“Brady, no fights,” I say sternly.

“Alright, no fights,” he jokes.

“I’m serious, Brady. I hate fights.” I start to pull away but he grabs me back.

“Okay, Sadie. I won’t.” His voice is serious now and I trust that he knows how serious I am. “Please let me kiss you now.” He gradually brings my face to his.

After The Invisibles finish playing, they decide to go celebrate with all the other students down Main Street, where all the bars and clubs are. The streets are packed from building to building with drunken students dressed in some of the most absurd costumes. When we left Brady’s, I thought I was dressed slutty but some of these girls take the cake. Trey cat-calls over to a group of four girls dressed as beer cans made out of duct tape, causing them to giggle and wave over to him as they stick their chests out a little more.

One guy passes us only wearing a pizza box around his downtown area. Brady jokingly covers my eyes, bringing me closer to him. I guess he hasn’t figured out yet that he is the only one I want to look at. The image of him wearing just a pizza box makes my body tingle in all the right places.

Dex stops us at a small corner bar. Surprisingly, there aren’t a ton of people in here. I guess everyone would rather party in the streets. Even with Brady keeping my body firming against his, we were pushed and knocked around just walking the three blocks to get here.

Trey walks over to the girl bartender behind the bar and embraces her in a hug. She appears thrilled to see him, as she wraps her arms around his neck and playfully smacks his back when he lifts her off the ground. Then he whispers something in her ear and she smiles and shoos him away.

Dex leads us to a long table in the back of the bar. When we take our seats, I’m happily situated between Brady and Trey. Rob is thankfully down by Dex with Jessa across from me. Crossing my legs, I pull my skirt down a little bit but it won’t budge, resting higher than mid-thigh.

“Don’t try to pull that down on the account of me,” Trey jokes while staring at my legs.

“Back off my girl, Trey.” Brady places his arm across my lap and positions his hand on the top of my right thigh.

“Don’t get all paranoid, Carsen. I was just admiring.” Trey grabs the pitcher and pours himself a beer.

“Go admire someone else’s girl.” Brady scoots his chair a little closer and pulls the table over our legs. His tone isn’t the same as it was with Grant, which tells me he isn’t threatened by Trey but he is with Grant. I can’t shake the feeling that Grant and Brady had been close at one time and I’m curious what happened to that relationship.

“So, Gucci, you ready to drink like a real girl?” Rob screams over to me and my body automatically tenses. “Girls that dress like you tonight take down shots.”

“Leave her alone, Rob,” Jessa shouts over to him but he ignores her and walks up to the bar.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, Sadie,” Brady whispers in my ear while he massages my thigh, rubbing his thumb back and forth.

“I just want to shut him up, once and for all,” I admit.

“Let me settle this. I will tell him to go to hell.” Brady gets up to leave the table.

“No, I will fight my own battle, Brady. Sit down.” My voice is sterner than I intend it to be.

“Yes, ma’am.” He sits back down and resumes rubbing my thigh. “I like this feisty side of you.” He leans in close.

Rob comes back with a round of Jack Daniels. Placing the tray down on the table, he passes them out, positioning one right in front of me.

“Let’s go, princess.” He knocks his glass against mine and the dark liquid spills over onto the table.

“You can call me Gucci, Chanel, or whatever the hell you want, except that.” I tip the shot glass back, downing it like it’s water. I don’t cough or chase it down.

“You surprise me, Gucci. You want another?” Rob doesn’t wait for my answer, he just walks back over to the bar where Trey is now flirting with the bartender.

“Sadie, what are you doing?” Jessa asks quietly across the table.

“Just wait, I can handle this,” I reassure her.

Rob comes over again with only two more shots, one for me and one for him.

“Cheers, Gucci.” He clinks my drink again and I down it just as fast as the first. This one goes down even easier.

Fifteen minutes later, the shots start to hit my body. My lips are tingling and I’m feeling more relaxed. Trey is with the bartender and Dex found a table of girls who seem to be counting his abs. It’s just the four of us: me, Brady, Jessa and Rob. After the showdown of drinks and name callings, Rob has shut his mouth and is paying more attention to Jessa. They are wrapped tightly around each other, having their own private conversation. I still think Rob is an asshole, but the way he lights Jessa up forces me have the tiniest of soft spots for him.

Brady hasn’t stopped caressing my leg all night and suddenly all I can concentrate on is his thumb making slow, gentle circles on my thigh, burning through me like the smoldering embers of a fire. His fingers inch further up to the hem of my skirt and they skim just under as his palm stays on top of my skirt. My breath hitches in my throat and I stretch my arm out, massaging the back of his neck, letting my fingers play in his soft brown hair.

He inches his chair closer so we are hip to hip and thigh to thigh. He bends down and kisses my neck. “I want you so bad right now,” he whispers, sending chills up my back.

“And…I want you,” I whisper in return. As though I just gave him permission, Brady’s fingers make their way between my legs, inching closer to my panties. I can barely breathe as my heart starts racing with the anticipation of his fingers finding their destination.

My eyes close automatically with the slightest brush of his fingers on the outside of my silk panties. His fingers tease me for a few minutes before he pushes my lace thong to the side, allowing his fingers to slip between me, revealing how wet I already am.

His lips meet mine and absorb my moan as he plunges two fingers into me. I place my hand on his shoulder, begging him to keep his hand in place. Our tongues explore every part of the other’s and Brady’s lips become more aggressive as he forces his fingers in and out of me. Right when I can’t take it anymore, his thumb finds my clit. He rubs it in small circles and I release the buildup that Brady instilled in me. Unfortunately, it does nothing to fully satisfy me. I know I need him in me, NOW.

Thankfully, the music has gotten louder and more people have found their way into the small bar, so people most likely assume we are just making out. To me, it is him and me and no one else is in this room, but when his fingers make their way out of me, emptiness consumes me.

Pulling his lips off mine, the smirk across Brady’s face makes me grin back, turning a slight shade of pink. “That was the hottest thing I have ever experienced,” he whispers so no one else hears him.

I slowly nod my head, agreeing with Brady when Rob’s obnoxious voice fills my ears. I roll my eyes and Brady laughs.

“Hey, Frat Boy and Joan Jet. Break it up. Another round.” He places two more shots in front of us. Brady pushes it back to him and Rob pushes it to me in return.

“Weak, Frat Boy. You take his shot, JJ.” I look at the dark liquid in the two shots, taking one in hand and bringing it to my mouth. The smell is nauseating me now. All I want to do is go home with Brady and have him burn through me instead of this alcohol, but I’m not about to step away and lose my footing with Rob. I don’t know if it’s the alcohol giving me that liquid courage I would see Theo get, but I’ve had enough of Rob’s mouth and I just want him to shut it.

“Alright, so if I down these two shots, I don’t want to hear any more names. This will be our truce. I’m sick of it, Rob. I know you perceive me one way but that’s not me…at least not anymore.” I lean over the table and look right in his eyes.