“Yes. I promise.”
It’s not a lie if I mean it to be true, regardless of the outcome.
Liam grins and intertwines our fingers. “Good. Come on, the mob’s hungry for a show.”
He tugs me back around the tree, back into the light and the waiting crowd. Lifting our arms, he forces us to take a bow as everyone cheers. Laughter pulls from my throat. I can’t help it. His silliness is contagious. Liam waves a hand in the air like he’s greeting his fan club as he wraps his other around my shoulder, leading us back down to join in with the group.
I’m smiling until my eyes connect with the chocolate browns that are staring at me from over the fire, filled with the same heat. Grey looks like he could kill us both. And I don’t doubt that he’ll make me feel every cut.
Grey
DUPLICITY. THAT’S WHAT I SEE in Donovan’s face.
I don’t care that she kissed him. The first time or the second. It’s this one that makes me hate her.
Watching her fulfill the bet—that sucked, but I knew it would. Seeing her emerge from behind that fucking tree, eyes bright and smile big, with Liam coated in her lip gloss. Fuck. That didn’t just suck. It took my knees out from underneath me.
“If I’m to be the prize, then you deserve it.” Dirty little liar.
I’m seething. Angry as hell and looking for someone to hurt.
And she’ll do.
If I could turn back time, I’d go back and steal her. I’d lie about Liam, beat him up, anything to keep this moment from being my reality. Her eyes stay connected to mine, searching them for something, probably my understanding, but I don’t have it to give. Not after she kissed me, then swapped me out for my best friend.
I grab a drink from an extended hand. Whose, I have no idea, because my eyes are still on Donovan. The tart taste of the cheap beer hits my tongue as I gulp my drink back, finally breaking our stare down. Kai’s hand comes down hard on my shoulder. His eyes are lingering where I was looking across the dying fire. Smoke twists and circles between the wood, lifting into the air as a piece of wood pops.
“You win some, and you lose some.”
I twist my neck to look at him. “Don’t you ever get tired of causing trouble?”
“Never.”
If Kai knew the kind of nerve he just hit, there’s no way he’d push me. But informing him would require me admitting that I might be doing something I don’t do—lose. I shake my head and take another drink, emptying the contents, and wipe the back of my hand against my lips as I swallow, turning to Kai.
“I’m out. There’s nothing here but skanks and dick. Don’t let Caroline get too messy.”
Kai’s forehead wrinkles as he says, “Done,” and I step away, chucking the plastic cup to the side of me as I walk around some random girls. Donovan takes an advance toward me, but I ignore her and Liam as I walk by them, keeping my attention forward, heading up the hill to where I parked.
With every few steps, people throw out adulations, but all I can manage is the tip of my chin. The moment I reach the asphalt of the parking lot, my hand reaches out for the handle of my black vintage Speedster, stopping as my fingers curl under the metal. The gravity of my thoughts weighs me down as my head hangs, anger building like blocks stacking up until all my reason crashes.
You fucking want him? He can have you. I hope you like the bed you just made because mine will be full starting tonight.
The door flies open from the substantial force with which I pull. I brace my hand on the door to keep it from slamming back into me as I lower myself down and lean over to pop the glove box open and grab the keys. I bounce them in my hand for a minute, all my angry, hateful thoughts spilling out. I smack the steering wheel and ram the key into the ignition, looking up to see Donovan walking toward my car.
She locks eyes with me again, and I rev the engine before peeling out in reverse to the right, slamming the brakes as soon as I do. She takes her last few steps quickly, leaving her standing at the edge of the grass and pavement where my front bumper was. My head turns to look over my arm that’s stretched out over the passenger seat, locking eyes first with a familiar redhead.
“Get in,” I call out, leaning over to shove open the door.
Laura smiles at me, but Donovan’s head whips to her left, the realization plaguing her face that I’m speaking to the girl standing next to her. I hope it stings—so fucking bad. Donovan’s arms hug her body as she says something I can’t hear, but it garners a bitchy look from Laura.
“Get in or go home with someone else,” I yell louder.
Laura looks arrogantly at Donovan, blowing a tiny kiss in her direction before she saunters to my car and slides inside, closing the door with a hard click. I don’t have to glance at Donovan to know what she feels because I’m fucking wallowing in it.
You may have let Liam kiss you, but this chick is going to let me do so much more. Welcome to hell, Cherry. My tires screech as I shift into first, burning against the asphalt as I tear out of the lot and turn onto the street.
“Holy shit, Grey! This car is fast!”
I don’t answer, opting to shift the car, and keep my lead foot on the pedal.
“Grey,” Laura squeals, “maybe we should slow down.”
“Shut up, Laura.”
“What?”
She can’t hear me over the wind, or my mumbling, but I don’t care. I don’t care about anything. I’m ready to explode. I take a turn too quickly, and Laura jerks toward the door, reaching out to grab my arm.
“Grey!”
“Shut the fuck up, Laura.”
“What?”
For fuck’s sake. I dart the car quickly onto an embankment, pulling to a hard stop, and pull up the brake, causing her body to rock forward harshly.
“What the fuck, Grey!”
My body twists to hers, my face soaked in irritation.
“Stop. Talking. Laura.”
Her eyes grow wide as she stares at me in shock. “Rude! Don’t be a dick. If you weren’t driving like a lunatic, I would’ve heard you.” She brushes her wild hair out of her face. “Why are you so pissed anyway? You won tonight. You’re acting as if you lost.”
I did fucking lose. Something bigger than my pride. Lesson learned, Cherry. Fuck her, she’s just a chick. Stop giving a shit, Grey.
“She’s nothing,” I whisper to myself, focused on the steering wheel.
“Is this about Donovan? Because that girl is a bitch.”
“What does that mean?” I bark, facing her.
“What I said,” she answers haughtily.
“What did she say to you before you got in my car?”
“What does it matter, Grey?”
Laura’s hand reaches out and strokes my sore thigh, dipping in between my legs to rub my cock.
“Fuck.” My head drops back, pushing my pelvis forward. “Mmmm.”
“Let me help you feel better. I want to. Fuck that girl.”
Fuck that girl. Laura’s hand rubs harder and faster as my hips buck. Fuck that girl. I press myself into her hand, wanting more but feeling a void. What the hell? This isn’t happening. My eyes spring open, too scared to look down and see that my dick isn’t cooperating.