We head into the poolroom where it’s wall-to-wall bodies, and Jet makes a beeline for his girlfriend. But my gaze runs rabid over every face and body looking for one petite brunette that I have a feeling I’d best stay away from tonight if I want to live to see tomorrow.
“What’s up?” A hand falls over my shoulder, and I turn to find Eli Gates grinning back at me.
“What’s up with you?” I pull him in. “So, you know Knox, huh?”
“That’s my boy. We’ve been on every team together as far back as Pee-Wee.” He glances around. “Where’s your girlfriend?”
I know for a fact he’s talking about Lucky. “Don’t got one.” I spot Jet talking to Rex in the corner and scowl. “And don’t say that around here. Her brother is built like the freaking Pentagon.”
“That’s right. You’re on payroll. So, you’re not really into her, huh?”
My stomach clenches. This is it—a real do-or-die moment. “I’m not into Lucky.”
“Well, hello to you, too,” a female voice growls from behind, and I’ve never felt like a bigger piece of dog crap.
Lucky jumps in front of me along with Ava, and I do a quick sweep behind them in the event Grant decided to tag along. Grant could save this somehow. He always seems to know the right thing to say, and, right about now, I can use him to save my neck.
“What’s up?” I give her shoulder a light tap as if I had never uttered the insult I just inadvertently doled out. “Eli was just asking if you’re taken.” I try to shrug it off, hoping she’ll get where I’m coming from. Lucky doesn’t want anyone to think we’re together, does she?
Her cheeks turn red as stop signs as her anger simmers. Those lilac-colored eyes boil over with what looks like hellfire, and I’m not sure if it’s simply because she heard the rejection or if she’s genuinely hurt by the idea.
“I am free.” She links her arm through Eli’s and bats up at him with those mile-long lashes. “In fact, I was just telling Ava that I am single and ready to mingle.” She leans in until their faces are within firing range, and my gut wrenches at the sight. “Anyone ever tell you that you have amazing lips? The things I could do to that mouth.”
Jet gives a frantic wave from the other end of the room and points hard down at the happy couple.
“All right.” I slice my hand between them, separating them without much effort. “Save the fun for later, kids. We don’t want to steal the show.”
Before Lucky can protest, Scarlett runs into the room with her crimson hair whipping around like flames. “They’re here!” she whispers as loud as possible, enough to where the room quiets down.
Rex dims the lights, and as soon as the twins’ shadows darken the entry, we shout a collective, “Surprise!”
Knox has his girlfriend by his side and Trixy is dolled up, looking more like she belongs at Briggs than she does any U.S. high school. They start making the rounds, and Ava pulls Lucky in their direction.
“What’s up with the karate move?” Eli seems unimpressed by the fact I broke up their personal party. “Never mind. I get it. You’re into her.”
“I’m not into her.” I lower my voice this time in the event I get my balls kicked in for shooting her ego down twice in one night. “Her brother was giving you the finger. I was saving your legs so you can live to kick another day. Be thankful.”
He cranes his neck to get a better look at Lucky. “Yeah, well, if you’re really not into her, I’ll keep my next meeting with the queen of mean private. Come to think of it, there are a few things I’d like to do with her without the watchful eye of her brother around.” He gives a greasy grin, and I come this close to sucker-punching him in the gut.
“Rein it in, dude. She’s off the roster. I’ll find you a decent girl to call your own—if for the night. Just point your compass somewhere else.”
Knox comes over with Janelle, and I pull him in for a quick pat to the back. But Janelle lunges at me and lands a kiss to my neck before pulling away. Her eyes widen as if it were our little secret, and it makes me feel like a creep. It’s not normal to kiss someone like that, is it? I mean, I’ve heard of a European kiss, a holy kiss—Janelle is neither European nor is she holy in my eyes. Something about her is entirely too friendly, but then, she and Knox seem solid.
I glance away in an effort to avoid making eye contact with her, and instead, my gaze seals over a beautiful girl who looks as if I’ve just knifed her puppy.
