The smell of burnt hairspray and vanilla perfume completely filled the small apartment bathroom.
Audrey stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her hands were shaking slightly. She gripped the edges of the porcelain sink until her knuckles turned totally white.
A massive pile of discarded clothes covered her twin bed in the next room. Sweaters, jeans, and two dresses she had not worn since freshman year were tossed everywhere.
"You are overthinking this," Zoya called out from the kitchen. The loud sound of a metal spoon clinking against a ceramic bowl echoed through the shared apartment. "It is just a fire in the dirt. Wear the black jeans."
"I cannot wear the black jeans," Audrey yelled back. Her voice cracked. "They make me look like I am going to a funeral."
Her other roommate walked into the bathroom. Chloe leaned against the doorframe holding a makeup brush.
"You are going to a football party," Chloe pointed out logically. "The entire campus already thinks you are dating the captain. You cannot just wear a giant hoodie tonight."
Audrey groaned. She let go of the sink and buried her face in her hands. Her stomach felt completely sick. The cold sweat on her palms would not go away.
She finally walked out of the bathroom and grabbed a plain white t-shirt and a dark denim jacket. Safe. Invisible.
A loud knock hammered on the apartment door.
Audrey froze. Her heart slammed against her ribs.
"I will get it!" Zoya shouted.
The door opened.
Audrey peeked out of the bedroom.
Mason Calloway stood in their small apartment living room. He wore a dark grey flannel over a black shirt. He looked incredibly casual, but the sheer physical presence of him completely changed the atmosphere of the room.
Zoya took a slow bite of her cereal. She looked him up and down.
"You are taller in person," Zoya stated.
Mason smiled easily. "I get that a lot. Is Audrey ready?"
Audrey took a very deep breath. She forced her feet to move and walked out of the bedroom.
Mason turned his head. His warm brown eyes scanned her from the white sneakers up to the denim jacket. He did not say anything for three long, agonizing seconds.
Audrey picked at the cuff of her jacket.
"It is too boring," Audrey muttered. She looked down at her shoes. "I knew I should have worn the green sweater."
"You look perfect," Mason said. His voice was surprisingly quiet. The playful, teasing tone was completely gone.
Audrey felt a sudden, ridiculous rush of heat hit her cheeks. She grabbed her phone from the kitchen counter just to have something to hold.
"Let’s just go before I change my mind," she said quickly.
The air near the lake tasted heavily like woodsmoke and cheap beer.
The bonfire was massive. Orange sparks floated up into the pitch black sky. The noise was absolutely deafening. Music pounded from a giant speaker near the back of a pickup truck.
Audrey walked beside Mason. The damp grass soaked into the sides of her shoes. Her shoulders were incredibly tense. She felt eyes on her immediately. The whispers started the second they stepped into the bright light of the fire.
Mason casually moved closer. His broad shoulder brushed against hers. The solid, warm contact grounded her instantly.
"Look at the fire," Mason said softly. He leaned down near her ear. "Do not look at the people."
Audrey focused on the glowing orange logs. It actually worked. The panicked feeling in her chest slowly receded.
"Captain!" a loud voice boomed over the music.
Leo and Jackson shoved their way through the crowded bodies. They both held red plastic cups.
"You actually brought her," Leo cheered. He pointed a large finger at Audrey. "I owe Jackson ten bucks. I thought she was going to lock her door."
"I strongly considered it," Audrey said honestly.
Jackson laughed. He shoved a red cup into Mason’s hand. "Coach is looking for you over by the coolers. He wants to talk about the defensive lineup for next week."
Mason frowned. He looked down at Audrey.
"I will be right back," Mason promised. "Do not let Leo feed you anything. I am absolutely serious."
"Hey," Leo complained loudly.
Mason walked away. He disappeared into the sea of tall athletes.
Audrey stood there holding her phone. The safety bubble completely popped the exact second Mason left. Leo and Jackson immediately started arguing about a video game. Audrey took a step back, giving them space. She wrapped her denim jacket tighter around her chest.
The heavy smell of woodsmoke was suddenly cut by something sharp.
Peppermint.
Sterile, overpowering peppermint cologne.
Audrey stopped breathing. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood straight up.
"I thought you said you did not go to parties."
The voice was directly behind her.
Audrey turned around slowly.
Logan Foster stood there. He was completely out of place at a muddy football bonfire. He wore a pristine dark sweater. His eyes were cold and frustrated.
"What are you doing here?" Audrey asked. Her voice shook uncontrollably.
Logan took a step closer. He completely invaded her personal space. He lowered his voice so the football players arguing a few feet away could not hear him.
"You really think you are pulling this off?" Logan asked quietly. His tone was sharp and condescending. "You think I do not know what you are doing?"
Audrey felt her chest tighten. She backed up, but her foot hit a large wooden log. She was boxed in.
"Leave me alone, Logan," she said.
"Zoey thinks you actually moved on," Logan continued. He leaned in closer. "But I know you, Audrey. You are faking it. You are using Calloway to get my attention because you are still obsessed with me. You are just trying to make me look bad."
Audrey stared at him in pure shock. He actually believed that. He was so blinded by his own ego that he twisted reality just to keep himself at the center of her universe.
"You are delusional," Audrey breathed out.
She turned her body to walk past him. She just wanted to get away from the smell of his cologne.
Logan panicked. He lost control of the conversation. He instinctively reached out and caught her wrist.
It was not a violent grab. But his fingers closed around her skin just tight enough to stop her from taking another step. It was incredibly inappropriate.
"We are not done talking," Logan hissed.
"Take your hand off her."
The voice was ice cold.
Audrey froze. She looked past Logan’s shoulder.
Standing right there in the muddy grass, holding a red cup, was Zoey Mitchell. And she looked absolutely furious.
Logan frowned. He quickly dropped Audrey’s wrist. He adjusted his pristine sweater.
"Zoey, this doesn’t concern you," Logan said defensively.
Zoey laughed. It was a harsh, bitter sound that cut right through the noise of the bonfire.
"Really?" Zoey asked. She took a step closer. The orange light from the fire lit up the genuine anger in her eyes. "Because five minutes ago you told me Audrey meant nothing. Now you’re grabbing her at a bonfire."
Logan’s face turned completely pale.