Chapter 20 #2
Phoenix joined us, patting Julian on the back before he threw back his head to laugh heartily. “Jules, the peacemaker, takes a swing. I love it.” He shook his head, and I noticed the vacant, bleary look of drugs in his gaze. “I said let’s get wild and you did.”
White clouds of smoke pooled upward as Barrett, who apparently had acquired a bucket, doused the bonfire with water. “Everyone home. Now. Go be stupid somewhere else.”
Jeremy hugged Julian and me to him at the same time.
Some of Julian’s shakes were slowing down, becoming more like trembles.
“Good job, Julian. Sometimes assholes just need to get punched in the face, but we’ll have to work on your swing.
” He was quiet for a second. “What did he say? Because if it’s bad enough to make you punch him, he is really going to hate what I’ll do. ”
“He said if she was going to fuck both of you, then maybe he should take a turn with her, too.” Julian met my gaze. “He doesn’t get to talk about you that way. Not you. Not ever.”
I sighed then shrugged. “I was dancing with both Jeremy and Barrett. It was bound to get some attention. I mean, you might all be okay with sharing me, the three of you, or whatever you’re doing, but it isn’t normal. I don’t think it is, at least, and maybe I shouldn’t do it.”
“No,” they spoke in unison. Around us, the crowd started to dissipate, and somebody cut the music.
“Three of them?” Phoenix knocked into my shoulder, nudging me. “There are four of us.”
Really? I blushed, but I said, “You have never expressed romantic interest in spending time with me.”
“Well …” He kissed me square on the lips, his mouth a slash of fire across my own. “I’m expressing it now. Does everyone see? I kissed you, and if anyone mentions it, they’re going to wish they didn’t.”
No one seemed to be looking at us, since almost everyone was moving away. Barrett shook his head, staring at us. “I wish you’d let me hit him.”
My lips tingled from Phoenix’s kiss. I tried to make sense of any of it, but somehow I managed to end the bonfire and get kissed.
How had that worked?
I was still pretty sure I should leave the next day . I’m a stray . I didn’t want to be held responsible for screwing up the lives of the wanted family pets, even if all the stray dog was doing was dancing. Maybe I overthought the metaphor.
I just didn’t know anything anymore.
We all sat around a table on the patio on the side of their grandmother’s house. My phone died, but I would bet it was around two in the morning. Beer bottles littered the table. Phoenix didn’t drink but he was wasted on something just the same. I was the only truly sober one among us.
Julian looked like he might faceplant on the beer-covered table any second. I rubbed my arms, the chill of the beautiful night finally starting to get to me.
I loved the sound of the ocean in the distance, though, so I wasn’t in a hurry to go inside. The gentle pulsing roar calmed me, making it easier to breathe, it seemed.
I got to my feet, still rubbing my arms. “Come on. It’s time for bed, I think.” A blush stained my cheeks, since part of me recognized how unbelievable it was for me to think I could give them orders.
Jeremy nodded, gesturing with his thumb at the house. “We’re all staying with you. Hope that’s okay?” He lifted his eyebrows in a Jeremy- style challenge, as if daring me to tell them to go away or to cede and give him what he wanted—a sleepover in my room.
Like I would tell all the hot guys not to come to my room . “Come on, then. I don’t want to wake your granny, so try not to sound like a parade of monkeys going through the house.”
Julian stumbled to his feet. “Right.”
“Got you, Peanut.” Jeremy grabbed him by the waist. Someday, they would have to explain where the nickname originated.
Barrett tugged on Phoenix. “We’re going to bed.”
“I never sleep,” Phoenix pointed out.
His oldest brother shook his head a little bit too dramatically. “You did yesterday in the limo. Besides, we’re going to Alatheia’s room.”
Phoenix didn’t say more, so we snuck into my room.
I closed the door then considered the space—the bed might be king sized, but it would never fit all of us.
I snagged extra pillows and blankets from the closet, and I hardly dropped them to the floor than Julian faceplanted on top of them.
I shook my head at him in amusement. He beat someone up for saying they wanted to have sex with me yet ended up drunk as a skunk .
I read his shoes so wrong the first day .
He wasn’t a snooty rich kid at all. I could say he was angst filled.
Jeremy might be the faster brother to get angry, but he was actually calmer when he got upset.
I covered Julian then took off his shoes. He didn’t seem to mind being on the floor but grabbed my arm when I would’ve left him. “You are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”
I smiled, thinking he was awfully sweet inebriated. I couldn’t hold a candle to most of the girls at the bonfire, but I liked being called pretty. “That’s sweet. Thank you.”
Barrett sank to the floor, and I covered him up, too. “He’s right. You are, even if you don’t believe us. That’s fine.” His head hit the pillow, and his eyes closed almost instantly.
Suddenly, I found myself glad I invited them to my room, since I would’ve worried about them all night if I hadn’t.
Phoenix crawled into my bed and scooted to one side, Jeremy to the other.
The latter was already out cold, one shoe off, one still on, but Phoenix’s eyes glittered, staring at the ceiling.
I took off their granny’s pearls, stored them in their velvet lined box, then ducked into the bathroom to change into my pajamas.
I fully expected him to be out cold when I came back out.
I brushed my teeth, slipped into my tank top and boxer shorts then braided my hair.
I didn’t want to wake up in the same clothes, and I frowned, thinking of the sand the guys probably dragged into my bed and blankets.