Lucky gives me the finger before traveling deeper into the crowd.
“Where’s your girlfriend?” Knox cranes his neck. “You should have her come over and meet Janelle.”
“They’ve met.”
Eli raises a brow in my direction.
“And she’s not my anything. Lucky and I are just friends.” The small crowd before me parts, and there she is, hands on her hips. That stunned expression on her face might as well have come in the form of a slap. She heard. Of course, she did.
Scarlett and Rex shout for everyone’s attention, and the entire room sings “Happy Birthday” to my new stepbrother and stepsister. Dad and Lynette thank everyone for coming and ask us all to sign a card the size of a refrigerator near the door.
“Hey, Lucky.” I head toward her, and she speeds deeper into the crowd.
Damn. I can’t seem to say anything right tonight. I never should’ve let that kiss happen. I should have said something stupid and nixed it after she laid that first one on me. I could have played it off. Hell, who am I kidding? I initiated it as much as she did. But if I didn’t, if we didn’t—we could have still been Lucky and Lawson, not some disastrous couple locked in an argument we should never be having.
Lucky and Lawson. It has a nice ring to it. Lucky and Lawson sounds an awful lot like a perfect couple. I frown at my own conclusions as I bump into Jet and his overstuffed biceps.
This right here is why Lucky and I aren’t a couple, and we never will be.
“What’s going on?” He pulls Daisy in, and I give a brief smile. Daisy and Jet happen to know the truth of what happened that night that I shirked my princely duties, and I’m hoping they continue to keep it to themselves.
“Just looking for your sister. You know, making sure she’s staying out of trouble.”
Scarlett and Rex swing in with a breeze, cooling me down from the sweat beading on the back of my neck. Having a conversation with Jet about his feisty little sister just doesn’t feel safe anymore.
“You’re looking for Lucky?” Scarlett’s eyes enlarge the size of two green Frisbees. “Don’t tell me you’ve got a crush on her!” She hops a little when she says it as if this excited the hell out of her.
“Of course, he does,” Daisy coos as if just coming to this conclusion herself. “What’s not to crush on? That little lucky firecracker has it going on.” She smacks Jet across the chest. “We just need this beast to settle down. Give these two lovebirds a little room, would you?”
“What’s this?” That all-familiar, highly irritated voice chirps from behind as Lucky steps in center stage. “Holy hell, what are you telling my brother?” She snaps so loud and fast—the fury in her eyes leaves little to the imagination. Yes, Lucky Madden is assuring everyone in our little circle that there is absolutely nothing going on between the two of us.
“I didn’t say anything.”
Jet holds a hand out toward her in an attempt to calm her down. I bet he’s spent a lifetime trying to do just that.
“It’s true,” Jet says it low and even. “He’s completely assured me he’s not the least bit interested in you like that. You know these two.” He hitches his thumb to Daisy and Scarlett. “If given half the chance, they spin out a romance novel. This dude has sixteen girls on his mind.” Jet mock socks me and nearly knocks the wind out of me. “And believe me, kiddo, you’re not one of them.”
Lucky blinks a mile a minute, and only when she twists into the light can I see the moisture forming in her eyes.
My heart stops. There’s no way she’s upset.
God, she’s upset.
“I do like her—as friends.” I pretend to sock her arm and come just shy of connecting. “She’s my little buddy. We’re doing the community interaction program together at our old stomping grounds—Hollow Brook Middle School. It was Lucky’s idea to make sure we hang out with kids who are seated alone. I remember those hectic junior high days. It’s not easy out there, but thanks to this girl right here, a few lonely kids aren’t feeling so bad these days.”
The girls break out in a choir of oohs and awws.
“You’re doing that?” Jet pulls her into a hug and drops a quick kiss to the top of her head. “I’m proud of you, kiddo. Here you try to tell me you were born without a heart, and come to find out, it’s taken over your entire body.”
“That’s me.” She glances back my way. “Your little angel.”
