Sweet Alibi by Adriane Leigh

me.
    I ripped my eyes from Tristan’s would-be threesome and forced a smile for my best friend. “Not a thing.” I grabbed my drink and downed it in one guzzle, tipping my head to the bartender for another. His eyebrows shot up in surprise before he winked and made me another. He handed it to me and we made our way back to the table.
    “Letting your hair down tonight, huh?” Silas winked.
    “Absolutely. Let’s dance.” I set my drink down and tugged him back on the floor, the opposite end from where Tristan was grinding with his new friends. As we danced, the alcohol saturated my system and left my brain bursting with happy endorphins. Silas and I twisted, turned, and erupted in a fit of giggles, laughing at other people around us. I tried to scope out hot boys for him and would lean my head and quirk an eyebrow before he shook his head in mock horror.
    A handsome, dark-haired guy invaded our space and tossed Silas a forward grin. A wide smile spread across my face and I mouthed to Silas that I was going to the bathroom. His eyes were so focused on tall, dark, and handsome, he hardly acknowledged my departure.
    I threaded my way through the bodies and wound around tables to get to the ladies’ room. Turning down a dim hallway, I bumped headfirst into a couple making out against the wall. Hands traveling up torsos, fabric inching up to reveal damp flesh. The girl chuckled and I jerked my drunken eyes to their faces and saw Tristan's long, blond hair as he sucked on her ear. They hadn't even noticed me.
    I swallowed a softball-sized lump in my throat and stood for a second too long. Before I moved around them, Tristan's eyes met mine and flickered in recognition.
    “Sorry.” I averted my gaze as I walked around them to the bathroom. I opened the door and landed against the wall. There was a long line and I prayed that Tristan and his blonde would be gone by the time I was done. Instantly I missed Kyle.
    Thoughts rattled through my head as the line shortened and I finally stepped into a stall. I had the urge to call Kyle and let him know I was thinking about him. I missed him desperately and wanted to curl up in bed with him tonight and feel his comforting arms around me. I closed my eyes and thought of the scent of his cologne and the smooth skin along his jaw. I fished my cell phone out of my clutch, noticing it was after one in the morning, definitely too late to call.
    I decided I needed another drink to stave off my depressed mood, before remembering Tristan and the leggy blonde I'd bumped into earlier. I lifted my eyes and found the hallway absent. They were gone. I mouthed a silent thank you that I wouldn’t have to see them again.
    Heading to the table, new drink in hand, I discovered where Tristan and his blonde had moved. She sat in my chair with her legs crossed, her dress creeping high up her thigh, and Tristan's palm placed firmly on it. I took a sip of my drink and angled my chair toward the dance floor.
    “Having fun?” Tristan asked me.
    “Yeah.” My eyes flicked to Tristan’s before landing back on Silas and his dark-haired dance companion. It seemed he’d found a new friend to keep his bed warm tonight, as had Tristan. Drew and Gavin were always a sure bet, so apparently I would be the only one crawling into a cold bed alone.
    “Tristan told me you’re all staying at a beach house,” the blonde said above the music.
    “Yep,” I responded with a tight smile before dragging my eyes back to the dance floor, not missing Tristan's eyes trained on me. What was he thinking? That I was upset that he was with someone? Because I wasn’t. I had Kyle, and I was missing him, the ache in my chest deep and profound. I had the ridiculous urge to inform Tristan of just that.
    “Everything okay, Georgia?” Tristan asked as a small smile teased his lips.
    “Yep, I'm good,” I said as the music and my own heartbeat pounded in my ears.
    His eyebrow lifted in doubt as if he didn't believe me. I saw his