Chapter Seven
CHAPTER SEVEN
LENNON
The only word to describe this perfect weekend is bliss . Having uninterrupted alone time with Brandon is just what I wanted, what we both needed . We get each other on a different level than most and being able to have a couple of days alone has cemented that.
“This weekend was a dream,” I tell him when he cages me against the car door after I get out. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pull him in for a sensual kiss. “I wish it didn’t have to end.” I pout, sticking out my lower lip when he leans back to study me.
Brandon chuckles and dips down for a quick peck. “Don’t worry, babe. We have plenty of time for more anniversary getaways.”
I smile. “Promise?”
“Yes.” He winks. “Now let’s go make sure Hunter didn’t burn the place down.” He reaches around and squeezes my ass, causing me to squeal.
At the mention of his name, I frown. With our getaway officially over, it’s time to go back to the real world.
The moment we walk into the apartment and I smell bacon, I know Hunter isn’t alone. He’s too much of a food freeloader to cook for himself.
“Dude, that smells good,” Brandon says.
“We just ate,” I remind him, laughing.
He spins around, wrapping his arms around my waist, and pulls me to his chest. “Yes, and you were fucking delicious.”
Brandon’s growl has me chuckling, and then he tickles my neck with his lips.
“You must be the roommates!” a woman’s voice says, and I want to claw her throat for interrupting our moment. Rude.
We face her, and Brandon plasters on a wide grin as he takes in the half-dressed brunette. I know he’s used to Hunter’s weekend flings, but I think it’s tasteless, considering he strings them along.
I doubt he’ll find the one or settle down. Not when the parade of women he brings around are never anything more than a fling.
“Yeah, we are,” Brandon replies.
“I’m Jenna.” She saunters in wearing nothing more than a T-shirt and panties.
Wait .
“Is that my shirt?” I blurt without thinking. I narrow my eyes as she lifts the hem and stretches it out.
“Oh, yes. I hope you don’t mind?” She meets my harsh gaze. “Hunter’s shirts are way too big for me. The sleeves went past my hands.” She giggles as if it’s funny, but I’m not laughing. Hell, I don’t even crack a smile. “I promise to wash and return it as soon as possible.”
I roll my eyes, walking past her. “Don’t bother. Keep it.”
Or burn it.
I march down the hallway and go into our room, dropping my bag on the floor. That freaking asshole. His guests prancing around in their underwear is one thing, but allowing her to wear my clothes is pushing it too damn far.
“Babe,” Brandon says the moment he steps inside our room and shuts the door. “Why were you so rude?”
“Are you kidding me?” I narrow my eyes. “She’s wearing my clothes! That’s not cool!”
“You’re mad over a shirt? You don’t even wear that one anymore. Probably why Hunter grabbed it.”
I’m shocked he’s so casual about this.
“So is this just something you guys did before I came along? Your flings leave clothes around, and you hand them out to the next flavor of the week?” I cross my arms over my chest.
Brandon steps toward me with his hand out. I step back, holding my stance.
“Lennon, you can’t be upset over this. She probably didn’t have anything else to wear.” He continues to move forward until the backs of my knees hit the edge of the bed, and he pulls me to his chest. “Are you jealous?” he asks with a hint of amusement.
“Jealous?” My brows shoot up, and I pull back to look up at him. My heart races with anger. Of course I’m not jealous. “Of what ?”
“Jealous of Jenna…the single life…random hookups. You want to be my weekend fling?” He waggles his brows, taunting me.
“You’re insane,” I say, hesitantly laughing. “I’m not jealous. Especially not of her. Or the single life.”
“You sure?” He palms both of my ass cheeks and squeezes, grinding our bodies together. “You wanna role-play, baby? Be the random girl at the bar where I pick you up, take you home, and have my way with you?” Brandon leans forward and takes my bottom lip between his teeth, and I moan at the aggressive way he handles my body. The same way he handled it all weekend long.
I laugh at his attempt to settle me down with sex. “Pretty sure that already happened. Two years ago, to be exact.” I smile at the memory.
Shit.
