Rules, Roses, and Rivals (Untouchable What If Edition #1)

Chapter 1

Chapter

One

FRANKIE

“ F rankie,” Mom called. “You’re going to be late.”

“No,” I yelled back as I flattened myself to the floor to find my shoes under the bed. “I’m not.” I had plenty of time to get out of here, pick up Mathieu, and get to school. There they were. I hauled the shoes out and stuffed my feet into them before lacing them up.

I had a packed academic schedule and work at the Mason’s this week. It was the first day of senior year and I was ready to get out there and face my demons, former best friends included.

Slinging my backpack over my shoulder, I hurried out of the bedroom and slid into the bathroom to run a brush through my hair before pulling it up into a ponytail. A little lip gloss and I was ready to go. The gloss wouldn’t last and I didn’t care, I had lip balm in my bag.

Kissing made that a necessity. I hurried to the kitchen where Mom was drinking her coffee. She glanced up, her head tilted as she swept her gaze over me.

“That’s what you’re wearing?” Judgment salted the question, but I was used to it so I offered up a one-shouldered shrug as I grabbed the toast out of the toaster and held it with my teeth while pouring coffee into my tumbler.

“Yep,” I said, after I swallowed a bite and snagged my keys. “I gotta go.”

I didn’t offer her up any other explanations. Dating this summer had taught me that Mom was not a fan of me seeing any boys and she lost her mind when I mentioned I was hanging out with a guy after work one night.

So, if she didn’t ask then I wasn’t lying and all I had to do was avoid the question.

“Wait,” she said as I got to the door.

Dammit. So close.

“Mom,” I said, only half-turning. “I don’t want to be late.”

“I know, but I wanted to make sure you had this.” She peeled off two twenties. “I may be gone the next couple of nights. I’m waiting for word on whether I have to fly out to handle a situation.”

“You’re going out of town?” I just barely managed to bite off the word “again” before it slipped. She’d been gone more than she’d been at home all summer. Instead of college visits, I’d spent my summer working and getting to know Mathieu.

The one truly good thing to have come out of this summer. That certain knowledge helped to cool the flames of irritation crackling their way through me.

“Can’t be helped,” she said, and considering her mood, I let it go. She wasn’t snapping at me or making snide remarks. If anything, she’d just been happier about a lot of stuff. I’d take it.

“Okay, just pin the money to the board? I can grab some groceries tomorrow. We have plenty right now.” The board was on the fridge. “Did you pick up cat litter?”

The thought just dawned on me. Mom was supposed to grab that over the weekend but she’d been pulled out of town. I wasn’t even sure what time she got in the night before.

“No, I’ll leave another twenty.” Then she air-kissed next to each of my cheeks before retreating from the kitchen with her coffee.

Right. Of course, she forgot. No apologies, just throw a little money at it. Not that we had a lot of money. Mom had a good job, but she made every dime stretch. That meant no extras for me. The fact I had a car was because she “sold” me her old one and I paid for it with tips.

I saved money from tips for college. I had a small allowance to cover a sudden growth spurt in the middle of a school year, but thankfully, those seemed to have stopped. So for the past eighteen months, I’d banked that small allowance too.

“Be good,” I told Tabby, who was washing her paws in the living room. She spared me a look like “was I serious?” and I laughed.

No, I really wasn’t. I ate my toast on the way to the car and brushed off the crumbs just in time to see a familiar figure leaning against the driver’s side door. Some of my pleasure in the day fled. I’d managed to avoid them most of the summer.

I’d made one attempt to see them at Bubba’s birthday and what a mistake that had been. Thankfully, Mathieu had waited for me in the car and gave me a great reason to escape. He’d also listened…

“Hey,” Coop Brennen, my best friend—or so I’d thought—since kindergarten stood there with his backpack slung over one shoulder, his eyes half-closed, and a five o’clock shadow on his cheeks. The sandy blond hair on his face was darker, but from experience I knew it lightened if he grew it out.

“You look like crap,” I said by way of greeting. The partying lifestyle was bound to catch up with them. Their antics had been all over social media all summer long. It was enough to make me sick.

But I wasn’t going to let it get to me.

Not anymore. I had my own life now and they didn’t get to control me anymore.

“Look better than you,” Coop retaliated, and I snorted.

“Impossible.” I seized onto normal with two fists and gave him a light shove away from the driver’s side door.

He mock-stumbled before straightening. At six foot, he topped me by six and a half inches.

“Let me guess, you need a ride?”

“Kind of obvious, isn’t it?” He smirked and circled around the car. I’d already unlocked the doors, so he all but fell into the passenger seat. “I’ll cover half the gas.”

“You’ll also ride in the back.” I set my backpack into the backseat before climbing into the driver’s seat. The ten-year-old Toyota wasn’t flashy or sexy, but she was reliable and got me where I needed to go. Freedom came in all shapes and sizes.

“Why would I ride in the back?” Coop asked as he pulled on his seatbelt. I snapped myself in before I started the car. It was already hot outside and I wanted to get the air conditioner running.

“Because I’m picking up my boyfriend and if you behave, I’ll let you meet him. Either way… you’re sitting in his seat.”

The shock on his face was worth the pronouncement. I spared him one look before I backed out of my spot. Then ignored him as he sputtered.

“Right, you have a boyfriend. Who are we picking up? Some kid you got stuck tutoring?”

His utter disbelief and scoffing managed to smother the faint joy I’d taken in surprising him. Maybe it was the expression on his face or the snark in his tone, but now I really wanted to stick it to him.

I’d spent years watching them with girls. All the while, they spent years keeping everyone away from me. Not anymore.

“You’ll see,” I told him and hit the indicator before I turned out of the apartments where we’d lived for the past thirteen years.

“Wait,” Coop said, all of his humor fleeing. “You’re serious?”

Yes.

I was.

But I bit my tongue and kept every vitriolic comment to myself. It was better to show than to tell.