Chapter 4
4
MALICE
R ue walks to the tree with her head held high, shoulders pulled back, and hips swaying. She is the queen bee commanding her hive of soldier bees, the cat that ate the canary, and the annoying pebble in my shoe.
Growling under my breath, I ball my hands at my sides and rein in the urge to cover her sexiness with my jacket and block the spectators’ view of her with my body.
The guys look at her with hunger in their eyes while the girls wonder what her appeal is. I see it in how they look her body up and down with their hands on their hips. What a bunch of snobs.
Rue is smoking hot with her long black hair, tiny waist, and cute ass cheeks peeking out from beneath her bikini bottom. My cock agrees. I tell my dick to calm the fuck down. I am not in the mood to indulge him right now. I need to be ready to hurl myself off that cliff at any sign that Rue is in trouble.
Her effect on me is the reason I avoid her. Tonight is worse. I’m here alone while her boyfriend and their crew surround her. Out of the picture are our friends in common, Seven and Leigh. Had Leigh been here, she would have talked sense into Rue. Had Seven and Trace been here, they would have reminded me of my hard-on for Rue’s sister, Riley.
Instead, Leigh and Seven are off doing boyfriend-girlfriend shit, and Trace is keeping his family’s newest houseguest, Sorrow, company while his parents are away on a business trip.
Talk about poor timing.
I need my boys here, goddammit. Otherwise, I’m at risk of succumbing to the Rue effect.
What is the Rue effect? Let me explain. Her couldn’t-care-less attitude gets under my skin. She’s the only girl that gets under my skin to the point I touch her. Had it been a different girl looking to jump, I would say go for it.
Except, wait a fucking minute.
A sensible girl would, one, not make a bet with Red. Two, a girl in her right mind wouldn’t dare jump into a lake in November when temperatures are ball-shriveling. And three, a sane girl would strap on a life jacket just in case something bad happens.
Her attitude is one of two pieces of the Rue effect. The second piece is her body’s effect on me. My blood either boils or courses through my veins in this whoosh , whoosh , whoosh when she’s nearby. My cock stands at full mast when she’s near enough I catch a whiff of her scent. She smells sweet, like a warm cinnamon roll straight out of the oven. What gets rid of the Rue effect is a cold shower or a hand job under a stream of hot water.
“You gonna jump in after her? Demand she listen to your sorry ass?” Red baits me. I don’t take the bait, already knowing what will happen. Rue will jump, and Red will follow.
That’s how it’s been since she ditched me for him. The three of us were friends until I made the mistake of overstepping a line that few Sterlings have ever overstepped. We don’t poach on another Sterling’s girl. Red laid claim to Rue first, and I should’ve known better than to rob Red of what was rightfully his.
I turn my back on Red and Rue. What right do I have to interfere? She made her choice, and I’m not it. I march back to my ride. A throng of girls follow me. The guys hang back. They want to confirm the rumor that Rue is as crazy as her MIA mother.
Not only is Gina Lee crazy and MIA, but according to the nosey townsfolk—who should mind their goddamn business—she’s a loser, having never held down a paying job. Instead, she sold her body in exchange for money and drugs. That’s the rumor.
Rue’s older sister, Riley, was able to distance herself from the stigma of her mother’s past. She graduated with top honors and was accepted into Dumas University, a private college an hour from Cambridge. Rue? Rue is trekking down the same path as her mom.
With her reputation for getting into trouble and hanging with the wrong crowd, no one is willing to hire her, though an old lady took a chance on Rue with her dog. The last I heard, Rue lost that gig when she lost her grip on the dog’s leash. The little guy was almost run over in a roundabout.
I jam my hands in my pockets and up my pace. When will Rue listen to reason and stop getting herself into trouble? Why did I catch the kiss she blew me as she hung out the window with a carefree smile on her face? Why can’t I let go of my feelings for her? Why did I bring up that night?
Fuck, the hurt on her face had my stomach in a knot but if I’d wrapped her in my arms, the other kids would want to know the history between us. I’m keeping my mouth shut. What happened the summer of our sophomore year is strictly for me and Rue to hash out.
The guys from my team flank my sides as we clear the path and that is how I know Rue jumped. I grit my teeth and clamp my mouth shut. Otherwise, I’ll demand they tell me if she made it safely out of the water.
Why ask? Rue made her choice, and I’ve made my bed. I pull my hand out of my pocket and reach for the sexy brunette with pouty lips and long, luscious hair down to her mid-back. “Ready to go for a ride, sweet thing?”
Cassie’s green eyes gleam. “I thought you’d never ask.”
She sets her hand in mine. I tug her to me and slam my mouth over hers. She tastes like bitter beer and smells like flowers in the summer heat, and I fucking hate that she doesn’t taste and smell like someone else. I tear my mouth off hers and anchor her to my side. “My parents’ place is loaded with the best liquor,” I tell everyone. “Who’s a go for downing shots?”
“Shots, shots, shots!” The girls and the guys chant as we make our way back to the bonfire and my shiny new ride.
On the drive to my parents’ place, I marvel at how smoothly the bike handles the curves in the road. Cassie thinks so too. She taps her helmet on the back of mine. I smile. I made the right decision when I bought the bike as a gift to myself after my team’s big win over Delridge. My parents weren’t there. They never are.
It’s for the best. I couldn’t care less that their jobs took priority over attending the most important game of my senior year. After this, it’s off to college. I’ll play ball, earn a fancy degree, and find a nice girl to settle down with. She won’t push my buttons, will fall in line, and won’t tell lies.