I was Jenna two years ago. Woke up in Brandon’s arms, gladly wore his baggy T-shirt during breakfast, and then didn’t need it for most of the day while we stayed in his bed.
“Yep, except I decided you were a keeper.” He winks, making me snort. I realize how unfair I’m being toward Jenna because we have more in common than I want to admit. Maybe Hunter will fall madly in love, and they’ll move out together.
Wishful thinking.
That’d mean Hunter would have to stop going through women like torn up socks and form feelings for one of them. Though she is his type—brunette, thin, and pretty—just like all the other girls he’s brought home.
Brandon’s plan to calm me down worked, as usual. There aren’t many instances when I get heated, but it’s usually because of Hunter and his antics.
“I was thinking of calling my sisters to meet up later,” I tell him as I start unpacking my bag.
“Okay, babe. I’m gonna check some work emails. Then maybe we can go for lunch in a bit?”
“Sounds good.” I smile, piling my dirty laundry into the basket. “I should probably do a load of clothes too for the week.”
Walking into the hallway, I hear Jenna giggling in the kitchen, and when I round the corner, I’m nearly blinded by Hunter’s bare torso and messy hair. He runs his fingers through it and grins at Jenna. It’s the first time I’ve seen him show this much interest in a girl, and it has my stomach in knots. Usually, he kicks them out before the sun rises.
“Oh, hey.” Jenna turns and faces me, popping her hip. “Again, I’m sorry about snagging your shirt. I promise to wash it, and it’ll never happen again. Next time, I’ll keep an extra outfit in my bag.” She looks up at Hunter and bites her lip as she waits for a response from him. He shoots her a playful wink and squeezes her hip, which makes her smile widen. “Anyway, we have plenty of food if you’re hungry.”
I blink, unamused by how comfortable she’s making herself in my home. Last I checked, we didn’t even have bacon, which means she either brought it or they went out shopping together. I’m not sure why that thought bothers me so much. Maybe it’s because Hunter’s made my life hell the past nine months and now he’s letting this girl prance around like she owns the place. Hunter wraps his arms around her and pulls her close. I notice how his fingertips gently graze her arm and see the way she reacts to him.
“Oh, no, thanks. We’re going out for lunch in a bit, but…” I turn my gaze to Hunter with my lips in a firm line as he pinches her ass. Jenna squeals and laughs along with him, and I hold in an annoyed groan. “I’m gonna put in a load of laundry and wondered if you have any towels in your room? I’ll probably do a load of those after my clothes.”
“Oh, I can grab them. There are quite a few in his room from this weekend,” Jenna interrupts our stare down, giggling as she walks past me to the hallway. From her devilish expression, they’re probably stiff as a board too from all their wild sex. Ew.
“Never mind. You can do your own nasty laundry.” I groan, rolling my eyes. Just as I’m about to spin around and walk away, Hunter grabs my elbow and pulls me back.
“Too bad you weren’t here this weekend to hear my headboard bang against the wall every night. We could’ve had a competition.” He draws his words out lazily and ends with a slow, shit-eating smirk.
“You’re disgusting,” I hiss.
“Oh, don’t even pretend to be a prude.” Hunter cackles. “We share a wall, remember? I know all your moans by heart, honey buns.”
I inhale sharply, reminding myself he only does this to get a rise out of me, and then force myself to walk out of the kitchen and back to my room without giving him the satisfaction of a response.
After confirming dinner plans with my sisters, we meet up at the Coliseum Bar that doubles as a restaurant. It’s a fun place to hang out because we can sit, eat, and chat in the main room and then play darts or pool in the side room where it normally gets loud and rowdy.
“Oh my God,” Maddie squeals the second she sees us and plops down next to Sophie in the booth. “The Uber driver drove like crazy, and I thought I was gonna die!” She releases a breath, then holds up her purse. I take it since I have room on my side.
“Why didn’t you tell me you needed a ride? I thought you said you’d get a ride from your roommate,” I ask, reaching for a chip and dipping it in the salsa in the middle of the table.
“Because she flaked on me at the last minute, and I didn’t want to bother you on such short notice,” she says, grabbing the menu. Maddie lives on campus, which is the only way she could afford to move out here after she graduated high school.
