Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
EVERETT
Me:
You sure this is gonna work?
Reeves:
Someone’s panties are in a twist.
M y nostrils flare as I read his message. Another one pops up right after.
Reeves:
Yes, this will work. I told all the puck bunnies to invite friends. Drake will know about the game night. Now, where are you?
I glance up at the house we’re parked in front of as my thumbs move across my cell.
Me
Just pulled up.
Reeves
Good. Did Cameron tell you which game he picked?
Resisting the urge to scrub my hand over my face, I type my response instead.
Me
Not yet. We never should’ve let him win last time.
Reeves
Wait until you hear what he picked. You need to cut us some slack. We were a little distracted by your girl’s boyfriend’s appearance during the last game night, remember? Get your ass inside.
Me
Be right there.
I hit send, then tuck my phone into my back pocket as the car idles in front of the house. Turning the ignition off, I wipe my palms against my jeans and glance at Raine beside me.
It’s been interesting these last few weeks. I don’t think either of us can deny the distance we’ve kept from each other, but even then, I can’t help but have picked up a few things. Like the way she plays with her black nails when she’s anxious or distracted.
She’s doing it again while staring up at the house. Lost in her own thoughts. In the what-ifs of tonight. The quiet click-click of her nails tapping against each other echoes through the otherwise silent cab, and she wets her lips.
She’s nervous.
Beautiful, of course, but nervous.
Her hair’s curled and pulled into a high pony. The thick waves hang down her back, and her makeup is kept to a minimum. Yet there’s a glow to her skin making her look like a fucking goddess.
A nervous goddess .
A nervous goddess who couldn’t decide if she wanted to blend in or stand out tonight, if I had to guess by her tight black top and ripped jeans.
Fuck, she looks incredible.
I tear my attention from the slip of skin peeking through the rip in her jeans on her upper thigh and ask, “You good?”
She gulps and looks at me. “You really think he’ll show?”
He.
The girl can’t even say Drake’s name, or she refuses to give him the respect of one. Like he’s a mindless drone she’d rather forget. It’s not like she even needs to say his name. I know exactly who she’s talking about. He might not have reached out since our phone conversation, but I’m not stupid enough to believe he’s let her go. Why would he? She’s the best thing he’ll ever have.
Poor bastard.
I shake the thought off, remembering Raine’s question. Do I think Drake will show up tonight? It’s a good question. Part of me wants to ask why we’re hurrying to poke the bear, but this isn’t my game. My plan. Nah, I’m only a pawn. In a way, so is she.
Rolling my shoulders, I answer, “We’re on our grounds, so I’m not sure if he’ll show, but Reeves promised he told everyone he could think of about tonight, so Drake definitely knows about it. Whether or not he makes an appearance is a toss-up.”
Sucking her plump red lips between her teeth, she nods quickly as if mentally psyching herself up for whatever tonight will bring.
I’ve been trying to do the same thing since she told me she wanted to lure him out of hiding instead of lying low like I’d hoped. Nah, that’s a lie. Lying low with Raine as a roommate is the last thing I need. Not when she’s too jaded to want anything real, and I’m too stubborn to cross into relationship territory when I already have enough on my plate. She’s making it difficult, though. Besides, as far as I’m concerned, she isn’t even available. Not really. Not after the shitstorm her ex put her through. Is still putting her through. Or at least, I thought so until I picked her up from Etch ‘N’ Ink the other night. I could’ve sworn she was begging me to kiss her. If she was anyone else, I would have. Or if things weren’t so complicated.
Yeah. I gotta get this over with.
“It’ll be fine,” I promise, though I’m not sure who I’m trying to reassure. “We have freshmen posted at all the entrances. They’ll text if he arrives, so we’ll have a heads-up. Also, Fin volunteered as the whistleblower if it comes to it.”
Her eyes widen, and she opens her mouth, but I cut her off. “I know. No cops. Don’t worry. It’s only a precaution for a worst-case scenario. What I’m trying to say is we have a game plan. You’ll be safe. Promise.”
“Whatever you say.” She pastes on a fake smile and reaches for the door, but I stop her.