I shove thoughts of Rue aside and concentrate on getting Cassie and me to my place safely. I didn’t touch the alcohol. No drinking and driving for this guy. My father will have a shit fit if I get into more trouble because of my drinking.
He says I’m out of control. I beg to differ. My relationship with alcohol is anything but. What’s out of control is my lack of giving two fucks. Other than football and my friends, nothing else matters. Then what does it mean when my boys aren’t here? Instead, they’re keeping company with their girls, though Trace and Sorrow aren’t an item.
Sorrow is too timid and quiet for Trace’s taste. He likes his girls to be loud and confident. What will happen when Trace gets a girl? Will I be wallowing in my boredom with a bottle of whiskey in one hand and my cell in the other, scrolling through the social media accounts of people I couldn’t care less about?
Jesus, the life I have to look forward to.
We arrive at my parents’ place with a parade of cars behind us. My parents are on a trip and won’t return for two days. They’ve been away for a month, and I haven’t missed them. My parents are gone for half of the year, which isn’t new.
Anyway, they make being away worth my while.
They give me a hefty weekly allowance and a place on their property. Whatever I want, I get. The sky is the limit. I smirk. What a life.
I park near the strip of grass bordering my parents’ driveway. Cassie takes off her helmet and hangs it on the handlebar. I do the same before helping her off my pride and joy.
“Why don’t you live with your parents?”
I look where she’s looking. Two-story house. Four thousand square feet. Four bedrooms and five bathrooms. I shrug. “I needed my space.”
Her eyes widen. “I would kill for a place like this.” She points at the house. “The wraparound porch is to die for. Imagine looking at the stars and hearing nothing but quiet. Or going for a night swim in the heated pool.”
“Did you case the house?” I joke, liking how her face lights up as she talks. Cassie is different from Doom-and-Gloom Rue Lee.
She laughs. “My mom loves looking at houses. We drove around town and oohed and awed over the gorgeous houses here.”
“A drive-by doesn’t give you a view of the pool in the back.”
“No, but look up the address on the assessor’s website, and the details are there.”
This girl isn’t just a pretty face with a rocking hot body. She’s smart too.
“The houses here are different from where I grew up.”
Cassie’s family is new in town.
“Where was that?” I take her hand and lead her up the walkway that ends at steps to the wraparound porch that she likes.
“Nowhere in particular. We’ve lived all over. My parents are wanderers. So far, Cambridge is my favorite.”
“Because of the houses?”
“Because of you.”
“Me?”
She takes my hand and places my palm over the spot above her heart. “You're one of the most popular guys at school, and you noticed me on my first day of class.”
That’s not how it went down, but I don’t correct her. I didn’t pick Cassie. Principal Staudinger did. I skipped class and was caught walking out of the school doors. It’s a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. He asked me to help the new girl find her way around the school. For a newcomer, it can be one big maze of doors, hallways, and stairs. Why not? I should get in a good deed for the year.
“And look where we’re at two weeks later,” I say. My heartbeat thuds against my rib cage, and I wait for it to speed up with Cassie’s nearness. Nothing.
Damn.
I unlock my parents’ front door and invite everyone inside. “Help yourselves to what’s in the fridge and the cupboards. Booze is in the pantry. The only room off limits is the locked room.” My parents.’ “Got it?”
I knew I would be moving the party inside. Why freeze our asses off when there’s an empty house begging to be put to good use?
“Have fun, bros and hoes. Cassie and I are out.”
“Out to making out!”
I smirk. Dudes and their cheesy lines.
I reach for Cassie. She does me one better. She sidles up to me, holding onto my arm, and leans her lithe body into mine. She’s tall, the top of her head reaching my ear. There’s no need to risk tweaking my neck when going in to claim her mouth. No need worrying I’m poaching on another guy’s girl.
Cassie is single and has made it clear she wants me.
I guide her down a dirt path to my place at the back of my parents’ house. At the front door, I hesitate to invite her inside. I’ve never brought a girl to my place and wasn’t planning on making a habit of it. But it’s imperative I get a certain girl out of my system before I ditch this town for a different life in a bigger city.
Is that my latest plan? To play ball for colleges in Montgomery or Alexandria rather than for Dumas University? Or should I try my luck out of state?
My parents expect differently. They would like me to stick close to my cousins and attend DU next fall.
But why think of the future when the here and now is what’s important? “Are you sure about this?” I ask.
“Very.”
“I’m not promising anything past tonight.”
“I’m okay with that. I won’t ask for more than you’re willing to give.”
She won’t ask for money from me or my family, not that she would. Cassie’s parents are rich. The only person who is poor as dirt and would want my money is Rue Lee.
Fuck .
Why can’t I get her out of my thoughts?
I unlock the door. “What are you in the mood for? Rough and dirty? Or slow and worshipping?”
“Can we start with the second option and end with the first?”
A girl who knows what she wants and doesn’t play games. Cassie is different from the girl who occupies too much space in my head.
I take Cassie’s hand and lead her inside. “I like. A lot. You’re my kind of girl, beautiful.”
“Someday, I want to be your girl, Malice.”
I don’t answer her with words. I answer her with my mouth—my mouth crashing over hers. I can deal with physical, but the emotional? Uh-uh. There will be no catching feelings. I aim to graduate and leave this town with my once-shattered heart whole.