Chapter 9 Lucy
LUCY
Laser tag. What the hell had I gotten myself into?
Knox led me inside the old building and only released my hand when three people leapt out of seemingly nowhere and tackled him in a hug.
They collapsed into a pile, and I felt my jaw drop.
“Don’t mind them,” Duke chuckled. “They’re just excited to see him.”
I startled, but he easily slid his arm around me and guided me out of striking distance from the mess of limbs on the floor.
“Oh, right. That makes sense then,” I offered, even if I’d never seen people react this way to their friends, even if it had been years since seeing them.
The only comparison I had was seeing Isabel and Felix again, but it was in secret, so we had to quickly skirt out of the light to hug it out in a back room. If I didn’t love them so much, I might have felt dirty.
It seemed fun, how Knox’s friends did it, if a bit risky with bodily harm.
“Does it?” Duke chuckled, releasing me to lean against a half wall that divided what looked like a cafeteria area from a tiled floor with arcade gaming machines that lined the wall.
There was a basketball hoop, glowing scoreboards, an air hockey table, and a leaderboard showing the current winner rankings for the laser tag games amidst the chaos of endless games.
“Sure. I imagine they’ve missed him after not seeing him for a while.”
Duke seemed like he was being casual, leaning against the wall like that, but there was a seriousness behind his eyes that Knox hadn’t warned me about.
“Has he told you why he was away? What brought him back? How well do you think you know him?”
I swallowed, forcing my hands to stay still by my sides. Don’t show your nerves, Lucy. “As well as you can know someone after a couple of weeks, I guess.”
Duke hummed, and my words suddenly felt like the wrong answer.
“I mean,” I cleared my throat, “not as well as you know him, obviously. He’s great and all, but this is all so new, and–”
“Okay, okay. Chill, would you?” Duke chuckled, raising his hands in what I knew was a pacifying gesture. “Knox will kill me if I get you all riled up.”
I blinked. “He will?”
It made my heart lurch and butterflies erupt in my stomach, thinking about Knox actually caring about what torment his friends put me through.
Duke nodded slowly, though the intensity was back in his gaze. “He cares a lot about people, you know. Once you’re in his circle, you’re in it for life. Do you deserve that, Lucy? Do you deserve his loyalty?”
I swallowed. “I–”
“Are you interrogating him already, Duke? For fuck’s sake.”
I breathed a sigh of relief when Knox reappeared by my side, slipping between Duke and me with ease, even if he didn’t block Duke from view.
The seriousness faded a bit from Duke’s eyes, but I knew it was likely going to linger until Knox left me alone again. I shifted closer to Knox’s side, finding the umbrella of his presence at least safer than being exposed and out in the open.
“Chill out, Knox. We were just talking.”
“I know you, Duke. Don’t think I can’t read your mind.”
I snorted despite the tension that had filled my body a moment ago.
“Hey.”
I turned and found the three newcomers slotting themselves into our group.
A woman stepped up to my side, ignoring Knox and Duke entirely.
She had long brown hair tied up in a braided knot, bright blue eyes, and a loose blue flannel shirt unbuttoned and draped over snug light-wash jeans.
Freckles painted her nose, and a single necklace fell under her tank top.
“I’m Maisie. You must be Lucy.”
I smiled and offered her my hand. “That’s me. It’s nice to meet you, Maisie.”
She laughed and shook my hand in a firm grip. “And these two are my brother, Tucker.” She motioned to the man who looked remarkably like her, down to the flannel, though his was red, and the large belt buckle over his jeans. All he was missing was a cowboy hat, really.
I smiled and shook his hand next. “Hi.”
“And Tucker’s idiot friend, Kaiden.”
Despite the insult, Maisie’s voice was laced with affection as she motioned to the last member of our little group.
He was tall, blonde, and he led with his shoulders and chest when he stepped forward to shake my hand.
He tossed a fond glance to Maisie that I felt like I probably shouldn’t be seeing.
But I wasn’t about to get involved in some inter-sibling romance drama, so I simply returned his strong grip with my own.
