Not Even Close (A New Generation) by Elizabeth Reyes (books to read in a lifetime txt) 📗

his thought process began to feel annoying, if not alarming.Each heart spiking instance when he thought he saw her, was followed by thesame thought or even muttered words, not even close.

Close to what? She was just another a cute—okay, hot girl—witha sweet smile. One who he knew nothing about except that as innocent, sweet andshy as his first impression of her had been, Byron knew firsthand now she hadit in her to turn that sweet smile, wicked sexy.

“We’ll just get out here,” Gus said opening the back door. “Thisway you can turn off the next side street instead of having to sit in this messthe whole way.”

Byron turned in time to see Nando jump out after Gus. “Thanks,man,” Nando said leaning back into the window. “Just leave the backdoorunlocked like last time. This way we won’t wake you since we’ll probably getback late.”

Nodding, Byron started moving since the line of cars in front ofhim finally started inching along. Taking in the party scene all around him, heshook his head with a smirk. Nothing had changed since his days of frat partyhopping. It was still fairly early, for a college party scene anyway, andalready there was drunk young girls stumbling around.

Like he’d been doing earlier, one particular drunken girl leaningon some loud dude had him doing a double take. Only it was for a differentreason this time. There wasn’t any resemblance from this chick to her,but he thought he recognized her from somewhere. Since the traffic was at ahalt again, Byron took the moment to continue to peer. He’d always hated thatfeeling of not being able to place someone and there was something about thisgirl that he could swear he knew her.

Mostly he had too many friends and co-workers who had sisters andshit around this age. The girl looked drunk, and the loud guy with herseemed a little too excited about that. Not only that, but the other guy withhim also kept leaning over and whispering shit in her ear. The guy holding herwas doing so as if he was with her. Then he said something to the other guy,and they switched places. Now the other guy was talking so close into her facehe pecked her lips.

It wasn’t until she jerked her head back and looked around thatByron got a better look at her and it hit him. Except for the time he’d seenthe little college girl at the gym with the meathead this girl had been at herside all the other times.

“Ah, hell.” He turned around to see if he could merge intothe next lane, closer to where the threesome was standing.

What the fuck was he doing? For all he knew this was perfectlyconsensual. God knew he’d been to enough of these parties to know the kind ofshit that happens all the time and how willing too many of these freaky youngcollege girls were willing to go along with this. But something about the wayshe’d jerked her head back and seemed to look around apprehensively, made himthink this wasn’t the case here.

Byron had finally managed to merge over to the lane closest tothe parked cars on the side of the road. Despite his being torn about justdriving on or stopping, that all changed when he heard male voices yelling outfor Jake and Conner. Glancing up at where the yelling was coming from, he sawtwo other guys looking out a second-floor window of one of the frat houses.

“Get her up here!”

Holding the wobbly chick by the arm Jake or Conner,whichever he was, started her toward the house. Instinctively, Byron swervedinto the break in cars and blocked the driveway to get out of the traffic. Histires skidding when he hit the brakes had the two guys turning back in hisdirection.

Pushing the ignition button, Byron jumped out of the car not evensure what he’d say or do. All he knew was he had to at least find out if infact this threesome—or whatever else they had planned upstairs—was somethingthis girl was consenting to.

“Hey.”

They all peered at him curiously but then glanced around as ifhis sudden arrival might not have anything to do with them. The crowd aroundthe area was so that he very well could’ve been talking to someone else. Thenhe saw it. The girl’s eyes widened and despite her clearly inebriated state,she appeared to recognize him suddenly. “You okay?”

None of them said anything at first. While the girl seemed to understandit was her, he was speaking to, the guys still didn’t look sure. So, he pointedat her. “You. Are you okay? You need a ride or something?”

“What are you stupid?” the guy holding her arm sneered. “She’swith us.”

“I wasn’t talking to you, asshole.” Byron turned back to thegirl. “You sure you’re okay?”

It was so subtle he almost missed it, but her head shook justslightly and then she hiccupped. “I know you,” she slurred then took a stepforward jerking her arm away from the guy a little too hard and she toppleddown onto the grass.

Rushing to help her up before the guys could, Byron mutteredunder his breath hoping neither of the guys would protest. Not that either ofthem was in any hurry to help her up. Instead, they stood there lookingannoyed. Almost as if she suddenly didn’t seem worth the effort. Especially nowthat it appeared, they were being confronted about their intentions.

The girl glanced up at him pouting, as her eyes flooded withtears before hiccupping again. “I lost my- hiccup . . .  friend.”

Byron helped her up, his insides tightening at the thought ofwhat friend she meant, and what kind of trouble she might be in. He heldher by her arm. “I’ll help you find her.”

Once on her feet, she dusted herself off with one hand whilewiping tears away with the back of her other hand. All the while the hiccupswere rampant.

Glaring at the guys who seemed to be pondering whether to stayand argue or walk away. Byron had one staunch sentence for them he deliveredwith undeniable finality. “Get the fuck out of my sight.”

Hesitating for a moment, one of them almost began