Control You by Jennifer Snyder

don’t feel like being here much longer.”
    I nodded. “Okay.” Even though that was the last thing I wanted.
    I wanted to have some fun with my friends, laugh, and cut up, but Craig had ruined it for me. His tension from the beginning of the night had weighed me down too much to enjoy myself.
    My mind wandered as I took another sip of my drink. Craig’s thumb began to circle lazily across the bare skin of my thigh, and guilt swept through me. I should be thankful he’d come at all tonight, especially when I already knew he really hadn’t wanted to.
    I sipped my drink and smiled at something Jason had said when everyone started laughing, even though I hadn’t heard him. My mind was somewhere else, frozen in a room of disappointment.
     

 

CHAPTER TEN
    CAMERON
     
    I heard Craig mention to Paige he didn’t want to be here much longer, and I felt a little sliver of satisfaction slide through me. I knew I was the main reason for his sudden mood shift. Paige took another long sip from her margarita, and I picked mine up for a taste.
    “Damn, these are pretty good.” I nudged her elbow with mine and grinned. It wasn’t as potent as the ones at Verde Guacamole, but the salt-to-tang ratio was spot on for me. “You were right.”
    “Yeah, they are,” she agreed with a small smile. She was tense; I could tell. After hanging out with her for most of the day, I noticed the way she carried herself. Right now, it was different. She was tense and tightly wound. She stared at her margarita like there was salvation resting at the bottom of her glass. “I hope the food is just as good. What did you two have?”
    It was cute how she attempted to involve Eva in our conversation. She had no clue we weren’t dating. I could tell from the odd expression that kept flickering across her face every time she glanced at the two of us. It was written all over her face that she wondered though. “Fajitas for two.”
    Paige’s top lip quivered as she came to the realization that Eva and I were more than friends. It was as though my words had confirmed her suspicions. “Oh, was it any good?”
    “The only reason we had that was because it was Cam’s nonchalant way of buying my dinner, even though he knows I always pay for myself whenever we go out. I wanted to try the taco salad.” Eva cocked her head to the side and glared at me all pissy-like. “But Cam wouldn’t let me order for myself.”
    “What? Don’t act like the fajitas weren’t the shit.” I chuckled.
    Craig whispered something to Paige I couldn’t hear, and her shoulders slumped forward a little. Was he being an ass to her? I glanced around the table. These were most definitely her friends. My guess was lover boy wasn’t too fond of any of them, and that was another reason he wanted to bolt early.
    “So where else have you traveled to?” Lauren asked. She flipped her highlighted hair over her shoulder and reached for a chip. “I’d love to travel the world one day. My bank account just couldn’t handle the expense right now—or anytime in the near future for that matter.” She flashed me a little smile.
    I thought for a minute. I’d already made myself look like a pompous ass once tonight by naming where I thought Jimmy was from; I didn’t want to list all the places I’d been and have a round two. Besides, naming them would most definitely lead to the question of how I could afford to travel so much, which was something I didn’t feel like getting into tonight. “I’ve been to a few places—California and a few of the other states, London, and Greece, twice.”
    “Oh, come on, Cameron, don’t be modest. You’ve left out quite a few places, including your favorite place due to its limitless supply of drugs—Amsterdam,” Craig gritted out.
    “No way!” Lauren shouted. “I’ve always wanted to check that place out. Not that I’m a stoner or anything, because I’m not. It just seems so cool on TV.”
    “God, Craig, you’re such a dick