The College Bully (Love Came In #2)

Chapter 17

A/N: 200 reads whoooooo
Small thing to be excited about but thank you so much y'all

Iris's dress above, just a little darker ^

***

The party was loud, large, and extremely crowded.

It was at a rich jock's mansion, someone Roxy knew, and everywhere I looked I could see people, booze, and...sex?

I scrunched up my eyebrows and looked away as Joel laughed at my expression. We were standing just at the threshold of the party. It was a few days after the punching incident, Alex had left for home just a few hours ago with a promise to visit again when he could.

"By the way," Joel said next to me, "You look amazing today. Intending to take someone home tonight, eh?" He smirked.

I rolled my eyes and blushed, rubbing my palms on my dress, a maroon satin outfit that was very tight. I had purposely taken a tighter dress because I don't exactly sport a flat stomach, so some extra support is required. I paired it with normal hoops, my go-to, and basic black heels.

Roxy came up behind us and stood in between, grabbing both our arms. We were waiting for her at the foyer of the house, so we now started to walk in, with Seth, Amy, and Nate behind us.

As soon as we walked in, the beats of a Side to Side remix version started playing, and Roxy took this as a sign of a good night. She cheered and pulled us into the fray of the floor, at which my laughter died out. I was not a good dancer at all.

I pulled out of her grasp. "Let me just get a drink," I shouted into Roxy's ear and backed away as she narrowed her eyes on me. Shooting an apologetic glance, I turned and walked to the long bar probably specially installed for this party. I hummed along to the song playing as the bartender made me a double shot rum and coke, something I've always wanted to try but never got to.

As I smiled at the man and took my drink, a hand slapped on the bar surface beside me. I traced it back to a man who grinned down at me and asked for a shot of vodka.

I smiled tightly and tried to go the other way, before being stopped by the same man. He had curly hair and tan skin with a friendly face.

"Hey, you're Iris right?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?" I said back to him as he smiled.

"Let's just say you're well known. I'm Dylan, wanna dance with me?" He leaned in and asked over the loud music. I leaned back, feeling weird and boxed in.

"Thanks, but I actually need to -"

He cut me off. "Oh come on, don't need to be such a prude!" Something glinted in his eyes as he said it, and I didn't like his tone.

At this point I was annoyed. I narrowed my eyes at him as he leaned forward with a smirk, making me shift backward. My back hit something hard and warm.

"She's with me, get the fuck away before I punch you."

I stiffened, already knowing that deep voice. A warm hand settled on my shoulder in a tight hold as if making a point, making shivers run down my spine. Dylan stepped back cautiously, evidently seeing something he didn't want to mess with. He threw me a now-shaky smirk one last time and walked away.

I turned around and met Reece's eyes, noticing his friends behind him. Before I could say a word, his eyes darkened as they scanned my body, and with a clenched jaw, he walked away. I watched with confusion and hurt as he stormed past, taking in his tight black shirt and jeans that did things to me I couldn't fathom.

"Hey, we didn't get a chance to talk last night," A voice snapped me out of my creepy stare, making me face forward and meet a girl's eyes. "I'm Brooke, this is Matt, my brother," she gestured to the large dog tags man who had similar wavy brown hair and green eyes behind her, "and this is Cole, my boyfriend." This time she gestured at the other man who I had seen at the bar last night, who smiled at me. He had dark hair and blue eyes along with a wide build and his eyes went to Brooke every few seconds with clear affection and protectiveness in them.