“Pay up, bitch!” I hold my palm out toward Mason, who slaps a twenty on it.
“That’s a hundred bucks already tonight,” Hunter taunts. “Double or nothing. Think you can beat me?”
“Fuck off,” Mason spits, glaring.
“Aww, Holt. Don’t be a sore loser.” I grin, making kissy faces while walking toward him with open arms.
“Get away from me, motherfucker.” He jumps out of my way, pushing Hunter toward me instead.
Our neighbor Kilan from across the street laughs at the scene unfolding in front of him and shoves me aside, going to the keg. He’s used to our antics. “Where’s your other friend? Brandon?” He looks at the other people partying around us and in the living room.
“Good question,” Hunter says, rolling his eyes. He’s been a bitter asshole ever since Brandon’s girlfriend moved into their apartment two months ago. I suspect it’s because he actually wanted to fuck her when they met last year, but Brandon claimed her first. Not like the bastard should complain, considering his serial dater reputation. Actually, “date” is too generous. More like a one-night stand, run, and ditch kinda guy. Though I’m not judging because I don’t date either.
“They had to pick up Lennon’s sister,” Mason responds before grabbing a new beer. The vein in his neck pulses, and I know it’s because he has a thing for Lennon’s older sister, Sophie, though the coward won’t admit it. He avoids her like a bad first date.
“Soph’s coming tonight?” I ask, testing his reaction.
He shrugs as if he doesn’t care. The helpless bastard. “Her other sister.”
“Lennon has another sister?” I ask because this is news to me, though I don’t really pay much attention. Since she and Brandon started dating a year and a half ago, she’s come around several times, but I never heard about a second sister.
“I guess. She just moved here for college,” he informs me.
“Three Corrigan sisters,” I say, chuckling. “This ought to be interesting.”
“You mean, a nightmare,” Hunter adds.
“It can’t be that bad. Lennon’s nice. Sophie’s nice. I’m sure the other one is nice, too.” I line up four shot glasses, then fill them with whiskey. “C’mon, boys. Time to grow some hair on your balls.” I hand them each one, then take the other. The front door swings open as I shoot it back, and before I can swallow it down, I spew the amber liquid all over Kilan.
“Dude, what the fuck?” He cusses me out, grabbing a towel to wipe off his shirt.
Hunter and Mason die laughing, but my eyes are frozen on the brunette standing next to Lennon who nearly gave me her virginity a year ago. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about Maddie. That night quickly went from fucking amazing to horribly wrong, but how I felt kissing her soft lips and touching her gorgeous body hasn’t been easy to forget. In fact, nothing about her is. Yelling at her for lying about her age made me feel like an asshole, but she had to realize how much of a mistake it would’ve been. I only hope she listened and didn’t give her virginity to some high school twit.
“You alright, man? Looks like you’ve seen a ghost.” Mason slaps me on the back.
I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and straighten myself. Brandon, Lennon, and Maddie are walking toward us, and I’m not about to give myself away. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“About time!” Hunter gives Brandon shit as soon as they come closer.
“Aww…were you guys missing me?” Brandon taunts. Grabbing a plastic cup off the counter, he saunters over to the keg.
“Babe, you want one? Or you drinking the girly shit tonight?”
Lennon announces she’s not drinking heavy tonight since her sister is with her, and knowing she’s underage means she can’t legally drink.
I steal a glance at Maddie, who looks just as good as I remember. Better, actually, if that was possible. The moment her eyes land on me, she sucks in her bottom lip and seems just as shocked to see me here. What are the motherfucking chances?
“Guys, this is my baby sister, Madelyn.” Lennon wraps an arm around her shoulders and squeezes. “Maddie’s only eighteen, so no funny business…” She points her finger at Hunter, Mason, and me. “She’s starting college next week.”
“So you’re the only blondie?” Mason teases, which causes Hunter and me to laugh. Lennon’s gorgeous with long blond hair, but her sisters are brunettes, making her the oddball.
“Yeah, yeah. Bite me,” Lennon snarls as if she’s heard it all her life. “Middle child syndrome.”
When I snort and take a sip of beer, Lennon looks at me with narrowed eyes as she gives personal introductions to Maddie. “This one is Liam. Don’t trust him.”
Acting as if I’m offended, I press a hand to my chest and open my mouth. If only she knew. Maddie looks at me as if she’s wondering if I’ll spill our secret or not. I’m not about to out myself, especially to my friends who will, without a fucking doubt, give me shit for the rest of my life. Lennon seems loyal when it comes to her sisters, and considering Maddie was underage last year when we almost had sex makes it so much worse. Some things are better left unspoken.
Maddie looks at me, her jaw clenching as she moves her gaze to Hunter and Mason. “All three of them look like bad news, honestly.”
That causes Brandon to laugh as he walks over and places his arm around Lennon’s waist. “Oh, they are. Why do you think they’re all single?”
“You were single once,” I remind him, scoffing.
“And now he has me!” Lennon wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss that has me rolling my eyes. Brandon’s a relationship man, no doubt about it, but the three of us haven’t had any desire to settle down. We’re too damn young for puppy love.
Hunter grunts and walks out of the kitchen with a beer in each hand. Following, I head into the living room where a bunch of our friends are dancing and drinking. Immediately, my mind goes to the night Maddie and I met. I can’t even listen to Halsey without picturing Maddie spread out beneath me. The way she was ready to fully give herself to me, needy and willing, still haunts my dreams. We were desperate and frantic. Greedy and hot. I haven’t been able to forget anything about that night, unfortunately.
An hour passes while Hunter and I chat and drink. Eventually, I head to the kitchen for a refill, then go to the back room where the pool table is. We don’t play as much as we did in college, but when we have parties, people flock to it.
I’m watching Kilan and another guy play when, out of the corner of my eye, I see Maddie walking over to me.
“Any chance of sharing that beer?” she asks boldly.
My brows pinch together as I turn toward her. Fuck, that was a bad idea. She looks so fucking amazing in tight black jeans and a white shirt that barely covers her stomach. Blinking, I snap my gaze back to her eyes, and when she arches her brow, I know she’s caught me checking her out.
“Pretty sure you’re not allowed,” I say.
“And last I heard, you’re not the cops.” She shrugs, making a valid point.
“Then go and get your own,” I challenge, knowing she won’t. But then she takes me by surprise and walks to the kitchen.