27. Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-seven
Remington James
P art one of my plan was to show up late with Nat and Keenan. Part two of said plan, act like I’m in the bag. I’m as sober as it gets. Guards are lowered around drunk people. Someone may slip up and tell me something they wouldn’t otherwise. Part three is to make it out of here... well, alive.
None of the guys look thrilled as they follow us to the food truck. Charlie leans into my side. “Remi, are you okay?”
I’ve had them ask that more times this summer than I’ve had in my entire life. “Mmm? Oh, sure. Fine, lovely, wonderful. All’s good.”
He grimaces as he looks at Grady, the two share a look of concern over my state.
Carter Kelley joins us double fisting it with two bottles of beer. “Eesh, bet that one wears homemade deodorant.” He tips his head towards a girl wearing a crocheted mini dress, a bandana tied around her bright blue hair. Dick. At the alumni baseball game he made a few off-color comments, too.
Skip is helping Jim at the food truck, the cool reception he gives the guys causes more perplexed looks amongst them. I try to distract them from it. “Hey, Carter, you don’t need to make comments about every female you see, hope that helps.”
As the night goes on, I notice that none of my guys drink. They seem to prefer staying near me, and aware of what’s happening in my vicinity. To Skip’s credit, he must’ve blasted the news of the party to everyone he knew and that they knew. Easily, over two hundred people showed up.
I’m sitting at a picnic table near the food truck, Kami and Alana are at the next one, I hear Kami burst into tears saying, “It’s not fair.” When she sees that Cal is approaching the table with my orange craft soda and pretzel she loudly proclaims, “I’m just old news, right? I could beat your ass, you lying sack of shit.”
Ugh, it’s bad enough she resorts to this behavior at work, sober, now that she’s had a couple drinks, she’s being loud about it.
Charlie says, “And this would be why he broke up with her in public, for his own safety.” He leans around me saying to her, “You’re embarrassing yourself.”
Drowned, by Romantic Ruin starts to play. I grab Keenan and Grady’s hands leaving my food to dance on the dock. I’m spinning around like a total nutcase, Grady grabs my arm to keep me from falling into the pond. That would finish the night off, taking a dip. Loudly, the lyrics are sung by me, swaying between my starstruck bestie, and the man responsible for the music.
I lean into Grady, kissing his neck. “I need to see you perform this live again. So sexy.” The fevered purr of his voice is felt to my core.
Before he can say anything back, Keenan pulls me away, reminding me quietly, “Girlie, girlie…”
It’s not that I magically forgot my current predicament, it’s the draw I have to them. Even right now as I’m bumping hips with Keenan, acting like I have no cares, Cal is standing over my food with his arms crossed watching me, Wilder is watching, leaning against a bumper boat plug-in pole, Charlie is actively ignoring Carter while staring at me.
I don’t like disappointing them.
It felt necessary.
After two more dances, I drop on the ground near the Mini putt shack. Carter hands me a wine cooler. “Truce, lady.”
To myself I mutter, “Oh, for fricking hell.”
I thank him for the drink I intend to leave unopened. He sits cross legged next to Keenan and me. “I still don’t get your relationship,” he says to me.
“That’s fine. It’s not your average relationship.”
Keenan blurts out, “Good Lord, she doesn’t need to explain anything to you.”
“Like I mean,” Carter ignores Keenan, “you're hotter than a three-hundred-dollar car that needs to be started with a screwdriver, but all four guys agreeing to share you?” He shakes his head with a laugh. “Unbelievable.”
Closing my eyes, I lay my head on Keenan’s shoulder. If I neglect to reply, maybe Carter Kelley will get the drift and move on.
“I guess with Grady and Wilder it makes sense because they’re butt buddies, but not with Cal and Charlie.” He just keeps going. I want to slap him, but he might like that.
Keenan sucks in a breath like he’s restraining himself from unleashing on Carter.
“I thought you were friends with Charlie and Cal. Don’t you think it’s disrespectful talking about them like this?” Douche canoe.
He rolls his eyes at me while taking another drink of his beer. “Not exactly. I’ve only ever considered one of them my friend. I had to put up with the other one.”
Mm, yes, drunken confession. Give it to me straight. “Oh? Which one?”
He struggles to get up, looking down at me with a half-smile. “You’ll figure that out soon enough. The one that doesn’t ask people to lie for them.”