“Yes, but—”
“There’s no but. The guy was, in fact, an asshole, and another guy—a very hot one, by the way—took care of him. I don’t see the issue.”
“I had it under control,” I tell her, gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles start to turn white.
“You’re ridiculous. When a man’s around, let him handle the dirty work. Plus, there’s nothing sexier than a man who swoops in to save the day.”
“Babe, you’re batshit crazy.”
She shrugs, totally not giving a shit what I say to her. “Never claimed to be sane, sissy.”
“God, I love you, you freaking weirdo.”
“You too. Now—” she adjusts herself in her seat, ticking her chin toward the road “—drive. We have a better place to be.”
“Where?” I say, grinding my teeth because Luna’s better places are never better places, just wilder.
“The Caves.” She motions toward the street with her hand as if I’m just going to follow her directions and drive without putting up so much as a small fight.
I shake my head at her stupidity. “Absolutely not. I remember what happened the last time we went there.”
“I’m not going to let one douche drugging me ruin that place forever. It’s the hottest spot in the area to hang out at night, and tonight, there’s a huge bash going on.”
“I want to go home,” I tell her because I know there’s no talking sense into her, but she’d never go without me.
“Fine,” she says, crossing her arms. “Take me home, and I’ll grab my car.”
I jerk my head back and stare at her. “You can’t go alone, dumbass.”
“Either you come with me, or I’m going alone. Those are the two options. I’m not missing the biggest party of the year.”
“Trust me, it’s not like you’d be missing much. This isn’t Vegas or New York. Drinking beer around a campfire near an old cave isn’t exactly high-class or all that exciting.”
“You comin’ or not,” she asks me with her chin raised and head tilted.
And God fucking damn…I can’t let her go alone. That’s my downfall. Whatever stupid shit she does, I’m always there to bear witness and watch over her as if I was somehow appointed her guardian angel because she doesn’t have any common sense.
“I’ll take you,” I mutter as I turn on the engine and head toward the street. “But I’m not happy about it.”
I have no doubt tonight will end one of two ways. Either Luna will cause trouble—it’s her superpower—or I’ll die of boredom…which, right about now, sounds pretty damn good.
“Shocking,” she teases with a smile on her face, settling into her seat, knowing she’s victorious.
And she is. That’s the thing about sisters and twins. I can never let her go off half-cocked without me because if something happened to her, I don’t think I could ever survive. And if I did, half of me would always be missing.
“We’ll only stay an hour,” she promises me, which is a lie.
“Whatever,” I mumble as I head toward the Caves.
Twenty minutes later, we’re parked and have beers in hand, surrounded by people who have very little life ambition besides getting shit-faced drunk and partying their asses off like it’s their job. For many of them, it very well might be because they’ve never held down employment a day in their lives. Many of them still live at home with their parents or are looking like they’re on the six-year plan to finish college…if they’re lucky.
Luna’s sitting on the log at my side, leaned back, showing her cleavage, and looking like the temptress she is and always has been. I’m much more buttoned-up, always struggling with my weight and not feeling right in my own skin. I wish I had her confidence, but no one has made me feel as beautiful as Luna is besides Luna and my family.
I know I’m easy on the eyes. I mean, I can see Luna’s beauty, and we have the same face. Mine is just fuller in some areas, along with my waist being thicker, my tits being bigger, and my ass definitely wider.
“There’re a lot of hotties here tonight. Who do you have your eye on?” she asks me, swinging her legs from side to side with her feet firmly planted on the ground. It’s as if she’s sending out a signal to all the testosterone-carrying humans nearby that she’s ready to mate, and man, they’re taking the bait.
“None of them,” I sigh. “It’s slim pickings.”
There are at least ten sets of eyes on us, some new and some old. But when I say “us,” I mean Luna. She’s the shining star. The gem every man wants to capture and add to his collection of treasure. I, on the other hand, am an afterthought.
It used to bother me, but I’ve grown comfortable in my invisibleness to most men. The ones who go after Luna would never be my type anyway. I have higher standards, while my sister only cares if they are hot, hard, and packing at least six inches. She doesn’t set the bar too high, which makes her options vast, even in our small town.
“But how is that possible?” she asks without looking at me. “There’re so many of them.”
I take a sip of my beer, letting my eyes wander over the crowd that’s been here for a while and is clearly not sober. “I’d rather be home with a book than here, Luna. There’s no one here worth my time.”
“You’re going to be alone for a long time if you think like that, Ro. You have to put yourself out there. Some guys might surprise you, but you won’t know that as long as you sit over here like Mother Teresa.”
“When are you going to settle down?” I ask her, putting the questions on her instead of me. “Eventually, you have to date someone. The one-and-done shit has to get old after a while.”
“Hasn’t yet.” She laughs and puts her beer down on the ground before placing her hand on my knee. “But I’ll let you know when I find the one. You have to sample the goods before you buy a nonreturnable item.”
“You should really stop drinking.”
Using my knee as support, she pushes herself up. “I’m going to go mingle. You coming?”
I shake my head. “I’ll sit here and read,” I tell her, reaching for my purse.
She recoils. “You can’t read here.”
“I can read anywhere,” I reply, digging out my phone. “It’s the wonders of technology.”
She places her hands on her hips, staring down at me in judgment. “If we didn’t have the same face, no one would ever believe we’re identical twins.”
“No truer words have ever been spoken,” I mutter as I open my newest book and slide down onto the ground, using the log to support my back.
“I can stay,” she offers, but I wave at her with my hand.
“I’m fine. Go,” I say, preferring the company of my book to listening to her shamelessly flirt with the opposite sex. “Have fun.”
“You sure?”
I raise my face to her, seeing her only in shadows, the fire roaring behind her back. “Yes, Luna. I’m sure. Your hour starts now, so you better hurry.”
“Always a killjoy,” she mutters as she stalks off toward a big group about thirty feet away on the opposite side of the fire.