“I’ll figure it out,” I tell him as the lights start to lower and the music starts to pick up with the sounds of Rihanna. The alcohol mixing with my hormones has me feeling reckless and I’m just about to pull him to the center of the room to grind on him when a voice interrupts my thoughts.

“Gabrielle?” I turn my head to see Miles Carson with a huge smile on his face holding a drink in his hand. He looks a little more muscular than he did last semester, probably because he’s been living in the gym for basketball season. “I can’t believe my luck; I was just thinking about you.” He smiles as he infiltrates the bubble that James and I created. I can feel the annoyance radiating off of James instantly and I wince thinking about the last time these two were around each other. “And the brother, right?”

“James.” I tell him his name, to avoid agreeing that he’s my brother and he nods.

“Right. So how you been? I’m not going to lie, I’m kind of bummed that we don’t have a class together this semester.” I’m standing closer to James so I can feel his tension. I need to figure out how to get rid of Miles before alcohol and his need to finish what we started earlier cause James to snap. I don’t even know how to respond to his comment and he must feel the awkwardness so he continues. “You want to dance?”

“Ummm…” I start and my greatest fear in this moment manifests when James speaks up.

“She doesn’t,” James interjects, pulling me closer to him by the back of my dress. I can feel his hand at my back, holding the fabric in his hand so I can’t move and as much as it turns me on, I have to appear unaffected.

“Miles, it was really good seeing you.” I nod, trying my best to appear like everything is fine and it’s just not a good time.

“Dude, chill, it’s just a dance.” He chuckles before looking down at me. “How about it, Gab? I swear I don’t bite.”

How in the fuck am I supposed to get out of this?

Although I don’t think God is really happy with me these days with the whole sleeping with my brother thing, he seems to be looking out for me because a basketball team groupie with bright red curls comes bouncing over and links her arm with Miles.