I look back and forth between my sisters—Sophie, the oldest, and Maddie, the youngest—and see how similar their features are. Both have dark hair and a slender build. I’m the only one with blond hair, and as kids, they used to tease me and say I was adopted. It makes me laugh now, of course, but as a kid, it pissed me off and hurt my feelings. If I didn’t look exactly like a younger version of my grandmother, I might’ve believed them.
“What the hell is that?” My eyes snap up to Sophie grabbing Maddie’s wrist. “You got another tattoo?”
I hold back a chuckle because Maddie already sent me a picture. I’m the less judgy sister and don’t mother her quite as much as Sophie does. Our parents would never approve, and I’m certain it’s why she does rebellious things in the first place. I got it all out during my college years—partied, drank, and had fun before meeting Brandon—but Maddie is super focused on dance, so she acts out in phases.
Such as tattoos, knowing our parents would two hundred percent disapprove.
“It’s a butterfly!” Maddie yanks her wrist back and smiles down at it. “Isn’t it cute?”
Sophie purses her lips, clearly not agreeing. “Mom and Dad are gonna murder you.”
Maddie scoffs, then laughs. “Mom and Dad aren’t here, and last I checked, it’s my body.”
“You see this?” Sophie asks me.
I shrug, wanting to stay out of it. “It’s cute.”
“You knew,” Sophie accuses, reaching for her lemon water.
“Only after the fact!” I confirm. “You and I both know Maddie is gonna do whatever the hell she wants, so we might as well be supportive of her decisions.”
“I hope you got a tetanus shot.” Sophie groans, and fortunately for Maddie, the waitress shows up.
We all place our orders, and I continue eating chips and salsa.
“Someone’s hungry,” Sophie says with a chuckle. “Brandon forget to feed you this weekend, or were you two just too busy ?”
Maddie’s eyes light up with realization. “Oh yes! Tell us all about your anniversary! Was there a lot of sex?”
“Maddie!” Sophie and I simultaneously scold her, except I’m laughing and Sophie’s cringing.
“What?” The corner of Maddie’s lip tilts up. “I need to live vicariously through you in that department, so no skimping on the details.”
I give them the PG version of our time together and how perfect it was. They swoon and tell me how jealous they are. I beam proudly, happy to be this damn happy. Soon we’re eating and laughing about other random things. “Brandon’s gonna meet us here in a bit. Wanna grab a drink and go to the side room? Maybe let me kick your ass in darts?” I ask after we pay the check.
“Well, I’ll have one drink,” Sophie starts. “Maddie can have a virgin-something.” Sophie turns her head so she doesn’t get caught laughing.
“Really…virgin jokes?” Maddie chuckles, not even fazed by it anymore.
“I’m just saying!” Sophie shrugs. “You can’t drink alcohol. Legally.”
“Unless my big sisters wanna buy me a drink?” she asks as we grab our things from the table.
“Nice try, Mads.” Sophie wraps an arm around her shoulder as we walk over to the bar side. “You’ll have plenty of time to experience puking your guts out all night and waking up with horrible hangovers.”
I snort, and both of them turn to look at me. “Oh, come on. Like Soph ever did that stuff. She’s all proper and modest. Look…” I point at her sweater that’s an inch away from being a turtleneck.
“Hey! It’s chilly out, thank you very much.” Sophie pulls the sweater tighter against her chest, and Maddie and I both laugh.
“Point made,” I quip and she rolls her eyes.
She’s the firstborn and always wanted to please our parents. Even after she moved away, she needed their approval. I can’t say I blame her. A part of me wants that from them too, which is why I don’t tell my parents the truth when it comes to Brandon. What they don’t know won’t hurt them, so I only share necessary things.
“Lennon went to college and teaches, and I’m always working out and practicing my routines, so your excuse is invalid,” Maddie mocks, walking right up to the bar as if she can order.
“What can I get you ladies?” the bartender asks, placing three napkins in front of us.
“I’ll have a Jack and Coke. She’ll have some kind of light beer.” I snicker, pointing at Sophie, who gives me a fuck-off look. “And she’ll have a ginger ale.” I shoulder bump Maddie, who grimaces.
