She pins me with a hard glare. “Why?”

“Because I want to know, obviously.”

She chuckles and I can see her eyes beginning to get slightly hazy. “You don’t have the right to ask that question anymore. It’s really not your business. I’m literally in my parent’s home. Something tells me I’ll be fine.”

“Not if you and Chloe go out tonight.”

“Who cares if we are? I’m not nineteen anymore. I’m actually of the legal drinking age and in my first year of law school, thank you very much.”

“So, I’ve heard. Your dad has been singing your praises since I got here. That’s amazing Whitney. I’m really proud of you.”

Her eyes glisten for a moment before she blinks them away. “Really?”

“Uh uh,” Chloe interrupts. “None of that. Keep it clean.” She points at me. “Don’t get all cute.”

Irritation washes over me and I feel myself about to snap. “Can I talk to Whitney alone please, Chloe?”

“Nope.” She links her arm with Whitney. “Where she goes, I go,” Chloe says as she pulls her away from me and in this moment, I feel like I’m about to lose my shit if I can’t get a minute alone with her.

I realize that maybe I need some reinforcements that could help with Chloe. I do feel a little guilty pulling this card but she left me no choice. I pull out my phone and text the one person that might just throw Chloe off her game.

“What the actual fuck is Trey doing here?!” Chloe exclaims as she pulls me into one of the bathrooms upstairs and out of earshot. “I’m going to kill your boyfriend.”

“CHLOE! He’s not my boyfriend, and please do not say that in front of him! That’s the last thing I need him thinking.”

I watch as she applies more lipstick to her lips and touches up her mascara, leading me to believe she’s not too upset that Trey crashed this party.

“Your parents have been throwing parties for the past year and he never showed up and now all of a sudden, he’s here! Fucking Jacob called him!” Her voice is a higher than usual, brought on by the shots and the exasperation of her ex showing up unexpectedly.

“Well, I’m sure him being here is his excuse for showing up and he is sort of friends with my parents too. He just stayed away because of you,” I tell her. I knew the second Trey walked in why he was there and I’ll admit that I’m annoyed too. Jacob undoubtedly told him to come so Chloe would become slightly distracted and he could potentially be alone with me. Well played, Price.

“Okay, well he can continue to stay away.” She stomps her foot as she shakes her hair and begins fussing with it.

“Why don’t we just leave?” I shrug. It was getting late, and while I wasn’t ready to go into the city yet, we could easily Irish goodbye and go back to my house until it was time to go out.