Tame the Beast (Ever After #1) (9 page)

It was her eyes that gave her away as their brown depths continually found his over the crowded room. Adam grinned. Whatever her reason was for putting distance between them, it had nothing to do with being unsatisfied. She was smiling too.

Chapter Eight

The bass of the party pulsed at the speed of snails compared to the pounding in Clara's chest. Harper and Rose chatted with the group around them, but Clara couldn't focus. She smiled and nodded to the conversation that buzzed around her, laughing when others laughed, but her mind was still soaring from her walk with Adam.

She shouldn't have left the party with him. She knew it was a mistake the moment his hand cupped the side of her face, and yet she found herself inching closer to him. She wanted him, and the thought terrified her. He was experienced while she felt more like a newborn fawn on ice skates. They were a match destined to crash. If she were lucky, she could walk away with a few minor scratches.

Chugging the last of her drink, Clara searched the crowded room. Perhaps she should tell Adam things could never go any further while she still had some liquid courage. It sounded like a good plan until she met his hazy blue eyes from across the room and everything came slamming to a halt.

He stood near the stereo, chatting with faces she didn't recognize. Although they dominated Adam's time, his attention was fixed on Clara. One long, lusty look from him and Clara’s head spinning. She fought a smile, positive that the grin would give away the wicked thoughts he stirred within her. And boy did he stir up things she never thought imaginable.

Maybe a few bumps and bruises would be worth it ...
temptation teased.

"I'm going to grab a refill," Clara yelled over the music.

Harper nodded and began to pull Rose back towards the speakers to dance again. Clara pushed her way to the kitchen, needing more of that sweet liquid courage. Leaning against the counter, she kept a watchful eye on Harper. The girl loved to dance. Clara wanted to join them, but their proximity to Adam was too close for her taste. At the moment, she didn’t trust herself near him. He was clouding her senses more than the liquor was.

Taking another gulp, she tried to figure out what she was supposed to do. There was no denying the attraction between her and Adam. She was hooked from the beginning, but that didn’t mean she should just throw all caution to the wind. How many girls did he use those same lines on? How long before he tossed them aside for someone new? There were too many questions and not enough answers.

Sip after sip, Clara’s mind fiddled with the pieces of the puzzle that were Adam Beaumont. Why her? Why did he have to go after her? Worse, why did she enjoy it so much? It didn’t matter which way she spun it, she couldn’t see the full picture. The possibilities, the risks, they were all too cloudy.

Clara refilled her cup and downed it in three long swigs. Instant regret washed over her as a sour taste filled the back of her throat. Tossing the cup in the trash, she pushed her way to the restroom. The party slowed to a dull hum the second she slammed the door behind her.

She felt woozy. She tried to focus on her reflection, but the girl in the mirror wouldn’t sit still. Who was that girl staring back at her? Gone was the responsible girl, the one who always made her parents proud.

Was this the girl that Adam liked? The girl who drank herself silly and threw herself at him in the middle of the sidewalk? If it was, Clara wanted no part of her. A few drinks and parties were one thing, but Clara hated the feeling that surged through her now.
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
How could she be so foolish as to chug down her drink without thinking?

Clara splashed her cheeks with water, trying to wash the guilt away. She needed to go home, but first she would have to go back to the party. Frantically fixing her hair and makeup, Clara took a deep breath and left to face the crowd.

Her new mission to drag Harper and Rose back to the dorms was interrupted as Corin’s massive body blocked the small hallway. “Clara,” he slurred. “I was wondering where you ran off to. Thought Beaumont might have kidnapped you.”

“Nope,” she replied as she tried to maneuver around his large frame.

“Good. I don’t like him.” Again, Clara attempted to move between him and the wall, but he pinned her in place. His rough hand wrapped around her neck. She heard the drunken whisper of “Sh-should be with meh” before he crushed her mouth with his.

No, no, no. This can’t be happening.
Clara wedged her hands between them and tried to use all of her force to push him away. His kiss was hard and sloppy and completely unwelcome! It took a moment for his drunken mind to register her lack of cooperation, but to Clara, it felt like hours passing.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Clara took his brief confusion as a chance to slip under his arm. She attempted a quick getaway, but his hand grabbed her wrist. The pain that shot up her arm stopped her in her tracks.

