The Year I Became Isabella Anders (Sunnyvale, #1)

“Okay, how about we go get you something to drink,” Kai says to me then steers me across the kitchen and away from Bradon.

Once we reach the counter lined with all sorts of different shaped alcohol bottles, he lifts his arm from my shoulders. “So, what’s your drink?” He holds up his hands. “No, wait a minute. Let me guess. A wine cooler.”

“I’ve never had a wine cooler before,” I admit.

He reaches for a bottle filled with red liquid that has tiny little flakes at the bottom, picks it up, pulls a face, and then sets it down. “Then what did you drink while you were overseas?”

“Lots of stuff. Whenever we’d do shots, though, Indigo would always make us do vodka.” I shudder, remembering the scorching burn.

Kai muses over something then moves for the fridge. When he returns, he has a beer in his hand. “How about a beer? I don’t think it’ll make you pull that face you just made when you mentioned vodka.”

I gratefully take the beer and twist the cap off while Kai grabs a plastic cup and fixes himself a drink using soda and whiskey.

“Now what do we do?” I ask as he screws the cap back on the whiskey.

“Whatever you want.” He downs a large swallow from his cup.

I smile artfully at him. “Okay, well if that’s the case then I want to chase a unicorn, run on a rainbow, and swim in a lake made of gold.”

He rolls his eyes at me, but a smile plays at the corners of his lips. “We can do whatever you want within the realm of reality.”

“Reality’s no fun, though.” I pout.

“That’s not true,” he says, his gaze drifting across the room. “I bet you’ve had fun in reality before.”

“Yeah, I guess.” I sip my beer, remembering the time I probably had the most fun. “I did have a lot of fun on my trip.”

“Okay, that’s a starting point.” He swishes around his cup. “What did you do on the trip that was so fun?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. I saw a ton of cool stuff and did a crap load of crazy things. You saw the pics on my blog, right?”

“I saw the pics,” he says. “But I want to know about these so-called crazy things you did. Because a lot of those photos were of places. Not you.”

“We did a lot of stuff, but I guess one of my favorite things was when we went clubbing.”

His brows shoot up. “You went clubbing?”

“You don’t have to sound so shocked about it.” I chug down half my beer as my social anxiety jumps onstage and takes me over like a puppet. I know it’s insane, but it feels like his surprise screams, ‘You don’t belong here!’

“I’m sorry,” he tells me sincerely. “You just threw me off. I mean, the Isa I knew didn’t dance.”

“Well, she can dance now.” I straighten my shoulders as the beer swims through my veins. “And let me tell you, she’s awesome.”

“Is that so?” he remarks, rubbing his jawline.

I cringe, seeing where he’s heading with this. “Yeah, but only when I’m in clubs.”

He nods his head at the living room where people are packed together like sardines, grinding together like they’ve been drinking liquid hormones. “This place is kind of club-ish.”

“Not really.” I fight back the panic strangling my throat. “Kai, please don’t make me dance in front of all these people. I know some of them.”

“It’ll be fine. I’ll even dance with you.” He guzzles down a huge mouthful of his drink, tosses the cup into the garbage, threads his fingers through mine, and then hauls me toward the living room.

Before we dive head-on into the dancing orgy, Kai lets go of me and walks over to the stereo system in the corner of the room. Bradon is sitting near it, sipping on a drink. When Kai approaches him and says something, Bradon makes a face and promptly shakes his head.

“No way!” Bradon shouts, standing to his feet and placing himself in front of the stereo. “That’ll never happen, dude.”

“Oh, come on!” Kai begs, reaching for the stereo. “Just let me do it.”

Bradon swats his hand away. “You know I don’t take request like that unless it’s from a hot chick.”

Kai throws a quick glance at me then leans in and says something to Bradon. I don’t know what he’s saying, but I have a feeling he might be using me to get his song request past Bradon.

Bradon frowns but reclines back over the table and presses a few buttons before he sits up. The room grows quiet and people immediately start complaining.

“Turn the fucking music on!” A lanky guy not too far away from me hollers.

“Bradon, quit begin a dick!” a girl wearing a flowing floral dress shouts, red-faced and pissed as hell.

“You owe me, dude,” Bradon grumbles as Kai struts back toward me.

He gives him a thumbs up without turning around, walking right for me. “All right, it’s dancing time,” he says, rubbing his hands together.