“Lucy.” I nodded. “It’s nice to meet you all.”
“Now that you’ve met the family,” Duke clapped loudly, drawing everyone’s attention to where he leaned against the wall beside Knox, who must have joined him when I wasn’t looking. “It’s time to get to the main event. Prepare to die, Lucy.”
Knox elbowed him, hard. “Shut up, you ass. No one is dying.”
“Actually,” Tucker argued, a boyish smirk on his face, “It’s laser tag. There are guns. We’re all going to be shot. That’s the whole point.”
“You’re not helping,” Knox rolled his eyes and leaned back against the wall, his arms crossed across his chest.
It was unfair how good he looked. His sleeves were pushed up to his elbows, exposing his strong forearms—it must be from all that whisking, but I couldn’t be certain—and broadening his shoulders.
He filled the space beautifully, and I felt the urge to dig out some of my old sketchbooks to draw him.
Perhaps with a window so the natural sunlight could catch the top of his chest above his shirt's neckline. But I hadn’t actually done a proper sketch in a long time—maybe years—and I wasn’t about to pull it out because of a little crush I was having on Knox.
“How are we dividing teams?” Kaiden asked next, standing beside Maisie like he was her guard dog or something. “Drawing straws? Picking team captains? Boys against girls?”
Maisie elbowed him. “I would kick all your asses; don’t try me.”
Kaiden laughed and scooted away to protect himself from another flying elbow.
I bit back a smile. They really were a family.
They all had this casual love between them.
They apparently just came to laser tag to spend time together and have fun.
It felt nice not to have the pressure I was used to.
Sure, Duke apparently had it out to grill me today about being worthy of being close to Knox, but maybe if I stayed close to Knox, Duke couldn’t corner me again.
“Knox can be captain since he’s back from the war,” Tucker suggested, jerking his thumb in Knox’s direction, “and then I nominate myself.”
He smirked and puffed out his chest, looking like some kind of action figure about to jump into flight.
I bit my lip harder.
“Oh, fuck off, Tucker.” Duke scoffed and pushed off the wall to shove at Tucker now. “I won last time, so I get to be captain. Me and Knox.”
“You don’t want to be on his team?” I asked.
Duke smirked. “More fun to shoot him in the ass, isn’t it?”
I reddened and shut up. I got the feeling I might be in over my head with Duke.
“Fuck off.” Knox rolled his eyes. “I’ll kick your ass. Okay, who’s picking first?”
“Rock, paper, scissors!” Duke spun around to face Knox, fist raised in the air and knees bent in a ready position. “Go!”
He and Knox had a very intense yet silent game of rock, paper, scissors—until Duke whooped loudly and Knox cursed.
“I’m first!” Duke shouted, pumping his fist in victory. “And I pick….Lucy.”
I gasped. “Me?”
Knox glared at Duke. “Just so you can torment him again? Duke.”
Duke shrugged, grinning with the innocence only reserved for the guilty. “I will be a perfect gentleman, Knox. You’re just sad you can’t have him on your team now.”
“I don’t know,” Kaiden drawled, “Better tension from afar.”
I knew I was blushing now. My skin was far too pale not to have betrayed me already. But if I stayed silent, I might still survive the day.
Maisie laughed. “Good point, Kaiden. Knox, pick someone.”
“I’ll take Maisie.”
Tucker gasped. “What? Knox!”
Knox shrugged. “She’s a much better shot than either of you.”
Maisie smirked and grabbed my hand to tug me with her as she settled beside Knox and nudged me to stand beside Duke.
Duke shot me a wink, and I tensed. There went my chances of using Knox as a buffer between Duke and me.
“We’ll take Kaiden then,” Duke hummed. “In the spirit of tension from afar and all.”
“What the fuck’s that supposed to mean?” Tucker groaned as his friend slapped him in the back and came to stand on my other side.
I suddenly felt very small, surrounded by men who all had a few inches on me, at least. Even Maisie was taller than me, if only by an inch or two.
“Let the games begin.” Duke took on a menacing voice and rubbed his hands together like some supervillain, staring me right in the eyes.
I was so screwed.