Tempted by Cecily von Ziegesar Read Free Book Online Page B

smirking— Easy never smirked, not at her—and Callie withered under his glare. She felt people around them nudging and turning to look. “Can we go somewhere private? And talk?” she suggested quietly. She touched his flannel sleeve, but he pulled it away.
    “I just got here.”
    Out of the corner of her eye, Callie saw Benny and Celine, punch cups in hand, pretending not to stare at the conversation unfolding between her and Easy. “Look.” Callie pressed her lips together. “You have to give me a chance to explain.”
    “I don’t
have
to do anything.” Easy stared down at her, his dark blue eyes meeting her hazel ones for the first time in weeks. But instead of the familiar, loving gaze she was used to, his eyes were cold and unfamiliar. “You don’t always get your way, princess.”
    “You’re drunk.” Her tone was more accusatory than she would’ve wished, but Easy hadn’t heard her. He was already pushing into the crowd, heading for the punch cauldron.
    “The thing about you is that you do whatever the fuck you want and don’t even care if other people get hurt in the process,” Easy snarled over his shoulder, barely glancing back. “Just as long as you’re happy.”
    “Would you just … wait a second?” Callie said desperately, drawing more eyes to them. A string of silver lights fell from the wall, landing in a big tangled mess on the floor, but no one seemed to notice. The last thing she wanted was to get into a huge fight in front of everyone, but she couldn’t let Easy just walk away from her. Did he really think she was
happy?
    Easy turned around and finally seemed to notice that people were staring. An embarrassed look crossed his face, and Callie fought the urge to press her face into his chest.
    Easy stuck his hands in the pockets of his Levi’s as he stared into Callie’s desperate eyes. He knew for sure that he’d be sick later, but for now he choked back the rising tide of alcohol. He’d told himself he didn’t want to run into Callie at the Halloween party, but in truth, it was the thought of seeing her that had propelled him out of his room and away from the bottle of Jack Daniels nestled under his bed. He’d spent the last two weeks cutting class to ride Credo until the afternoon sun faded in the west, skipping dinner in favor of something in town, picking up a fifth of J.D. and holing up in his room. His anger about Jenny’s near expulsion and Callie’s hand in it had made him want to tear out his hair. Who
did
shit like that? Try and get your innocent roommate expelled because you were jealous of her?
    Callie looked beautiful in a fairy-tale princess kind of way—if you liked that kind of thing. Part of him wanted to scoop her up in his arms and whisk her away to the ball or wherever the hell she wanted to go—anywhere but back to the bourbon stink of his prisonlike dorm room. But she couldn’t just wave a magic wand and make everything go away—though apparently, she thought she could. She was the same old Callie. Why couldn’t she just let things be? He took a step toward her and lowered his voice. “I just don’t understand why you’re doing this to me again.”
    “What
am I doing again?” Callie asked indignantly, crossing her thin arms defensively.
    “Can’t you see how much I—” Easy couldn’t finish the sentence. It hurt to be in love with someone he wanted to hate.
    “What?” Callie snapped. “Can’t I see what?”
    “Quit torturing me,” Easy pleaded angrily.
    Someone with a sheet over his head and two holes poked out for eyes passed by. “I’m up for some torture.” He meowed and scratched the air before being swept back into the crowd.
    “I’m not doing anything!” Callie cried out. She waved the baby-blue glove in her hand pitifully.
    “You just don’t get it, do you?” Easy turned on her, feeling the dam holding back the anger inside him break completely. “You’re a
bitch,
Callie. A spoiled little bitch, and there’s