Chapter 22 #2
“Who?” I’ve been busted.
“Kayla,” she answers, passing me glasses. “Can you open the champaign, please? We have some thirsty ladies here.” She gives me a pointed look and proceeds to deliver glasses to the table. Looks like a small army is about to arrive.
“Yeah.” I begin unwrapping the foil from the neck of the bottle. I’m doing it slowly, very slowly, but then I give up. “Is she coming?”
“Why? So you can torment her while everybody’s having a good time?”
“No,” I say through gritted teeth. “Just curious why she isn’t here. She’s usually clingy. And always around you.”
“Kayla? Clingy?” Freya lets out a loud laugh that gets us a few curious looks. “You’ve mistaken her for me, I’m the clingy one, and I’m the one who’s always around her.” She chuckles and mumbles under her breath. “Clingy, my ass.”
Huh. Looks like I got the situation all wrong. Not the first time for me.
“So what about her?”
“What about her?” she parrots with the sweetest smile. My teeth begin to ache.
“Where is she?” I can’t help but growl; a mischievous spark lights up her eyes.
“Archie got to Little Hope late yesterday, so she’s waiting for him.” Her eyes look angelic as she blinks innocently at me, but she has the smile of the devil.
I was just about to pull the cork out as she said it. Instead, I snap its neck. Champaign begins rocketing out from the bottle and onto the ceiling. A few shrieks vibrate through the space, followed by loud laughter.
Alex barrels into the kitchen with crazed eyes. “What the fuck happened? ”
“Justin lost his shit.” Freya keeps laughing, and I snap my mouth shut just so I don’t say something I’ll regret later, seeing that it’s what I’ve been doing recently.
“About what?”
“About Kayla and Archie,” she says quieter while making sure there is no one around to hear. At least, I can appreciate that. I don’t need rumors flying around town that I have the hots for her.
“Oh,” Alex says thoughtfully. What the fuck does he mean by that?
“I didn’t lose my shit,” I growl.
“You totally did!” Freya looks like a kid in a candy store.
“The bottle just got damaged.”
“Yep, it got damaged, alright. When you found out they’re coming together.” She looks too happy with herself.
“I don’t give a shit who she’s coming with,” I snap.
“Sure you don’t.” She laughs again, and Alex nudges her shoulder.
“Oh, yeah, I’m gonna go and check if anyone needs anything.
” She rises to her tippy-toes and kisses Alex on the cheek.
I feel a ping of jealousy. I haven’t had those sweet kisses before.
They usually lead to a fuck or end a good fuck.
I don’t kiss goodbyes, I don’t get a supportive kiss, I don’t share a kiss when I’m happy, I don’t share a kiss when I’m down.
I deal with my shit on my own, that’s what I’m used to, and that’s how I like it.
So why, out of nowhere, am I jealous of what they have?
“You good?”
“Yeah,” I say and go to grab towels to clean the mess I created. I wish I could clean the mess in my life like that too.
“You have something going on with Kayla?” His voice is probing .
“No,” I snap at him, and I understand he doesn’t like my anger, but I’m too wound up to care now.
“It’s okay if you do though,” he suggests calmly.
“I said I don’t,” I bite back. I don’t need his permission.
“Okay. Make sure you keep your cool when they’re here. I don’t need to clean blood off the walls.” The warning in Alex’s voice is clear.
“Worried about your pretty boy?” I say, trying to rile him up.
“I’m not sure who I’m more worried about here, to be honest. I’ve seen Archie fight,” Alex counters, a ghost of a smile on his face.
“You haven’t seen me fight for something I want before,” I say before I can think.
“So she’s something you want?” He got me there.
“Fuck off.” I flip him off and continue cleaning the floor while he grabs a mop, puts a cloth on it and begins wiping the ceiling. Yeah, quite a mess I’ve made.
By the time we’re done, Freya comes back to the kitchen. She snakes her arm around Alex’s torso and asks, “We’re hungry. Can you start the grill, please?”
“Sure.” He kisses the top of her head. Alex is a giant dude, and Freya seems so tiny compared to him. And yet, he is just a gentle giant with her. I’ve seen this vicious motherfucker in action, and he is so not like that. He gives her another kiss before turning to me. “You coming?”
“Yeah, let me finish, and I’ll be there.”
He nods, and they walk outside. Once I’m done, I go to the sink. A small hand lands on my shoulder while I’m washing my hands.
“Hey there!” a too cheerful and too… girly voice says from behind me.
You know, one of those high-pitched ones that was surely practiced in front of the mirror for hours.
“ The way you broke that bottle,” she fans herself with her incredibly long well-manicured hand.
