BRIANNA

15. SUIT YOURSELF

JC'S POV

Just then, a girl I am pretty sure I have had s*x with came to where I was standing. I know the smile she flashed me. It was that smile that convinced me to follow her to her apartment. I just don’t think it would be enough to convince me today.

“It’s good to see you again, Jacob.”

I wanted to say it was good to see her again, but I didn’t even remember her name. Truthfully, I don’t think I ever knew her name. She had been one of those fleeting encounters, a night lost in a haze of mutual attraction and no expectations. And yet here she was, standing before me, her posture relaxed but her eyes sharp, like she was already plotting her next move.

“What brings you here?” I asked, careful to keep my tone neutral. The last thing I wanted was for her to think I was interested in a repeat performance.

“Is that how you greet someone you’ve been to bed with?” she replied, her voice tinged with amusement. “Or have you forgotten that I’ve seen you naked just as you’ve seen me naked?”

Her bluntness caught me off guard, but I didn’t let it show. If anything, her words only solidified my resolve to keep her at arm’s length. Sleeping with her had been a mistake—a lapse in judgment I wasn’t about to repeat.

“What makes you think you’re the only person who’s seen me naked?” I shot back, my tone sharper than I intended.

“If you didn’t know,” she said, a sly smile playing on her lips, “we share all our experiences when we meet. I’ve heard a lot from the other girls, but they all seemed so surprised when I told them you had the most amazing body.”

“And that made you conclude that none of them have seen me naked?” I countered, raising an eyebrow.

She laughed, the sound light and carefree as if this was all some amusing game to her. Maybe it was. Maybe I was just another notch on her metaphorical bedpost, the same way she had been for me. But that didn’t make her presence any less irritating.

“Not at all. They personally told me that they only knew you had an amazing c**k. Something tells me they weren’t lying. I am different from them, and that is why I have seen the rest of your body.”

Jesus Christ. What was I thinking when I banged this girl? Of all the mistakes I’ve made in my life—and there have been plenty—this one has to top the list. A moment of misplaced lust, an impulse that spiralled into regret the second I stepped out of her apartment. Now, here she was, standing in front of me, dredging up memories I’d rather leave buried, her smirk practically daring me to engage.

“FYI,” I said, my voice flat and emotionless, “I’ve slept with more women than I care to remember. Hell, I don’t even know most of their names—just like I don’t know yours. So, let’s not pretend this was anything special. I doubt you’ve met even a quarter of them, let alone all of them.”

Her smile faltered, but she recovered quickly, her eyes narrowing as she tilted her head in challenge. “You’re really laying it on thick, aren’t you? Trying to convince me—or yourself—that I’m just another forgettable face.”

“You aren’t the first girl to see me naked,” I continued, ignoring her comment, “and you sure as hell won’t be the last. What they told you about my c**k? That’s true. I won’t deny that. But I think they forgot to tell you one very important thing: I don’t drink from the same cup twice.”

I watched as her expression shifted, the smirk replaced by a flicker of irritation. Good. Maybe now she’d get the hint and leave me alone. “I had s*x with you, and that was it. One time. Done. I’m not going to sleep with you again, so do us both a favour and find someone else to obsess over.”

“I don’t know,” she said with a shrug, her eyes glittering with mischief. “You’re an enigma, Jacob. One minute you’re all charm and confidence, and the next you’re brooding in a corner, pretending the world doesn’t exist. It’s intriguing.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

“Take it however you want,” she replied, her smile widening. “I’m just saying, you’re not like the other guys I’ve met. And maybe that’s why I’m here, talking to you instead of dancing with someone else.”

I stared at her, trying to gauge her intentions. Was she genuinely interested in me, or was this just another attempt to get under my skin—or into my bed? Either way, I wasn’t in the mood to play along. Not tonight.

“Well, I hope you find someone who’s more your speed,” I said, my tone dismissive. “Because I’m not interested.”

“You’re a jerk,” she snapped, her voice laced with venom.

“That is true as well,” I replied, my tone unapologetic.

For a moment, she just stood there, clutching her glass like it was a weapon. Her gaze darted between me and the drink, and I could see the wheels turning in her head. She was weighing her options, debating whether or not to throw the contents of her glass in my face. But the look I gave her—a cold, unflinching stare—must have been enough to change her mind.

“This is not over,” she said finally, her voice low and dangerous.

“Suit yourself,” I muttered as she stormed off, her heels clicking against the floor with every indignant step.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I tried to shake off the lingering tension. The encounter had left a bitter taste in my mouth, a potent mix of regret and annoyance that clung to me like smoke. What the hell was wrong with me? I knew better than to get tangled up with someone like her, yet here I was, paying the price for my lack of judgment.

Leaning against the wall, I let my head fall back, my eyes closing briefly as I tried to refocus. This night was spiralling fast, and I needed to get out before things got worse. The last thing I wanted was to run into her again—or anyone else who might dredge up another poor decision.