“Let go of me,” she demanded.

“Why?” His grip tightened. “Because I’m not Adam?”

“No, because you’re drunk.” Clara ripped her hand out of his grasp. She filled her words with as much distaste as she could. “Sober up, Corin. And don’t touch me again.”

Clara stormed back into the living room, running her fingers over her bruised lips.
What the hell?

Behind her, a door slammed shut, shaking the apartment walls, but she wasn’t going to worry about that. She just needed to find Harper and Rose as fast as she could.

She was about to ask them if they were ready to leave when the sight of Adam caused her to freeze. Her heart pounded as she looked across the room at the girl who had her bony arms wrapped around his neck. Clara wanted to pull her away by her stupid, perfectly curled hair. She only knew one person with hair that icky shade of red …
Olivia.

Clara felt stone cold sober as she watched his hands run down Olivia’s slinky arms. With gentle movements, he slipped her hands from his neck as he leaned in to whisper in her ear. Clara didn’t need to know what he was saying. All she needed to see was the smile plastered on his face and the intimacy that seemed to buzz around them.

She couldn’t take anymore. Reaching for Harper, she said, “I need to go home. Where’s Rose?”

It took Harper less than a minute to locate Rose lip locked with Luke. Harper darted out the door after Clara, dragging Rose behind her. “Clara, slow down!”

Clara didn’t stop. She couldn’t. Her head was pounding, her body was shaking, and she felt sick to her stomach. Nothing made sense. Corin. Rose and Luke. Her and Adam. Adam and Olivia! It all made her head spin. Her frustration was threatening to break out in a flood of tears.

Another wave of nausea rushed over her as she raced through campus with Rose and Harper at her heels. She couldn’t answer any of their pleading questions without coming undone. Bursting through the dorm room, Clara ran to the bathroom and heaved the contents of her stomach down the toilet.

Harper pulled Clara’s hair out of the way as she cooed, “You’ll be okay.”

Rose knelt by her side, rubbing her back. “Sweetie, what’s wrong?”

“Everything. The party. This!” Clara cried between broken sobs. She hated herself for drinking so much. It wasn’t like her to do such things. That thought alone made her sick to her stomach. “I—I can’t … I just can’t.”

“Can’t what?” Harper asked with concern.

Clara couldn’t answer. Her head was still spinning and if she opened her mouth, she would get sick all over again. She was losing control of everything. Her emotions, her judgment, her balance. She hated it.

After a second stumble, Harper and Rose took over, helping Clara back to the main room where she collapsed on Rose’s pink futon.

“Drink this,” Harper said, handing Clara a large glass of water.

“I’m sorry,” Clara replied in a daze. “I’m so sorry.”

“For what?”

“For seeing me like this. For taking care of me.” Clara was the older sister. She was the one who was supposed to look out for Harper, not the other way around. “I’m s-sorry.”

“Don’t be. That’s what I’m here for,” Harper assured as she took a spot next to Clara.

Rose sat on the floor in front of them. Her hand rested on Clara’s knee as she asked, “Hun, what happened?”

Clara stared at her glass of water. She didn’t know if it was possible after everything she threw up, but she felt even drunker than before. It was like every ounce of liquor she drank came crashing through her system simultaneously. “He kissed me. Now everything’s messed up.”

“Who did?”

“Adam. Oh, and Corin.” Clara waved her hand as if it was an everyday occurrence.

“WHAT?” Harper’s shriek bounced off the dorm walls. “When?”

“At the party.”

“Well, I gathered that much. I mean, when at the party?”

Through mumbled words she told them everything she remembered. “And you!” Clara drunkenly spat at Rose. “When did you start seeing Luke? I thought he wasn’t your type.”

“It just happened! I swear,” Rose said in defense. “Besides, I’m allowed to change my mind.”

“Well, I’m never going over there again. I’m so embarrassed.”

“Don’t say that,” Harper said calmly as she rose from the futon to let Clara spread out. Covering Clara with a blanket, she added, “Wait to see how you feel in the morning. And I wouldn’t worry about this Olivia chick. Adam didn’t seem too pleased when she showed up tonight. Maybe hear him out first.”