Jet might be buying the halo routine, but, swear to God, I just saw her horns poke right through. Something tells me once we’re alone there will be a special hell to pay. In no way did I set out to upset her tonight. It was just a matter of bad timing, bad luck on my part.
“That’s too bad about these two.” Scarlett exaggerates a frown to Daisy. “We’ll have to find you someone else—a nice girl.”
“Not too nice.” Daisy wags a finger. “Sometimes a little spice is what makes life finger-licking good.” She jumps on her tiptoes and steals a kiss off Jet’s lips before they take off, and I for one am glad to see them leave.
I glance down at Lucky and find the steam still blowing out of her ears. She’s a spicy one, all right.
The night wears on and Knox and Trixy cut into their cake. Soon enough, the entire room begins to disband.
Dad and Lynette come over along with Scarlett and Rex.
“It was great seeing you, son.” Dad pulls me in.
“And two nights in a row!” Lynette snaps her fingers in the air as if she’s marshaling a conga line. “Hey, where’s your little girlfriend you brought by the house last night?”
Shit.
“Oh, there she is!” She waves over at Lucky and pulls her in as she’s about to pass us by. “Was the Netflix and chill everything you wanted it to be?”
Lucky’s mouth opens, and a series of choking sounds emit. Her face ignites in flames as she looks frantically from Scarlett to Rex.
“I tried knocking on the door to say goodnight”—Lynette continues—“but you two must have been quite busy in there.” She gives a solid wink. “We’ll see you all later! Toodles!” She and Dad saunter off toward the exit, and Lucky points in that direction before hightailing it out of the room herself.
“What the hell was that about?” Scarlett’s eyes enlarge the size of melons.
“Holy crap.” Rex covers his face with his hand a moment. “Are you messing with Lucky? Dude, have you met Jet?”
I give a nervous glance around “Yes, I’ve met Jet. And no, I’m not messing with her. We really are just friends.”
Scarlett smacks me in the gut. “I know what Netflix and chill means, but evidently one of us doesn’t know the true definition of a friend. So help me God, you had better be using protection.”
“I’m not using protection.” I hold my hands up in defense as my body breaks out into a sweat. How does this keep happening tonight? “I don’t need to. We just kissed.” And there it is, out in the open like a tin can getting ready to have Jet’s monster truck smash right over it. “It’s not going to happen again, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say anything.”
“Done.” Rex takes a step back.
“I won’t say a word.” Scarlett twists her lips in a dozen different directions because I know for a fact she’s still undecided.
Sabrina pops up, looking more like Scarlett than ever before. “What’s the hot topic?”
“Lawson has a crush.” Scarlett gives a little wink. “Although it doesn’t sound like he’s ready to admit it to the one who matters most.”
“The girl in question?” Sabrina wrings her hands together as if she’s unable to contain her excitement for the juicy little tidbit.
“Nope”—Scarlett flatlines before adjusting my collar—“himself.” She gives me a light slap over the cheek. “Don’t be afraid to fall for someone. It only hurts if you lose them to somebody else.”
Sabrina nods in agreement. “Stubborn is as stubborn does. Lord knows I’ve been pigheaded to a fault and look at me. I’m all by my lonesome. All of my Mr. Rights are having fun with somebody else. Trust me, baby brother, it’s no way to live.”
Scarlett and Sabrina spot someone they know and take off with an enthusiastic scream.
But Rex keeps his morbid stare locked right over me. “Dude, if this is true, and you’re into her, I want you to know there’s nothing wrong with that. I’d back you with Jet if you ever needed it. Lucky is going to meet someone someday, and it’s going to get serious. Jet is just going to have to get used to it.”
A tension wire snaps deep in my gut, and I loosen at the thought of Rex sticking up for me.
“That’s nice of you, man. But I’m good.”
“If you say so.” He takes off, but I’m still busy replaying my sister’s words. She’s going to meet someone someday.
Lucky Madden is going to meet someone someday, and it’s going to get serious.
The memory of her lips pressed to mine sends a current rippling throughout my body that I’ve never felt before. I scan the room and don’t spot her, so I pull out my phone instead.
