Chapter 93: 93 | The Golden Ticket Feels a Little Tarnished
Eliza was pissed.
Actually pissed.
The BMW’s leather seat stuck to her bare thighs. Her cream sweater felt too tight. The air conditioning blasted cold air directly into her face but she couldn’t reach the vent from here and Cameron always got annoyed when she touched his dashboard settings.
She stared out the window.
The campus buildings rolled past. Students walked in clusters. Backpacks. Coffee cups. Laughter she couldn’t hear through the glass.
Her phone sat dark in her lap.
Cameron’s hand moved from the gear shift to her thigh. His palm was warm. His thumb rubbed small circles against her skin.
"You good, babe?" he asked.
"Yeah." Her voice came out flat. "I’m fine."
"You’ve been weird since class."
"I said I’m fine."
Cameron squeezed her thigh. Not hard. Just enough.
"Whatever you say."
He turned up the music. Some rap song she didn’t know. Bass thumped through the speakers loud enough to rattle her ribs.
Eliza looked down at his hand on her leg.
Cameron was hot. Everyone said so. Six foot one with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes and a jaw that could cut glass. His lacrosse jersey stretched across broad shoulders. His parents owned three houses and a yacht.
He was a golden ticket.
So why the hell was her brain stuck on Jordan fucking McKnight?
Eliza’s jaw clenched.
It didn’t make sense. None of it made sense.
Jordan was pathetic. Jordan was desperate. Jordan spent twenty-eight hundred dollars on a Prada bag for her and cried when she told him they were never actually dating.
Jordan was a loser.
So why did seeing him today make her stomach twist?
The bathroom conversation replayed in her head on loop.
That girl. The one with the blue streak in her hair and the sharp eyes and the voice that went cold and deadly when she said boyfriend.
Chloe.
Her name was Chloe.
Eliza didn’t know her. Didn’t run in her circles. But the way Chloe had looked at her in that mirror made Eliza’s skin crawl even now.
Like Eliza was trash.
Like Eliza had done something unforgivable.
Which was ridiculous. Eliza hadn’t done anything wrong.
She never promised Jordan anything. Never called him her boyfriend. Never even kissed him.
Yeah, okay, she let him take her to dinner. And buy her gifts. And text her constantly.
But she never lied to him.
Jordan knew what this was. He knew she wasn’t looking for a relationship. She told him that like three times.
It wasn’t her fault he caught feelings.
The BMW turned left. Cameron drove one-handed. His other hand stayed on Eliza’s thigh.
His fingers were short. Stubby almost.
Jordan’s hands were bigger. Long fingers. Clean nails.
Eliza blinked.
What the fuck?
Why was she thinking about Jordan’s hands?
She shifted in her seat. Pulled out her phone. Opened Instagram.
Her feed was the usual. Girls she knew posting lunch. Gym selfies. Outfit checks.
She scrolled past all of it.
Her thumb hovered over the search bar.
Don’t.
Don’t do it.
She typed Jordan McKnight anyway.
His profile loaded.
Private account. Profile picture was some photo of him in the gym with his friend. Two hundred followers. Three hundred following.
Nothing interesting.
Eliza locked her phone.
Put it face-down in her lap.
Cameron’s BMW pulled into the parking lot of an off-campus house. Two stories. White paint peeling. Lawn full of red cups and cigarette butts.
Frat territory.
Cameron killed the engine. Turned to face her.
"You coming in or what?"
Eliza looked at the house. Music thumped from inside. Shadows moved past the windows.
"Yeah," she said. "I’m coming."
Cameron grinned. Leaned over. Kissed her.
His mouth tasted like the beer he’d chugged between classes. His tongue pushed past her lips immediately. No buildup. Just straight to it.
Eliza kissed him back.
His hand slid higher on her thigh. Squeezed.
When he pulled away, his eyes were dark.
"Let’s make it quick inside," he said. "Then we can head to my place."
Eliza forced a smile.
"Okay."
They got out of the car.
Cameron walked ahead of her. Didn’t wait. Didn’t hold the door.
Eliza followed.
The house smelled like stale beer and Axe body spray. Music blasted from speakers in the living room. Guys stood around the kitchen island doing shots. Girls sat on the couch scrolling through their phones.
Cameron immediately got pulled into a conversation with some lacrosse bro wearing a backwards hat.
Eliza stood by herself.
A girl she vaguely recognized from chemistry waved at her from the couch.
"Hey Eliza!"
"Hey." Eliza couldn’t remember her name.
"Want a drink?"
"Sure."
The girl handed her a red cup. Vodka and something sweet. Too sweet.
Eliza took a sip anyway.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket.
She pulled it out.
Lexi: where are you
Eliza: cameron’s frat thing
Lexi: ugh
Lexi: want me to come rescue you
Eliza: no I’m fine
Lexi: you sure? you’ve been weird all day
Eliza stared at the screen.
Lexi Henderson was her best friend. Had been since sophomore year of high school. They told each other everything.
Well.
Almost everything.
Eliza: ran into jordan today
Three dots appeared immediately.
Lexi: AND???
Eliza: he was with some girl
Lexi: WHAT GIRL
Eliza: idk. dark hair. blue streak. really pretty.
Lexi: oh my god
Lexi: chloe kim???
Eliza’s stomach dropped.
Eliza: you know her?
Lexi: she’s in my econ discussion
Lexi: she’s like tier 2 hot
Lexi: wait are they dating????
Eliza’s fingers tightened around her phone.
Eliza: apparently
Lexi: SINCE WHEN
Eliza: this week I guess
Lexi: holy shit
Lexi: that’s fast
Lexi: like suspiciously fast
Lexi: do you think he paid her
Eliza’s chest went tight.
Would he? Maybe.
Eliza locked her phone without responding.
Shoved it back in her pocket.
Took another drink.
The vodka burned going down.
Cameron appeared beside her. His arm slung around her shoulders.
"Having fun?" he asked.
"Yeah," Eliza lied. "So much fun."
Cameron kissed her temple. His breath was hot against her skin.
"Good." His hand squeezed her shoulder. "You look hot today by the way."
Eliza smiled.
"Thanks."
It was the same smile she used for Instagram photos. Bright. Empty.
Cameron didn’t notice.
He never did.