“Stupid party,” Clara slurred. She didn’t want to hear what she should or should not do. She certainly didn’t want to hear what Adam had to say. She wanted to sleep. Her eyes became heavy as she mumbled, “Stupid boys.”

*
* *

Clara adored having Harper around, but she was happy when the weekend was over and she could get back to her studies. She never made a complete fool of herself when it came to classes. Clara was thrilled when Harper approved of an all day movie marathon on Saturday. It meant she didn’t have to run into anyone while she nursed the world’s worst hangover. She vowed right then and there that Friday was the first and last time she would ever drink to
that
excess. It wasn’t worth the morning after consequence.

With Monday morning classes behind her, Clara had her creative writing course left to face. That meant her chances of running into Adam would be higher. If she were lucky, Clara could snag her usual spot towards the front, slip out the side door when the class was over, and avoid Adam altogether. She prayed Lady Luck would be on her side.

Until then, Clara sat under a young willow tree as she waited patiently to execute her plan. Waiting was easy, especially when nuzzled under the tree’s shade. It quickly became her favorite spot. A peaceful place to watch student life buzz around her. It was also the perfect place to write, which was exactly what Clara was doing when a large someone fell to her side, scaring the wits out of her.

“Hey, beautiful.”

“Jeez, Adam!” she said, clinching her racing heart. “Don’t you know you’re not supposed to attack someone from behind?”

“I didn’t attack you,” he said as he rested on his side, bracing his weight on his right arm.

“Close enough.”

“So, what were you doing?”

Clara snatched her brown journal away from his greedy reach and shoved it in her bag. “Nothing. Just thinking up ideas for our next writing assignment.”

“Do you ever think about anything other than school?” His voice was playful which annoyed her to the core. She hated the way he seemed so calm in light of recent events.

Playboy.
Her tone was filled with irritation as she said, “Sometimes.”

“Whoo, what’s wrong?” Adam sprang up, adjusting himself to Clara’s level.

“Nothing.” Clara fumbled with the book she desperately wanted out of her bag. Maybe if she ignored him, he would go away, and they could avoid the awkward conversation she knew was approaching.

“Well, maybe I can cheer that nothing up.” With a hypnotizing Beaumont smile, Adam leaned in to kiss her.

Clara’s hand flew between them. When his face lit up in surprise, she knew she wasn’t going to escape the awkward conversation after all. “Look, why don’t we just call Friday night what it was? A mistake.”

“You don’t mean that.”

Clara almost laughed. “I believe I do.”

“What happened? I mean after the party.” Adam’s face filled with concern. “Luke said you practically ran out. And you still haven’t replied to a single text.”

Clara scoffed. Adam was not the only guy she was avoiding all weekend. Corin must have sent a half a dozen texts apologizing for his behavior. He wanted to take her out to dinner to make it up to her. She was so close to telling him that leaving her the hell alone would be the only way to make amends.

Without thinking, she blurted, “If you wanted to talk to someone, why not try Olivia?”

“What?” he asked. Clara glanced up from her book. His eyes were the same light blue as his shirt. The fact that she noticed it annoyed her further. “Why would I want to talk to Olivia?” With slight panic in his voice, he added, “What did she tell you?”

Clara raised an eyebrow. “What should she tell me?”

“Nothing. At least nothing true. Olivia’s the type of girl who doesn’t stop ‘til she gets what she wants. And she can be downright vindictive when she doesn’t.”

“Well, it looked like she got what she wanted at the party.” The edge to her tone sharpened with each word. Adam stared at her unblinking. It seemed Clara would have to spell it out for him. “I saw her pretty little arms wrapped around you before I left. It’s no big deal. Aside from one drunken mistake, we aren’t together, so you can do whatever you want. But I’m not going to make the same mistake again.”

Adam ran his hands through his light brown hair and around his face. He looked like he struggled with what to say. Scooting closer to Clara, Adam draped his arm across her legs, locking Clara between him and the tree.

“I’m sorry,” he began. “But I promise you nothing is ever going to happen between Olivia and me. I was done with her long before I met you.”