Did that mean I was ready to date again, too? If my reaction to meeting Drake was any indication, then the answer was a resounding yes. With his hands on my arms and his gorgeous brown eyes gazing into mine, all I had wanted to do was kiss his delectable lips. His little smirk had made me want to bite down on his lower lip to punish him for being so damn cocky. But then he’d seemed icy to me. I was better off not fantasizing about some guy who’d managed to tie me up in knots inside after a few sentences of conversation. My taste in guys sucked!

The bathroom door flew open, interrupting my line of thought. “Lex, I thought you were going to fix me up a Hewett Hangover Smoothie?” Aubrey whined at me.

“I am. Just give me a second to finish up in here. Dad called and wants me to join him on a quick charter to the East Coast this weekend. Can you throw a change of clothes and my Econ book into a bag for me?” I asked.

“As long as you promise to fix me up as soon as you are out of the shower. My head is killing me, and I need to get some studying done so I can party with Faith and Natalie tonight since you are abandoning me again!”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. I suck as a best friend. Sorry I have to bail on you tonight. Maybe we could do a movie night sometime this week?” I offered.

“Yay! But I get to pick the movie. No action movies! Chick flicks only, got it?” Aubrey replied as she walked out of the bathroom. I didn’t know which was worse—the idea of going to another party with her or being stuck watching some dumb movie she picked out. The things we do for our friends.

By the time I had gotten ready to go, all three girls were sitting in the common area, waiting on me to make them smoothies. “Hey,” I greeted everyone, and they nodded their heads at me and went on gossiping about the party last night.

“Did you hear what happened with Drake and Sasha last night?” Natalie asked. I almost nodded my head before I realized she wasn’t speaking to me. Normally I would have no idea what she was talking about, but I was the only person in the room who had seen Sasha practically get kicked out of the party.

“No, what happened?” Faith replied as she leaned forward to catch everything Natalie had to say.

“I heard that Sasha showed up at the party, without being invited, because she’d assumed that Drake wanted her there. I don’t know why she thought she was so special. Word around campus is that he never invites girls over to the house—ever. And certainly not for a party,” Natalie gossiped. “And that when she showed up, he pulled her through the house and to the back door so he could make it clear to her that he didn’t want her there. Supposedly, she freaked out and he had to force her out of the house.”

“He did not force her out of the house,” I chimed in before I realized what I was saying. Three sets of eyes swiveled towards me, shocked that I had something to offer to this conversation.

“I heard it from a very reliable source, Alexa. Sasha told her best friend what happened, and she told me directly,” Natalie huffed at me. “How would you know any differently? I didn’t think you even knew Drake or Sasha.”

“Well, I don’t exactly know them, but I was in the kitchen when they were arguing and she left the house.”

“What were you doing in the Sigma Chi kitchen last night?” Faith asked me. “We didn’t see you at the party at all. I thought you didn’t make it there.”

“I went to the party with Aubrey. I didn’t stay downstairs that long. Maybe that’s why you didn’t see me? Anyway, when Jackson and I went to grab another drink before heading upstairs, we ran into Drake and Sasha arguing at the back door. Jackson talked with them, and she walked off in a tizzy over something. Nobody forced her to leave, but they definitely made it clear that she wasn’t welcome.”

“And what happened next? I can’t believe you didn’t tell me first thing this morning that you met Drake Bennett last night, Lex! Best friends are supposed to share stuff like that,” Aubrey shrieked at me while Natalie and Faith nodded their heads in support.

“Nothing happened, Aubrey. Jackson only talked to the guy for a couple minutes, and he didn’t introduce us. So, I didn’t really meet him last night. I just kinda observed him from afar,” I responded.

“How could you waste a golden opportunity like that?” gasped Faith. “Drake Bennett is the hottest guy on campus. Every girl wants to meet him. And you were in the same room with him and didn’t make sure that Jackson told him who you are? You are crazy!”

“Nah, she’s not crazy. She probably didn’t even notice how hot he is. Lex, you need to pull your head out of your ass and start living again! If someone as sexy as Drake doesn’t even capture your attention the teensiest bit, then I am seriously worried about you,” Aubrey wagged her finger at me, and I started to blush in response.