“Gee, thanks, Mom .” Maddie groans.
“I know your dietary restrictions, and I’m pretty sure it doesn’t include alcohol anyway, so quit your whining. I’m doing you a favor.” I wrinkle my nose and taunt her. I know Maddie has a show to prepare for, and I’d rather her eat her calories than waste them on booze.
“I thought I moved out here to get away from rules ,” Maddie quips.
“We’re your big sisters,” Sophie interjects. “We’ll always look out for you even when you don’t think you need it.”
Maddie smiles and pretends to be annoyed with an over-the-top eye roll. “Fine.” She grabs her drink and pushes off the bar. “Get ready for me to whip your asses in darts then since I’ll be the only sober one.”
A half hour passes before Brandon finally arrives. He catches me off guard and wraps his arms around my waist just as I’m about to throw a dart, making me miss the bull’s-eye.
“Damn you,” I say, chuckling against his lips after he spins me around and pulls me close. “You’re supposed to want me to win!”
“Baby, you’ve got me . You’ve already won.” He winks, which makes me laugh and playfully groan at the same time.
“That was so lame, it was borderline cute,” Maddie interrupts our moment with an exaggerated aww.
“Should hear what I said the first night we met.” Brandon smirks, tightening his hold on me. “She loves all my cheesy lines. Especially the ones about her falling straight from heaven.”
Maddie pretends to gag, but she’s smiling. She’s only giving him shit, but I think he likes it.
“You by yourself tonight?” Sophie asks once she throws her dart and completely misses the board. She’s so bad at this, especially when she’s distracted.
I turn to Maddie with a knowing grin and find her smiling too. Sophie would never admit it, but she has a crush on Mason. Since Brandon and I started dating, Mason and the guys have hung out several times with my sisters. Since I moved in with Brandon, the group of us go out more, but Sophie is too shy to make a move on Mason. She’s friendly and outgoing when she has to be, but when it comes to relationships, she’s on the timid side.
Another side effect of having parents who didn’t let us date.
“The rest of the guys are on their way. I told them to stop jacking off and get their lame asses out here. Maybe we’ll team up and play pool. Whoop your asses.” Brandon smirks, smacking my butt. “I’m gonna grab a beer. Need a refill, babe?”
“I do!” Maddie slides over with a sweet and innocent look on her face.
“Nice try, Tinker Bell.” He bops her on the head with a grin. “I’ll be happy to get you a Shirley Temple, though.”
“Hilarious. But yes, that sounds good.” She spins around, and I’m dying with laughter.
Moments later, Mason and Liam come waltzing in like royalty. You can almost hear them from a mile away with how loud and rowdy they always are. The fact that they live together humors me because I can only imagine what their place looks like, especially after a weekend of partying.
Sophie lights up and acts friendly, which has me laughing internally. Maddie’s ready to cozy up to anyone who’ll buy her a drink.
Looking around, I can’t help but smile like a fool at the people surrounding me. My sisters, boyfriend, and two of his guy friends who don’t annoy me every chance they get.
“Checkmate, assholes,” Maddie shouts twenty minutes later at the pool table while we play guys versus girls.
“Uh, wrong game there, Mads,” Sophie tells her, and I snort.
“Potato, potahto . We’re still kicking their asses,” she says. Mason and Liam’s jaws hit the floor at Maddie’s expertise playing. Dancing isn’t the only thing she’s talented in.
“Alright, Tinker Bell. Show me whatcha got,” Brandon taunts, but I already know it’s no use. Maddie lives for competition.
“I’m only sorry we didn’t place any bets.” Maddie calls her pocket and looks up at the guys with a devilish smirk. She angles the cue stick, then shoots the solid ball, and it smacks the eight ball right into the corner.
“Yeah!” Sophie and I squeal when it drops in. We throw our arms up and bombard Maddie with hugs. She’s a damn pro.