Before, I would have found them attractive, “was so hot.”
“Yeah?” I ask as I wipe my hands. “How is that?”
“I mean,” she blinks her eyes, “you are so strong and all that.” Her hand lands on my pec, and I look down. Her hand seems foreign there, like it doesn’t belong. Too clean. Too boring. No tattoos.
“Yeah?” I ask again because I was done with this conversation before it even started.
She blinks and opens her mouth a few times before she says, “I’m Lou, the new designer.”
“Nice.” Freya probably hired her to work on something at the PTSD center before the opening.
She blinks again, clearly waiting for me to offer my name, but I’m rolling the asshole dice today.
I’m giving off a strong fuck-off vibe (which is so not me when a beautiful woman is involved, and Lou is beautiful), but she doesn’t catch it, and continues.
“You must be Justin. I’ve heard so much about you. ”
“I’m sure you have. Excuse me,” I say, taking her hand, still plastered on my chest, off me as I amble to the door. I need some fresh air.
There is a nice barbeque patio on the side of the building with rows upon rows of plastic tables and chairs. I’m sure the whole town could fit in here. The Dancing Pony is about to get a big competitor for theme nights.
Alex is standing by the grill alone, and I join him, looking around. Maybe I missed her arrival. But she’s not here, and I feel relief and anger. What the fuck is she doing with that pretty boy? He’s no good for anything.
“I see what you meant about peaches now.”
“Told you.” He is right, though; usually, I’d be all for sniffing around for a new conquest. Usually. “That designer is thirsty , man. She’s been waiting for you for two hours already.”
“No shit? For two hours?” I quickly glance at her.
“Yeah, I’m telling you. Asked me all sorts of questions.
I think the only thing she hasn’t asked is how big your dick is, but I’m sure they already discussed it.
” He shivers in disgust. “And why are you here, by the way? I can’t figure out why you aren’t fishing over there.
” He points to the house with the hand he’s holding his beer in. “A lot of fish in that sea.”
“Not in the mood.”
“Been there,” he says thoughtfully and stares at the grill. Charcoal slowly smolders, creating extra heat in this hot weather. But meat grilled on charcoal is ten times better than on propane, so I’ll take it.
A few cars arrive, and people come to greet us. X and Y chromosomes are somewhat balanced now. I can relax, seeing that a few needy eyes have refocused elsewhere.
I see my father’s car. And Jake is in the front seat.
Well, that’s a surprise. Neither he nor my father told me he wanted to come to this little party.
His rehab program is for eight weeks, but he’s been there for only two, and a couple days ago, they let him out to visit family.
A rare thing, considering rehab staff don’t usually let people out until the program is done.
Despite this, they signed a paper for him to be under our father’s supervision.
Freya runs toward him. “Jake!” she calls. They hug, and she tugs his arm inside the house. Huh, I guess I’ll say my hellos later.
Alex and I are both quiet, each in our own thoughts, when I hear a familiar engine rev. Shit, I need to change the oil in it .
The Jeep parks farther down the driveway since the front of the house is fully packed. She doesn’t get out of the car for a few minutes, and I begin boiling. I can see who’s sitting in the passenger seat. Fucking Archie. What sort of name is Archie, anyway?
When they’re finally done whatever the fuck they were doing, they get out of the car and walk to the house. He’s carrying a huge box with different veggies popping out of it. Rabbit food, my ass.
Huge smiles are plastered on both of their lips. All right, I’m about to wipe them off.
KAYLA
“Oh, it’s gonna be fun!” Archie’s chuckle sounds ominous. An evil bastard, he’s living for the drama.
“Do I even wanna know?” I give him the stink eye.
“Your boyfriend over there,” he nods toward where Justin and Alex are standing by the grill, “is two seconds away from losing his shit.” I follow his eyes, and he’s right. Justin looks constipated. His pose is rigid, and his fists are clenched. I don’t think he ever unclenches them in my presence.
“He is not my boyfriend, and you know that,” I hiss back like a rabid cat.
“Does he know that?” He sends me a curious look.
“Archie,” I say to him like I would a toddler, “don’t start any drama. Please.”
“Okay-okay, I won’t say anything until I know your positive answer to my offer.” His smile is cheeky and very contagious. I find myself smiling back at him.
“My positive answer?”
“Yep. Let’s go, time for fun.” He moves his bags into one hand and hugs my shoulders with the other. I see what he’s doing. I try to shrug him off, but he just pulls me closer and whispers, “Relax.” And I do as I’m told. I relax into his embrace and let him walk me to the house.
“Alex!” Archie’s voice is very staged. “We’re finally here.”