Page 36 of Strange Love
“You’ve got to be kidding me?” Amber sneers when she sees me standing behind Corey. “This has got to be some kind of joke.”
“Your choice of date is the only joke here, Amber,” Taz smirks.
“Fuck you, Taz!” she snaps back, but he doesn’t appear bothered at all.
“Did you bring your little doll to the party, Ivy?” she jeers.
“You should leave,” Corey interrupts, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. His jaw clenches as anger radiates off him. That’s all it takes for the guy she’s with to jump into the conversation.
“She’s eighteen years old, bringing a doll to school,” he sneers, sizing up Corey as they face off. “The girl is a mental case.”
“I don’t care if she brings a fucking Cabbage Patch Doll and wears it as a backpack,” Corey snaps back, his fists clenching at his sides. “You won’t ever talk about her like that again.”
“Chill out, Delacour,” the guy chuckles. “It’s cool that you’ve taken on a charity case.”
“What the fuck did you just say?” Corey explodes, shoving the guy in the chest.
“You have a hard-on for toxic waste,” he replies with a smirk.
“You know what I have a hard-on for, Cruz? Taking that doll and beating your ass with it,” Corey retorts with venom. “Yeah, that gets me nice and hard.”
“Alright, I’ve had enough of this shit, Cruz,” Landry interjects, stepping between the two guys. He’s a big guy, and everything gets quiet when his voice gets loud. “Get the fuck out of my house. You don’t belong here.”
Cruz holds his hands up defensively, trying to play innocent.
“It’s cool, man,” he claims. “You two make a cute couple. Weirdo and White Trash. You’re like a crime-fighting duo,” he mocks. “Catch you on the ice, Delacour.” He drops his beer can on the ground and walks out the door.
“Well, isn’t he a breath of fresh air?” I joke, and all of the guys laugh in response. The tension that had been present thirty seconds ago begins to dissipate.
“I think we’re gonna take off,” Corey tells his friends. They say their goodbyes, and we make our way to the door, but not before we hear the shriek of a drunk Viper in our vicinity.
“I’m so over this little act. She’s mental! There is no way you two are a couple!”
Stacy’s piercing voice cuts through the crowded party, making me freeze in place. She stands before me, her arms crossed and her face twisted with disgust. I step back, not wanting to be involved in this drama. Corey instinctively steps in front of me, his broad shoulders shielding me from her venom.
“Yeah, we’re a couple,” Corey affirms, narrowing his dark eyes in her direction.
“I don’t buy it,” she sneers.
Corey sighs and shakes his head, “That’s not our problem.”
Stacy’s eyes narrow as she issues her challenge. “If you’re really a couple, then prove it. Kiss each other.”
Corey rolls his eyes, exasperated by her behavior, “See, here’s the thing, Sissy-”
“It’s Stacy!” she snaps, correcting him.
“Whatever,” Corey says dismissively. “We don’t need to appease you or anyone else. Your opinion of me or Ivy doesn’t matter.”
She looks into the group surrounding us with a smug smile and contends, “I knew it. They’re not even a real couple. Maybe he’s joined that weird cult of hers.” She flips her long, brown hair over her shoulder and juts out her hip confidently.
I’ve quickly become accustomed to people talking about me and making lame assumptions, but the moment she brings Corey into it, my anger ignites. I find myself stepping out from behind him and facing her, a mere inch from her face.
“Is that what you need to see?” I ask, my voice trembling with anger.
She raises an eyebrow mockingly, “Yes, that’s exactly what we all need to see.”
I turn toward Corey, and our eyes meet. I shiver at the intensity of his gaze as he looks into my eyes. My determination is evident. We briefly discussed kissing but as more of a joke than anything else. Corey has allowed me to set the rules for our fake relationship, and now, I want to change them. I study his deep brown eyes, like melted dark chocolate, and nervously bite my lip.
