Page 236 of Talk Swoony to Me

I shift closer so I don’t have to shout. “Dana, are you feeling all right?” I ask.

“I feel fine,” she says, smiling.

“Are you sure?”

She just giggles.

“You guys.” Alex’s lips twitch. “Dana’s drunk.”

“No shit,” I say.

“You. Guys.” Alex turns to face us, his grin even wider. “Dana’s drunk!”

“Yeah, this is really bad. We should get her home.”

“No, fuck that! This is great.”

“Great?” I ask. “How is this great?”

“Just look at her!” he says. “Bright happy face. Stickers galore. No babysitting required. Am I right, Dana?”

“Delta Xi!” she shouts.

I cringe as the echo reverberating throughout the house penetrates my brain. “We should get her out of here, Alex.”

“She’s fine!” He nudges Dana’s chin. “You’re fine, right, sister?”

“I’m fine!” she says.

“See? She’s fine!” He picks up his cup again. “Now, let’s have some fun, shall we, boys?”

I frown. “Alex.”

“What?”

“Whatever happened to she doesn’t belong here?” I ask.

“Eh, she’s an adult. She can make her own decisions.” He raises his cup and instantly hooks an arm around a young woman in a Theta Zeta shirt who smiles with joy.“Delta Xi!”

“Delta Xi!” echoes throughout the house once more.

Alex disappears into the crowd with her.

“Ben,” I say to him. “Come on.”

“Sorry, buddy.” Ben raises his cup. “Delta Xi,” he adds, thoughtfully making it a whisper. He follows his brother through the crowd, leaving me alone.

Whatever.

Fuck ‘em.

I look for Dana again, easily finding her right where we left her: in the middle of a crowd of Northies. This time, she’s chatting with that damn Dylan guy.

Smiling. Popular. Claimed.

And I am not letting her out of my sight.

CHAPTER 12