Chapter 8 #2
I had to do something; if things got ugly and I was the reason for that, my trial friendship with Storm would be over before it started.
Some of the guests around us were glancing over. Sensing that something was going on.
I shot to my feet and placed an arm on Cash’s shoulder. “He’s drunk, Cash.”
Lifting his eyes from where I touched the other guy, Phoenix grunted. “I’m as sober as a judge, baby girl.” He then turned to Cash. “I thought I’d made myself clear at the bar.”
Cash bared his teeth. “You made fuck all clear. You just started acting like a possessive prick.”
“Call me a prick again and see what happens. You feel me?”
And then the DJ started speaking into the mic, introducing his first set of music, which was much more upbeat. It added to the change in mood from calm to looming chaos.
As the two men squared up, I watched as Hudson placed his cell down and then leaned back against the lounger with his hands behind his head. Was he just going to lie there and not intervene?
And then Josh, Michael, and a worried-looking Verity joined us. Great.
“What’s going on?” Josh said, yoyoing between the two men. They were both big, but Phoenix had more muscle. His tanned skin made Cash look pale in comparison.
“I was just wondering the same thing myself,” he said, cutting Josh a look before pinning his eyes back on Phoenix. “You should have made your claim sooner, bro—bit late to be marking your territory now.”
“Who said I’m marking shit?”
“Fuck me, man. You may as well have pissed on her.”
I got what his point was, but men were so gross.
“Who got pissed on?” Josh cut in with a wide-eyed, dumbass expression. His lips and tongue were blue, suggesting he’d been on the Blue Curacao cocktails I’d seen a few people drinking earlier.
“He meant it as an idiom,” Molly reassured him, and Hudson snorted, looking bored as fuck.
“An idi-what?” the half-cut college football cornerback questioned.
“Maybe we should all go for a swim in the pool?” I jumped in. I thought that having two boys fighting over me would feel good, but it didn’t. My attempt to make Phoenix jealous was backfiring like a motherfucker.
Regret, meet your new friend, remorse.
“Why? To wash the piss off?”
“No one peed on anyone, Josh,” Molly huffed with a sigh.
“Not my type of kink, man,” Phoenix pointed out loftily.
“That’s not what I heard,” Cash smirked, scratching his chin with his thumb.
Phoenix folded his arms across his chest, making him look more intimidating, and the smaller guy backed down.
“I get the message, OK.” Cash held up his hands, his fingers spread wide.
“What are you guys fighting over?”
“No one is fighting,” Molly said, pushing to her feet. That had Hudson up in seconds.
“Stay out of it, English, let the big boys talk it out.” He narrowed his eyes at Josh’s blue mouth. “You look like you blew a Smurf, man.”
Verity laughed, and Phoenix rolled his shoulders and stepped into Cash’s personal space again. “Yeah, why don’t we go ‘talk’ about this out front?”
“Maybe because I need all my fingers to play ball?”
“Smart man,” Nix sniggered.
“Neither of you is going anywhere,” Molly panted, disentangling herself from her boyfriend and pushing between the two big guys. “Storm will…”
“Storm will what?” the girl in question declared, coming to stand by our group, her eyes suspicious.
As usual, she was the epitome of the all-American beautiful woman, but Storm wore a pretty mask that hid a mind as sharp as a razor.
I noticed her makeup was smudged. Reed was behind her, with his shirt buttoned in the wrong holes.
At least he’d lost the cardigan I’d seen him put on earlier.
For the love of God, could the scenario become any more screwed up?
“OK, time out,” Hudson cut in, pushing through the crowd, forcing everyone to move back a step. I didn’t miss the way Phoenix winked at me with a grin. Did he find it funny? My blood started to boil.
“I think we’re all on the same page now. You’re all to keep your hands off my sister.”
“So now she’s your sister,” Storm huffed.
“This is bullshit,” Cash huffed.
“And you’re a spineless prick,” Nix belted back.
“I’m standing right here, you know. I can speak for myself,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. It pushed my breasts together, and I didn’t miss the way Phoenix’s eyes followed the motion.
“Shh, baby girl, let the grown-ups talk,” he whispered, holding a finger to his lips. And I snapped.
Dropping my arms, I moved around Hudson and Molly and came to stand in front of the two idiots.
“Enough already. I’m my own person, and I don’t belong to anyone.
And as for you two, telling all the boys at school to stay away, enough is enough.
I will see whoever I want to see, and it’s none of your business,” I whisper-shouted, pointing a finger at Hudson and then Phoenix.
“So, get that through your thick skulls!”
“You warned all the guys to stay away from her? Ah, that’s cold, man. She’s a big girl; surely, she can make her own decisions. What are you now Harper? Seventeen?” Cash said.
“Sixteen, fucktard,” Nix shot back.
“Almost seventeen,” I added.
I saw Josh and Michael silently mouth the word fucktard to each other with childish glee, and Verity had half of her drink dribbling down her chin. Molly’s face crunched up as she shot Hudson a death glare.
“Yes, that’s right, Mols. Your boyfriend and dickless here have scared the living shit out of any boy who looks at me. Hud probably sent the same message about you. Possessive jerk that he is.”
