“Had to wait until my roommate left so I could get this”—

he produced a bottle of vodka out from beneath his coat—“out from under my bed.”

“I knew there was a reason I kept you around. I’ll give you the money later.”

Uncaring of my presence in the room, Elias pulled her in by her hips again. “You know, there are other ways to pay me back . . .”

“Getting greedy there.”

“How could I not when you look like that?”

I couldn’t help but feel with him. Noelle was wearing a tight-fitting skirt that showed off her toned legs and a white top that contrasted with her skin. In addition, she had put on a leather jacket and a pair of heavy combat boots that made her even taller than she already was. All of it had made not staring at her impossibly hard.

Noelle seemed unfazed by Elias’s flirting. Stepping out of his embrace, she lifted the bottle to her mouth and took a decent swig, not even grimacing at the burn of alcohol, before she slid the bottle into her purse. As she did, she made eye contact with me for a split second, raising a brow as if to dare me to say something.

I didn’t and was relieved when there was another knock at the door behind me that excused my breaking eye contact.

“G’day, milady,” Seth said in an exaggerated posh accent, bracing his arm against the door frame with a grin. “I am here to escort you to your dinner.”

“Why, thank you,” I laughed and turned around once more to grab my bag from my bed.

Noelle didn’t seem to notice me leaving, too busy pressing her boyfriend against the wall next to the bathroom.

Shutting the door with more force than necessary, I stepped back into the hallway where Seth was waiting. “How’d you get up here?”

“Took the stairs,” Seth informed me. “It’s not like someone’s keeping watch to make sure no boy comes to the girls’ wing.

And I’m clearly not the only one. Just the only one who didn’t come here to shag, I reckon.”

I shook my head with a laugh and fell into step beside him.

My mood always seemed to lighten the moment I left Noelle’s proximity. With her there, it was as if there was a vacuum that sucked all of the air out of the room, making it hard to breathe.

Her presence felt heavy in a way no one else’s did.

“Is it always like that?” Seth had read my mind.

“Like what?”

“That tense.”

I nodded. In front of us, two other girls stepped out into the corridor. They seemed to be a year younger than us, stifling giggles and hiding their party outfits under long coats as they scurried down the stairs.

“I wonder what Noelle’s deal is,” Seth mused.

“I’ll let you know if I figure it out.”

Seth looked like he wanted to say something else, but was beaten to it by a high-pitched voice that sounded behind us.