“Listen,” I start.
The sight of her forest-green eyes nearly knocks me on my ass as she peeks over her shoulder. “Yes?”
“You’ve never been to one of these parties,” I remind her.
“I went to the last?—”
“You haven’t participated in any of the games,” I clarify.
She frowns. “So?”
“So, I don’t know what game Cameron chose tonight, but I do know they can be…physical.”
Her brows crease. “Okay?”
“Do you have any boundaries?”
“What?”
“Boundaries,” I repeat. “Do you have any? ”
“Boundaries for what?”
The girl’s seriously going to make me say it? I nearly grind my molars but find an ounce of control and explain. “I know this isn’t real, but we’re supposed to pretend it’s real. I need to know your boundaries before we walk in there.”
Her lips lift when she lets go of the door handle and turns in the passenger seat to give me her full attention. “Are you asking if it’s okay to touch me?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay?” Her smile widens. “Yes, it’s all right if you touch me.”
“With my hands?”
“What else would you touch me with?” she counters.
I bite back my own smirk. Oh, the things I could say if the circumstances were different. Instead, I push, “Can I kiss you?”
She hesitates, her gaze narrowing. “For show?”
My eyes drop to her lips, and I force myself to nod.
“Yes, you can kiss me,” she whispers.
“What about dancing?”
“What’s wrong with dancing?”
“Can I grind against you?” I clarify.
Her jaw drops. “Did you seriously just ask me this?”
“I’m only trying to figure out your boundaries.”
“And what are your boundaries, Everett Taylor?” she challenges.
With her? I’m not sure there are many. Not if she keeps looking at me like this. You’d think I’d hold a grudge after she threw me under the bus with her dad. But after confessing how she felt safe around me, I couldn’t help but let it go, realizing it was all I needed to hear. All that really mattered. Not gonna lie. This entire situation has messed with my head from the beginning. Seeing my similarities to Drake. Our differences. Our attraction to similar girls, no matter how much I don’t want to admit it. The whole thing is screwing with me, and I’m not sure how to handle it.
Rolling my shoulders, I shove the thought aside. “I’m up for whatever sells this.”
“Good, then so am I.”
“Good,” I mimic.
“Good,” she finishes and reaches for the door handle again. This time, I don’t stop her, letting her step outside.
The place is already buzzing. I didn’t think Raine’s nerves could handle us showing up early, so I figured arriving a little later than usual might not be a bad idea. However, when a drunk-off-his ass-freshman stumbles into her, I immediately regret my decision. Holding her waist to keep her steady, I see Jaxon cutting through the crowd, heading straight for us.
“Hey, have you seen Rory?” he calls.
Jaxon is Dylan and Griffin’s older brother. He’s also LAU’s hockey coach for the girls’ team and my former roommate. He graduated and moved out earlier this year. Even then, he was never a fan of our game nights, so why the hell is he standing in the family room tonight while a party rages around us?
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
The guy looks nothing short of panicked as he rises onto his tiptoes and searches for something over the top of my head, barely giving me an ounce of his attention. “I’m looking for Squeaks.”
Squeaks is Rory’s nickname. She’s Maverick’s and Archer’s little sister and is also in middle school.
“Why would Rory be here?” I ask.
His nostrils flare as he turns back to me. “She asked if she could stay at my place because her parents were going out and she didn’t want to be alone. We were hanging out, watching a movie, and she, uh,”—Jax looks down at his feet—“she got embarrassed and ran off. She didn’t take Kovu with her, either,” he adds, mentioning the family’s German Shepherd who hasn’t left her side since Archer died. “I gotta find her.”
“Why was she embarrassed?” I challenge.
Squeezing the back of his neck, he mutters, “She, uh, she tried to… You know what? It doesn’t matter. What matters is finding her. Now .”
He’s right. This is the last place a girl Rory’s age should be, and the faster we find her, the faster we can sneak her out before she sees something she shouldn’t.
I stand a little taller and scan the crowded house in search of a small girl who doesn’t belong.
“Wait, I’m sorry…who are we looking for?” Raine asks beside me.