Where are you? I hit send, hoping to get a response, and, like magic, she texts right back.
Getting my groove on with my first serial boy toy. I’ll be busy the rest of the night. If my dorm is a rockin’, don’t come a knockin’. And according to that bulge in his jeans, there will be nothing micro about this night. Go find a ho and mind your own damn business.
I head out into the bar and spot Lucky talking to a familiar looking bastard, Eli Gates.
A part of me demands to rip his head off, and another part of me demands I stay the hell out of it.
I head back to The Row, and every step away from the bar feels like another step closer to a broken heart.
Closer to my own personal hell.
The entire next week, I pick her up as we drive out to the middle school for lunch. Lucky doles out the insults as if nothing ever happened, and we’re right back to bantering about any and everything. For some reason, I’m ready and willing to take just about anything Lucky will throw my way because a part of me is glad to simply have her next to me. I watch as Lucky introduces Emily and a few of the loner girls to each other, and soon enough they’ve formed their own little clique. I introduced Freddy and a few of my new pals to the girl crew and bam, they’re one big, happy, no longer lonely family.
We head back for Briggs, and Lucky asks to be dropped off at The Row.
“Easy enough, that’s where I’m headed.” I swallow hard, trying to stave off the question that’s been trying to surface all week. “So, what’s up with you and Gates?”
“Oh, you know”—she looks out the passenger window, and I can’t see her face—“we’re about to hit the finish line. I like to rope them and land them on their back pretty quickly.”
“Is that so?” A fire brews in my veins, and I’m pretty sure I’m going to be force-feeding Eli his balls a little later.
“That would be so. How about you? Did your sister and Daisy find you a nice little tramp so you can put your stamp on her? I see that tiny disc eating into the leather of your wallet. It looks to me like it’s starting to collect dust.”
I park in front of Beta house and snatch my wallet out of the center console.
“It’s getting plenty of use. And yes, Daisy and my sister are working on it. But believe me, I don’t need them to help me land someone. I’ve got them lining up around the locker room trying to get my number.” True as God. Every girl at Briggs seems suddenly far more interested in me than ever before, and truth be told I had no trouble with the ladies befor
e this dick bling fiasco.
I hop out of the truck, and Lucky follows me into Beta house. “What are you up to?” I can feel the magma percolating in my veins once gain because I’ve got an Eli-Gates-feeling that I know exactly what and who she’s looking for.
“Just checking out the prospects.” She hums as her perfume hooks me by the nose and makes me crave it, makes me crave her. “Before I know it, Eli will be old news, and I’ll be ready to rumble under the covers with serial boyfriend number two.”
“Sounds more like a bodily function than a relationship.”
“It takes one to know one,” she mutters while shooting me a death glare.
“You want to duke this out, don’t you?” There’s something about Lucky that makes me want to get in and get dirty, let her wrestle her anger out on me, every last bit of it.
“Maybe I do.” Her eyes round out, twin pools of lavender sky, and my body starts to shake.
“We should go somewhere and talk.”
“Good luck getting me to your room. The last thing I want is to start another rumor you’ll more than happily publicly deny,” she spits the words out like cannons and looks cute as hell in the process. A part of me wants to laugh, to cry. I’ve never met anyone so emotionally charged, who seems to have the power to charge me all at once.
“Come here.” I take her by the elbow and lead her to the back, down a flight of stairs into the dank, dark laundry facility where I have never seen a single brother venture. Beta house has a laundry service—Mr. Suds—that comes twice a week like clockwork. This is all but a relic to some bygone era, an ode to a set of outdated machines that look parched for the water, the damp clothing they were meant for—rusty and dusty from lack of use.
It’s dark down here, save for a tiny one-by-one window up near the ceiling. I don’t bother turning on the lights. I like it dark and scary, apparently the way I like my women.
“You have something you want to say to me?” I step into her until she’s backed into the brick wall, nothing but the whites of her eyes and her teeth glowing in this dim light. The sound of our tempered breathing lights up this tomb of a room.