“Now who’s buying drinks?” She pops a brow at Liam and lives to torture him with her sex appeal. He pretends to be annoyed by her antics—has mentioned it to Brandon a few times now—but I think he secretly likes it. As the youngest, Maddie can be a bit much sometimes, but he likes to act as if she’s too obnoxious for him to handle. I think it’s his way of pushing her away, but if he knew Maddie at all, he’d know it only encourages her.
“C’mon, Hulk?” She pops a brow at Liam, who she’s nicknamed The Hulk because he’s huge and beefy, similar to Hunter. It’s probably why he used to be a bouncer.
Liam grunts, hating the name.
“You won fair and square, so I guess it’s earned.” Mason intervenes, pushing off the wall. He doesn’t seem to mind Maddie, or he just feels bad that Liam dismisses her. Either way, I think it’s sweet he acts like a big brother to her.
“Non-alcoholic!” I shout, pointing my finger at him as he follows Maddie to the bar.
He nods and waves me off. Looking at Liam, I notice the way his eyes focus on Mason wrapping his arm around Maddie’s waist as they walk away. Mason’s easy to befriend, and Maddie’s a natural flirt, so if her goal is to make Liam jealous or to get his attention in any way, it’s working.
“Look at these motherfuckers!” My body stiffens the moment I hear Hunter’s voice.
He walks up to Brandon and Liam, smacking them both on the back as they hug each other. Then he goes to Sophie, hugging her and telling her how good it is to see her again. What the shit? Mason and Maddie return then, and of course my little sister, who’s desperately trying to get anyone to buy her a drink, makes herself known in Hunter’s presence.
Moments later, he leaves for the bar, and I grip Maddie’s upper arm and pull her over to the other side.
“Ow, what the hell?” Maddie rubs her bicep as if I actually hurt her, but she’s practically made of steel from dancing.
“What’re you doing?” I narrow my eyes.
“Um, being friendly. What’s your problem?” She folds her arms over her chest, frowning.
“Hunter’s an ass who’s only after one thing, and since that thing of yours isn’t up for grabs—especially for him—you need to stay away,” I tell her coldly. Hunter can fuck with me all he wants—ruin my day and parade his one-night stands around the apartment—but I won’t let him spread his toxicity to my sister.
“Why would you assume I’d give it up to him anyway?” She peeks over my shoulder and smirks. “I mean, I wouldn’t be opposed…”
I slap her shoulder, bringing her attention back to me. “Mads, not funny. He doesn’t date or have serious relationships. I’ve only ever seen him have flings. In fact, the girl he had over this weekend while we were gone was prancing around the apartment in a shirt and panties when we got back.”
“So? It’s his apartment too.” She shrugs, obviously not understanding the amount of hatred Hunter and I have for each other.
“First, it was my shirt.” I pause when she bursts out laughing. “Second, he’s a manwhore, and you deserve better than that. Got it?”
She slowly inhales a deep breath before bringing her eyes back to mine. “Calm down, okay? I’m not even interested in him that way. He’s just fun to flirt with and beg for free drinks from. Or in my lame case, non-alcoholic drinks.” She rolls her eyes, which makes me laugh. So eager to grow up when life doesn’t get any damn easier.
“Just be careful, please. Hunter knows how to sweet-talk and get his way.” I look over my shoulder and see a girl approach him and then he leads her to the bar for a drink. “See?”
“Stop worrying. I’m a big girl. Plus, guys usually run far away once they find out they aren’t getting to home base.” She shrugs, but I notice that same embarrassed look in her face as before.
“Waiting to experience it with a guy you love makes it that much more special. Trust me.” I pull her in for a side hug. “Plus, no booze or sex during training.”
“Something I’m actually mastering.” We both laugh, then walk back to the group.
We play pool and darts for the rest of the night, and Hunter prances over with his new friend. I decide since I have nothing nice to say, I won’t say anything at all. Besides, he makes it a point to talk to all his friends and my sisters, yet deliberately ignores me. I can deal with his asshole remarks and digs at me, but acting as if I’m invisible somehow makes me even madder.
Hunter glances in my direction once, his lips in a firm line, eyes unmoving, then shifts away just as quick.
His silent fuck you makes my jaw clench, and I’m determined more than ever to forget his entire existence.