“Rory,” Jaxon answers for me. “She’s Maverick’s little sister and way too young to be here.”
“I know who Rory is,” Raine comments.
I interject, “Are you sure she’s even here?”
Jax shakes his head. “No idea, but since this is the only real place she knows within walking distance of the penthouse, I figured it was my best bet. If I don’t find her in the next ten minutes, I’m calling her parents. I have a feeling no one wants that.”
He’s right—again. We don’t. Especially when Reeves set this party up as a trap for Drake.
“I’ll help you,” I offer.
“Me, too,” Raine adds. “What’s she wearing?”
“Green top, jean shorts, hair in a ponytail. Now spread out.”
“I’ll check upstairs,” Raine offers, taking the steps two at a time.
As she disappears around the corner, I continue my interrogation of Jax. “Does Mav know?”
He shakes his head .
“Why not?”
“I don’t want him to ask what happened.”
“And what happened, exactly?” I push.
The guy looks like he might puke as he shifts from one foot to the other, avoiding me like the fucking plague. “She, uh… Look, I doubt she wants me talking to anyone about this, so will you help me find her or not?”
“What’d she do, Jax?”
Looking awkward as fuck, he moves closer and drops his voice low. “She tried to kiss me, okay?”
“ What? ”
“Yeah.” He scrubs his hand over his face. “Obviously, I turned her down. She’s a fuckin’ kid. I don’t see her like that, but it…it crushed her, Ev.” Jax sighs and shakes his head as if it’ll erase the situation entirely. If only the bastard was so lucky. “You should’ve seen her face.” He pales. “She’ll never forgive me for this.”
I don’t know what I’m supposed to say. Squeaks has always worshipped the ground Jax walks on. I’m not sure he realizes it, but it’s pretty clear to everyone else. We all assumed it was nothing more than a childish crush, though. It’s not like it could ever go anywhere. And even now, it hasn’t. But what the hell was she thinking? Why would she do it? She had to have known Jax wouldn’t reciprocate. She’s in fuckin’ middle school. None of it matters now, though. It’s done, and Jax did the right thing even if it made Rory wish the ground would open up and swallow her whole. Yet here she is, reminding us all how childish she really is by running away. By scaring Jax and me and anyone else who might know about her disappearance.
Unsure what else to say, I offer, “You did the right thing, man.”
“I know I did,” he mumbles. “Still doesn’t erase the hurt in her eyes. ”
I slap him on the shoulder, hoping it’ll pull him out of the memory, and promise, “We’ll find her.” Then I continue scanning the crowd, barely searching for ten seconds when Griffin appears with a handful of pretzels, looking confused. “Hey, what’s Rory doing here?”
Jax shoves me aside and stalks closer to Griffin. “Where is she?”
Grimacing, Griffin hooks his thumb over his shoulder. “She’s out back with Ophelia, crying. What happened to her?”
“Fuck,” Jax breathes out. “I should…” He turns to me. “What should I do?”
I have no clue, but it’s the last thing he needs to hear. Weighing his options, I suggest, “Go out there but keep your distance. Ophelia’s probably the best person she can talk to right now.”
He nods, disappearing down the crowded hall and heading out to the backyard.
Popping a pretzel stick into his mouth, Griffin watches him leave and asks me, “What was that about?”
“I’ll tell you later,” I deflect. “I need to find Raine and let her know we found Rory.”
“Speaking of the devil.” Griffin lifts his chin toward the staircase.
Raine’s long legs are the first thing I notice before my eyes trail up her thighs, hips, and stomach, then pause at the way her shirt stretches across her chest until I force myself to look her in the eye.
Shoulders lifting, she grimaces and mouths, “No luck.”
I crook my finger at her, silently ordering her to come closer. Once she reaches me, I bend forward and tell her, “Griffin spotted her. Jax and Ophelia are taking care of it.”
“Perfect timing,” Griff adds, lifting his chin toward the crowded family room. “The game’s about to start. ”
“Do you know which one Cameron picked?” I ask.
Griffin’s lip twitches, but instead of answering me, he gives our teammate his full attention, so I force myself to do the same.
This is going to be a long night.