Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
CALIX
Sitting in the corner booth of Galaxy Grub, I absentmindedly swirled my straw through the last of my strawberry milkshake. The leather booth was worn in multiple places, scratching against the back of my legs.
Rush and Arch played pool near the bar, where Frasier flirted with a cheerleader. We weren’t supposed to be in here, but Rush’s dad knew a guy who knew a guy who owned this place, so they let us—and most Redwood seniors—slide.
Cairo sat across from me, finishing up some Physics homework, quieter than usual tonight. But I didn’t mind because I was so fucking lost in the thought of Astrid from last night and this afternoon by her car.
“Hey, asshole,” Arch shouted.
I snapped my gaze up to him and nodded. “You talking to me?”
“Get your mind out of the fucking gutter and play a game with me.”
Rush retrieved the balls from the table and placed them in the center, his jaw tight.
Once he handed me his pool stick, he snatched his food from the bar and then collapsed in my spot in the booth.
Cairo peered up at him through his glasses and grabbed a fry off his plate, then returned to his work.
“You daydreaming about fucking my stepsister again?” Arch asked, lining up for his turn.
“Shut the fuck up.”
“Her pussy’s good, isn’t it?”
“You should know,” I said, trying not to sound too annoyed.
Last I knew, Rush and Arch had had a bit of a meeting in the bathroom with Astrid. Apparently, they had left her in a tiny bikini to wear for a top. I didn’t know what pissed me off more—that they’d fucked her or that I hadn’t gotten to see her bouncing around Redwood like that.
“She’s an annoying little bitch, but—God—her head is the best in Redwood.”
I sank a ball into the hole. “That good, huh?”
Arch threw me a smirk. “Jealous?”
“Of a dick like you?” I chuckled. “No.”
When Arch missed his shot, he cursed and laid his stick across his shoulders, holding on to it with both his hands. He shuffled backward a couple of steps, watching the balls roll across the table. “Your mom getting any better?”
“No.”
“Fuck, dude,” he murmured, shaking his head. “She has to.”
I blew out a breath and pushed a hand through my hair. “I still don’t think Diya knows that she has cancer. I told her that she should tell Diya, but she doesn’t want her to worry. It just fucking sucks that I can’t help her.”
“I can ask Astrid’s dad if—”
“No,” I said. “You know how much your family loves drama. You tell one of them something, then the entire family knows within five minutes. Besides, he’s not a cancer doctor, so I doubt he could help at all.”
“Well, let me know if—”
Before Arch could finish his sentence, the door slammed against the wall in the front of the bar.
“Calix! I know you’re here!” a high-pitched voice called, followed by heels clacking against the tiled floor.
I growled under my breath, “Fuck.”
Blonde hair pulled into a tight bun on top of her head and a black dress clinging to her body, Mira strutted into the bar and made a beeline for me. There went any fun I’d hoped to have tonight. Now I had to deal with this bitch.
“Mira,” I murmured, ignoring her approach and taking my turn. “What do you want?”
My ex-girlfriend slid onto the pool table, knocking the balls all over the place.
“Get a fucking life,” Arch growled, tossing his stick onto the table and storming to the booth while muttering, “Always have to ruin the fun.”
Frasier and the girl he was flirting with looked over, arching a brow at me. None of the guys liked her, and I honestly didn’t know how I’d put up with her for so long while we were dating. She was someone I wanted to forget. A three-year-long mistake.
After rolling my eyes, I tightened my grip on my stick. “What do you want?”
“We need to talk.”
“Well, I don’t have all fucking day.”
She crossed her arms. “We’re getting back together.”
“Who the fuck do you think you are, telling me what to do? Move on.”
An annoying laugh left her mouth. “You don’t get it.”
“No, I don’t get anything you do.”
“If we don’t get back together, then I’ll show Diya your little mistake from the party last night. And I don’t think your sister is going to like seeing pictures of you fucking her best friend, especially after what happened with me.”
I gritted my teeth and tossed the pool stick down beside Arch’s. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Take your crazy ass back to wherever you came from. I didn’t go to any party last night.”
“Oh, no?” she asked, whipping out her phone. “What’s this?”
She showed me a picture of Astrid on top of me last night, every single one of The Crew members sitting around, watching. I lifted my glare to her beady little eyes.
I fucking hate this bitch so much.
“What’s it with you and your sister’s best friends?” she asked, shaking her head.
“Where the fuck did you get that?” I snarled.
“A friend.”
“So, you’re planning on blackmailing me?”
“If that’s what you want to call it,” she hummed, kicking her legs back and forth. “But Diya would be devastated if she found out, and you know you’ll lose Astrid, just like you lost me. So, what’s it going to be, Calix?”
“I didn’t lose you,” I clarified. “I broke up with you because you’re fucking psychotic.”
She hopped off the table. “Guess I’ll show your sister.”
I snatched her wrist before she could walk away. “Wait.”
“Want me that badly?” Mira giggled.
“Tell me what you want from me.”
“I already told you,” she said. “I want you back.”
As much as I hated Mira, Diya couldn’t find out what happened.
Astrid didn’t want Diya to know; she had made that clear today.
I needed to get those pictures off Mira’s phone, one way or another.
And while I usually wouldn’t care about who knew what about me, something deep inside me … didn’t want to hurt Astrid.
I’d do anything to keep her safe.