I wondered if I could find where to wash the sheets and blankets in the morning.
Before I leave.
If I am leaving.
Phoenix was still awake when I climbed between him and Jeremy.
He rolled to look at me as I crawled up the middle of the bed.
“There you are. That outfit you wore tonight was so not you. I mean, I get why you wore it. I would dress up for the firing squad of my family if I thought it would help. But I like you better like this.”
I shook my head, amused at him. “It was your granny’s idea.”
“Her battle clothes, or so she described them once when I was a kid. She had to get ready to do battle.” He sighed. “She must have wanted you to be prepared to face anything.”
A thought dawned on me. “Hold on.” Not wanting to wake Jeremy, I carefully got out of bed and locked the door to the back as well as the door of the room. With them both locked, I could take a deep breath.
It was so much nicer to be able to lock the world out, even if it seemed like half the world decided to sleep in my room.
Satisfied with my security, I climbed back into bed.
“No one can get in to hurt you with all of us here.” He touched the end of my hair, running the tips of the strands through his fingertips. I remembered my aunt touching my hair, and couldn’t help but notice the vast difference between his gentle touch and her menacing one.
I blew out a breath, snagging a pillow and laying my head on it. “The state the four of you are in? I think anyone could walk right past you, if they wanted, and you’d have no idea.”
“I would know,” Jeremy said, then rolled over onto his side to press his nose against my temple like he had done outside. Apparently he was awake. “No one will get to you, but lock any doors you want, always.”
“I thought you were asleep.” I closed my eyes—not to sleep just to revel in the moment. I never would have expected it, but I absolutely loved cuddling with them in bed. The feeling of their warmth sandwiched me in safety, and I wondered if I really wanted to leave them.
He sighed, a small sound. “Dozing, but keep talking. I like the sound of your voice.”
“Please ask your dad to find out what happened with my family.” I had to know, and I had a feeling they could find answers.
He kissed my temple. “Will do. Whatever you want. I’ll always do or get you whatever you want.”
“What do you need to know about your family?” Phoenix asked, scooting a bit closer to me. “I can find almost anything on the Internet. I’m really good at it.”
I lifted my lids and took his hand, entwining our fingers. “My aunt said my mom overdosed, and I want to know the truth. If I’m honest, I don’t know anything about them other than what the family tells me and they are … they are not to be trusted.”
“She overdosed?” He sounded so sad that I turned toward him to look at him in the near darkness. “That’s awful.”
I wiped away a tear that escaped my own eye, surprised. “I thought she was sick. That’s how I remember it, anyway, but I was so young. I might not have known. It could’ve been drugs.”
Jeremy reached over me and squeezed Phoenix’s arm. “I know only you are allowed to discuss this, Phoenix, but please don’t die of an overdose. I’m going to be really pissed if you do.”
Pissed? I believed he would experience a full range of emotions, but I doubted pissed would be one of them.
Or at least not only that. Phoenix didn’t answer him, but I watched him squeeze Jeremy’s hand back.
We were all wrapped up in each other, a tangle of limbs that satisfied me in a way I couldn’t explain.
The room seemed so quiet, except for Julian’s snores from the floor.
“Jules got into a physical fight with that douchebag.” I could hear the amusement in Phoenix’s voice. “I mean what the fuck tonight? Everyone says he is the nice Lent.”
Jeremy smiled, I could feel his lips against my skin. “Alatheia brings out his protective side. Besides, I’m the nice Lent.”
“Nah.” Phoenix kissed my hand. “We all know Barrett is the nice one.”
“Truth.” Jeremy’s voice faded. Drowsily, he lifted his hand to touch my cheek before he kissed my mouth. “Good night, Alatheia.”
I found my voice, and it only cracked a little. “Goodnight.”
Phoenix pressed his head down against my shoulder. His snore told me he was already asleep. When he went to bed, he just slept—fast.
I closed my eyes, surprised to fall asleep quickly myself.
I even knew it was a dream when I realized I stood in San Francisco. In my school uniform, though, it was me much, much younger.
“You’re ugly.”
I gasped, surprised to hear MacKenna, my tormenter from school. I couldn’t remember the last time I even thought about her. “You’re so ugly,” she repeated , in case I missed it the first time.
When she laughed, the whole rest of the room started laughing. I couldn’t see any of them, just perfect looking MacKenna and her blonde shiny hair were in focus.
“I honestly didn’t care then or now about how ugly I am,” I told her, feeling so much older than her or my own body. “There is so much that is going to go wrong with my life, it won’t matter if I’m ugly.”
She changed in the way of dreams, morphing until she became my Uncle Matthew. He looked so much like my Aunt Tricia that it dawned on me right then my mother must have looked like him, too. Aunt Amelia looked slightly different, but she had blonde hair.
He pulled out a shotgun and I gasped. Is he going to shoot me?
“You’re going to care about this.”
He pulled the trigger.
I sat up in bed and caught my breath. Jeremy and Phoenix were both out cold, snoring and unmoving. So was Julian. Barrett had rolled over on his stomach.
I was safe. The door was locked, and if something did happen, if I screamed loud enough, one of them would wake up and help me. I lay back down, still shaking in leftover fear from the nightmare.
Phoenix tugged me against him, changing his position so he scooched me against his side instead of him being up against me. That just made Jeremy roll even closer.
I’m not alone.