yelped, realizing I was practically strangling his arm. I snatched my hand away.
“What dorm is she in?” he asked.
“Westmore, but seriously, I…” I didn’t get to finish. Before I could even protest, he casually shoved his plastic cup into my hand and scooped Eva off the ground, lifting her bridal style like she weighed nothing more than a backpack.
Eva let out a high-pitched squeal that transitioned into a fit of bubbly, intoxicated giggles.
Behind us, the two guys he’d been talking to were absolutely losing it, grinning like they were watching their favorite sitcom.
She was going to be so beyond mortified when she heard about this. I was already mentally cataloging every single detail, gleefully anticipating the “debrief” session we’d have during her inevitable, soul-crushing hangover tomorrow.
Oh, she is never going to live this down.
“Jax,” he said, shooting one of the guys a sharp look. The guy nodded, already tapping away at his phone like a man on a mission.
The mystery guy turned his attention back to me, jerking his head toward the house. “Let’s get her inside out of this heat.”
I let out a small, defeated sigh and trailed behind him. He navigated the crowded yard with surprising ease, practically parting the sea of sweaty, sun-drenched students until he reached the living room. He deposited Eva onto the couch, where she let out a contented hum and immediately curled into a ball, already halfway to dreamland.
He stayed there for a second, watching her with a look of amused pity before he turned to me.
“We’re getting you an Uber,” he stated, his tone leaving no room for argument. “With her condition, you’re never making it back to Westmore on foot. You’d be lucky if you even made it past the fence without her deciding to take a nap in the grass.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said, flashing a grin that was way too effortless. “I’m Owen, by the way.”
He held out a hand, and I took it, feeling the contrast of his cool, dry palm against my own.
“Lea,” I said, giving his hand a firm shake. “You’re a lifesaver.”
He let out a short, sharp laugh, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “I’m happy to help. Really.”
“I’m sure you have better things to do than babysit a drunk you don’t even know,” I said, crossing my arms.
“Oh, is that what she is? A professional drunk?” He leaned back against the arm of the sofa, looking amused. “Does this happen a lot?”
“More than she’d ever admit,” I nodded, casting a glance at Eva, who was currently drooling slightly onto the couch cushion.
He leaned in a little closer, his smile shifting from polite to something much more dangerous. “Well, maybe I should give you my number, so you can call me next time.”
I blinked, looking up at him, caught completely off guard. “What?”
“Not as smooth as I thought?” He shot me a crooked, self-deprecating grin that did strange things to my pulse.
I felt a flush creep up my neck that had absolutely nothing to do with the heat. “Oh, it was,” I said, finding my voice again. “Incredibly smooth.”
His grin widened, and he didn’t even try to hide the flicker of challenge in his gaze. “So?”
“I appreciate the attempt,” I said, offering him a tight, polite smile. “But no.”
“No?” He arched an eyebrow, clearly not used to being shot down.
Suddenly, a voice drifted up from the cushions. “She doesn’t date,” Eva mumbled, eyes half-closed as she blinked up at him. She let out a long, dramatic sigh, then added, “You should though. He’s fucking hot.”
“Eva, shut up,” I hissed, wanting the floor to just swallow me whole.
Owen’s eyes flickered to me, his smirk transforming into a full-blown, amused grin. He didn’t even look annoyed; he looked like he was having the time of his life.
“Hey, Owen…” A voice drifted in from the open patio door. “The drunk mobile is here.”
I didn’t wait for a beat. I immediately lunged for Eva’s arm, hauling her up from the couch cushions with a desperate surge of adrenaline.
“I’ve got it from here, thank you,” I said, my voice coming out a little faster than intended.
“I can…”
I didn’t let him finish. I cut him off with a polite but firm shake of my head, already pivoting toward the exit. I hooked my shoulder under Eva’s, steering her toward the door before she could offer up any more “expert opinions” on my love life.
I could feel Owen’s eyes tracking our retreat, but I kept my focus locked on the path ahead, dragging my best friend toward the car.