“Hey,” Hudson choked out under my attack at the same time Nix muttered, “Dickless?”
“Hudson?” Molly shot out with a disapproving look.
“Thanks, Harper,” he grunted. Clearly upset that I’d dropped him in it with his girl. I knew she wouldn’t be happy with Hudson interfering in my life. I was almost seventeen, for God’s sake. As I said, where Hudson was concerned, the girl had my back.
“Someone’s not getting any tonight,” Josh sang, nudging Michael.
“Shut it, Sanderson,” Hudson snapped.
“How about you all cool off in the pool?” Storm said, mirroring my earlier suggestion. “You're making the patio look messy.”
“That’s what I said,” I added. I could tell she wasn’t impressed. “The pool bit I mean.” I was babbling like an idiot.
“Someone’s face is about to get messy if he doesn’t step the fuck off,” Nix growled.
Cash flexed his shoulders, their aggressive stances now well matched. “Don’t categorize me with the spineless fucks who usually quake at the sight of you, Carter.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t do that, Cash. That would make you smart, when clearly you’re a dumb idiot who’s about to have his ass beaten in front of his friends.”
“Bring it, Brutal.”
“Come again?”
“Storm’s right, knock it off, both of you. This isn’t the time or place for a dick measuring contest.” Reed said as he walked to stand beside Storm. The voice of reason had spoken. Fuck, they made a good-looking pair.
“Whatever, man. So much for bros before hoes,” Cash muttered nonchalantly, placing his beer beside the lounger Phoenix had stolen moments before. It was the wrong thing to say.
As he straightened, Nix got in his face, shoving him back a step. “What did you say?”
Everyone charged forward, Hudson slamming his hands on Nix’s broad shoulders. “Enough, this isn’t high school.”
“It’s a figure of speech, you fucking psycho! What’s wrong with you?” Cash hissed over Hudson’s shoulder at Phoenix.
“You really want to open that door?” Reed added with a smirk.
“You really wanna suck my dick?” Nix rattled back before glaring at his brother’s hands. “And get the fuck off me.” Hud held his hands up in a surrender gesture.
A woman at the next table clicked her tongue loudly at the language, which spurred Storm on.
“That’s it. Boys hit the pool. There’s far too much testosterone in the air.
Do as I say now. Or I’ll have security throw your sorry asses out.
” She stated, pointing towards the water.
Reed grinned, clearly enjoying her bossy side.
“You, too, Prescott, hit the water.” His self-satisfied expression vanished, and he straightened, almost standing to attention as they did in the army.
“Now!” she yelled, jamming her hands on her hips.
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied as he tugged off his shirt and started emptying his pockets.
“Dude, what the fuck?” Michael hissed, which dragged our attention to Reed’s bare back and the marks there. You didn’t need to be Einstein as Storm’s face went bright red. You could clearly see scratches on the tops of his shoulders.
“What can I say? She’s a tiger.” He didn’t give off any hints that the woman he was talking about was standing right there, but we all knew. They’d probably been sleeping with each other for months.
“Don’t make me repeat myself!” Storm quietly yelled, if that were possible. Her patience was now as thin as a piece of tracing paper.
It worked though.
The boys jumped to it. Hudson removed his shirt, Cash kicked off his flip-flops, and Josh and Michael made for the pool. Throwing caution to the wind, they jumped in, almost dive-bombing a couple of other guys in the water.
Phoenix was the last to join them as he sauntered towards me, reaching one hand behind his shoulder to whip off his top. His muscles flexed under my stare. As I raised my eyes to his, he leaned down to whisper in my ear. “Sunscreen Thumper, right now. Don’t make me tell you twice.”
“You’re such a dick,” I huffed as heat stung my cheeks.
“Stop talking about my dick and do as you’re told—before I make you that pink somewhere else,” Phoenix threatened with a glance at my embarrassed face.
His spanking threat set my body on fire. He then strutted away with a sly comment aimed at Storm. “If my brother’s dick falls off. We’ll be having words.”
She flipped him off before turning her attention to me and Molly.
“Does drama just naturally follow you two around?” Storm grumbled once all the guys were in the pool.
We all stood in a line in awe as we watched the men now acting like little boys in the water, splashing around, laughing, and shooting the shit. Hudson was inspecting Reed’s back with a toothy grin, and Michael Dexter was keeping Phoenix away from Cash and Josh.
“Are you going to tell me what happened?”
Molly and I turned to Storm, but Verity spoke first. “It was just how it looked, Storm. The boys were fighting over Harper.”
“Wow, that must be a first,” she blurted back, not realising how rude she sounded until Molly shot her a dark look. “Oh, sorry. No offense.”
I rolled my eyes and then smiled at her aghast expression. “None taken.”
I lowered myself onto the lounger and grabbed my sunscreen.
And then we all got comfortable and indulged ourselves in some much-needed girl talk. The main subjects were about bathing suits and whether we agreed that Crocs were back in fashion. And we didn’t mention boys and their stupid ways once, until Verity asked. “What’s wrong with Reed’s dick?”