this. And others were watching it. The one time I decide to be brave and step out of my shell and this happens. “I hadn’t expected you to show up dressed like that,” he replied with a deadly calm. His eyes were still directed at Woods. What was so wrong with my clothes? My mom had sacrificed for me to have this dress and I’d never gotten to wear it. Sixty dollars was a lot of money for us when she’d bought it. I was sick of this stupid bunch of spoiled brats acting like I was dressed in something repulsive. I loved this dress. I loved these shoes. My parents had been happy and in love once. These shoes were a part of that. Damn them all to hell. I jerked free of Rush and headed back to the kitchen. If he didn’t want me in here for his friends to laugh at then he should have said so. Instead, he’d made me feel like a fool. “What is your fucking problem, man?” Woods asked angrily. I didn’t look back. I hoped they got in a fight. I hoped Woods busted Rush’s obnoxiously perfect nose. I doubted it because although Rush was one of them he looked rougher around the edges. “Blaire, wait,” Grant called out and I wanted to ignore him but right now he was the closest thing I had to a friend here. I slowed down when I reached the hallway away from all the onlookers and let Grant catch up to me. “That wasn’t what you think in there,” Grant said, coming up behind me. I wanted to laugh. He was very blinded where his brother was concerned. “Doesn’t matter. I shouldn’t have come. I should have known he hadn’t meant that invitation. I wish he’d just told me to stay in my room like he wanted me to. I don’t understand word games,” I snapped and stalked into the kitchen and straight to the pantry. “He has issues. I’ll give him that but he was protecting you in his weird screwed up way,” Grant said as my hand met the cold brass handle on the pantry door. “Keep believing the best in him, Grant. That’s what good brothers do,” I replied and jerked the door open and closed it behind me. After a few deep breaths to ease the ache in my chest I went into my room and sank down onto the bed. Parties were not my thing. That was the second one I’d ever been to and the first one hadn’t been much better. Actually it was probably worse. I’d gone to surprise Cain and I’d been the one surprised. He’d been in Jamie Kirkman’s bedroom with her naked breast in his mouth. They hadn’t been having sex but they were definitely working their way up to it. I’d closed the door quietly behind me and left through the back door. Some people saw me and knew what I’d walked into. Cain had shown up at my house an hour later begging me to forgive him and crying while on his knees. I’d loved him since I was thirteen years old and he’d given me my first kiss. I couldn’t hate him. I just let him go. That was the end of our relationship. I eased his conscience and we had remained friends. Sometimes he had broken down and told me he loved me and wanted me back but for the most part he had a different girl in the back of his mustang every weekend. I was just a childhood memory. Tonight no one had betrayed me. I’d just been humiliated. Reaching down I slipped off my mother’s shoes and placed them safely back in the box she’d always kept them in. Then I put them back into my suitcase. I shouldn’t have worn those tonight. The next time I wore her shoes would be special. It would be for someone special. The same went for this dress. When I put it back on I would wear it for someone who loved me and thought I was beautiful. The price tag on my dress wouldn’t matter. I