I continued to drink in silence after she left, the dull hum of the party pressing against me like an unwelcome weight. For reasons I couldn’t quite explain, everything about tonight felt off. The music, loud and relentless, grated on my nerves; the laughter and chatter of the crowd felt hollow, more noise than joy. I’d been to countless parties before, and not once had I found myself this disinterested. This was supposed to be my escape—a chance to unwind, to let go—but instead, I felt trapped, like I was just going through the motions.

Across the room, I spotted Callum, his arm draped lazily around Lara as they swayed to the music. He had that cocky grin plastered across his face, the one he always wore when he thought he was in control. But even from here, I could see the determination in Lara’s eyes, the calculated way she leaned into him, her every move designed to pull him deeper into her orbit. It didn’t take a genius to see where this was headed, and for some reason, it annoyed the hell out of me.

Callum knew better—or at least he should have. He knew Lara was desperate to be his girlfriend, that she’d cling to him like a second skin if he gave her even a sliver of hope. And yet here he was, playing with fire as if he couldn’t see the flames. If he got drunk and let his guard down, there’d be no escaping her. She’d sink her claws in, and that would be the end of it. I could already picture him waking up tomorrow, hungover and panicked, trying to figure out how to extricate himself from the mess he’d created.

Part of me felt like I should step in, and save him from his own stupidity before it was too late. But another part of me—the louder, more vindictive part—wanted to let him crash and burn. After all, this was his party, his brilliant idea. If anyone deserved to suffer the consequences, it was him. He’d been a complete ass lately, dragging me into this chaos without a second thought. If I had to endure this miserable night, then so should he—even if it wasn’t for the same reasons.

I took another sip of my drink, the bitterness matching my mood. Maybe I was being petty, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. Callum had a knack for making everything about himself, and I was tired of cleaning up his messes. Tonight, he could deal with the fallout on his own. Maybe then he’d think twice before pulling a stunt like this again.

The thought should have been satisfying, but instead, it left me feeling empty. I glanced around the room, hoping for some kind of distraction, but nothing caught my eye. The party felt like a blur, the faces and voices blending together into a monotonous haze. For the first time in a long time, I felt completely out of place, like I didn’t belong here anymore. And maybe I didn’t.

With a heavy sigh, I leaned back against the wall, letting my gaze drift back to Callum and Lara. He was laughing now, his head thrown back as if he didn’t have a care in the world. I shook my head, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. He had no idea what he was walking into, and for some reason, that bothered me more than it should have.

I found myself scanning the room for Brianna after seeing Callum with Lara, and the realization annoyed me more than I cared to admit. It was absurd, really. She had no idea that her mere presence at school had caused such a ripple effect, but it didn’t change the fact that she was at the center of it all. If she hadn’t transferred, Callum wouldn’t have had the excuse to throw this party, wouldn’t have devised some ridiculous scheme to push me toward one of the girls here, and I wouldn’t be standing in a corner, simmering in my own frustration.

The truth of the matter was that Brianna didn’t belong here—not in this party, not in our world of shallow indulgences and fleeting distractions. She had a different air about her, something that set her apart from the noise and chaos. It was infuriating to admit, even to myself, but it was the reason Callum had been so insistent on pulling her into the fold. And maybe—just maybe—it was why I couldn’t stop my eyes from searching for her now, despite knowing better.

That thought alone was enough to jar me back to reality. The last thing I needed was for Callum or any of the others to catch wind of my preoccupation. If they so much as suspected that I was interested in Brianna in a way that deviated from our usual script, I’d never hear the end of it. For them, it was all a game—find a girl, conquer, move on. And while I’d played the game for years, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this time, the stakes were different.

Which was why I needed to stick to the plan. I’d find a willing girl, someone uncomplicated, someone who wouldn’t ask questions or linger in my thoughts long after the night was over. It was the only way to keep Callum and the others from jumping to conclusions, the only way to prove—to myself as much as to them—that Brianna was just another face in the crowd.

And yet, the fact that she was no longer here gnawed at me. Where had she gone? Who had she left with? The questions were like splinters under my skin, irritating and impossible to ignore. But they shouldn’t matter. Brianna wasn’t my concern, and her choices weren’t any of my business. She was nothing to me—just a girl who’d caught the attention of Callum and, by extension, everyone else in our circle.

But as much as I told myself that, the uneasy knot in my stomach refused to loosen. I drained the rest of my drink, trying to drown the unwanted thoughts, but it was no use.

With a frustrated sigh, I pushed off the wall and started weaving through the crowd, determined to find a distraction. Brianna might have been the catalyst for this party, but she didn’t get to occupy space in my head—not tonight, not ever. If I had to spend the rest of the evening drowning in meaningless chatter and shallow connections to prove that point, so be it. After all, it wasn’t like I had anything better to do.