26. Lyla
Chapter twenty-six
Lyla
I lost count of how often I woke up hungover after a night out. However, this was the first time I woke up exhausted from talking and laughing with my fake boyfriend over It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia . It was one of those conversations that didn’t have a pause button, and I had way too much fun probing him about his bedroom activities.
I woke up in the afternoon around one-thirty and was shocked to see Deacon asleep next to me. He usually started his day with a run and a cup of cheer. I shook him awake when people started showing up across the street for the Bring Your Own Pool Party. Deacon liked to be on time, even if it was just showing up to day drink.
Charlie and I sat comfortably in our inflatable pool, along with everyone else who showed up with a child-size summer toy.
“What do you think their neighbors think of this?” I skimmed my fingers along the water and sank deeper into the pool. It was a piping eighty-five degrees today, and I was starting to feel it. I took another sip of my pi?a colada, and when Charlie didn’t say anything, I lifted my aviators and tried again. “Charlie?”
Her mouth hung open, and she held her giant pink sunglasses on the tip of her nose. She slowly turned to face me and smiled. “What did you say? ”
Her poker face had always been terrible. I looked over in the direction of where she was staring.
“A little to the left,” she said when I missed the mark.
Andre was standing next to the grill, shirtless, and with a beer in his hand. Tattoos covered his chest, and his shorts were tight around, well, everything.
I pursed my lips and disapproved of Charlie’s behavior. “Close your mouth, Charlie. You get to ride that ride, remember?”
“But I’ve never ridden that ride.”
Charlie pointed —right in the middle of a backyard barbeque—to a few bodies over. My mouth dropped, but for an entirely different reason than Charlie’s.
Deacon was laughing with Nathan and Drew about something Drew had just said. The group burst into hysterics, and Drew smacked Deacon’s shoulder. The only piece of clothing Deacon had on was his swimsuit, and it was the first time I had ever seen him without a shirt on.
Fireworks may have gone off above me. I no longer had to wonder what was under all those tight-ass shirts. It was as if someone took a chisel to his smooth brown skin and left no crumbs. I thought he was pretty before, but I went ahead and tossed that version in the trash.
“See what I mean?” Charlie smiled and pushed her sunglasses back up her face.
“Bitch.” I laughed, splashing some water on her perfectly tanned legs. “That’s Deacon.”
“Oh honey, I know who it is. Anytime you want to ride swap, just let me know.”
“He’s my boyfriend . ”
Charlie shook her head. “It’s still wild to hear you say that. Isn’t your one-month anniversary coming up? Don’t couples celebrate that shit?”
“We did celebrate last night,” I lied. “We took a few pictures, stayed up—”
“Girl, I’m good. I don’t need any more details. But feel free to share the photos!”
Maybe the celebration was a lie, but the pictures weren’t. Deacon mentioned that we didn’t have enough together and that a bi-weekly Instagram post wasn’t enough. What the fuck did I know? I didn’t know an appropriate posting schedule for couples.
Meanwhile, I was still salty that I didn’t have a Mr. October yet. It had been a month since I slept with someone, and I was getting antsy.
Charlie and I laughed when her drink fell into the pool, drawing the attention of everyone around us. I leaned forward to grab a White Claw out of the cooler, and when I looked up, Deacon was staring at me.
The corners of his mouth dug into his cheeks, and he mouthed, “You good?”
“Yeah,” I mouthed back with a smile.
These exchanges between us were cute, but they weren’t going to cut it. Cassie was never in the audience, and we needed to start taking advantage of when we were in a space together. She’d seen us out at the bar multiple times, but Deacon always focused on the tiny things he thought would fuel her fire.
Deacon knew Cassie, but I knew women. It was time to step up Deacon’s game. I agreed to be his girlfriend, but I would also be the best wingman he ever had.
After my third pi?a colada, I switched to water. I learned early in my drinking career that sunshine and swimming were a dangerous cocktail, but adding in liquor? That was a risky game to play.
We left the party around seven since everyone had to shower and get ready. By the time the guys cycled through Nathan’s bathroom, I had just finished a full body shave in Deacon’s. Nothing made me feel more prepared to tackle a mission than smooth skin and skimpy panties. Fortunately for Deacon, I was officially armed with both of them.
After my shower, I changed quickly so Deacon wasn’t awkwardly hanging out in the hallway.
Cheers erupted in the living room as Deacon backed into his room and kept his eyes forward. “You good?”
“I’m good,” I said, smoothing out my top.
Deacon’s eyes zeroed in on my chest, and I redirected his gaze with my hand. “Eyes up here, Deac.”
Deacon licked the center of his top lip. “You’ve got a lot of—” He pointed to his chest, and his puzzled expression grew more intense.
“They’re boobs, Deacon. I assume Cassie had them? I’m aware that they’re extra tonight, but I need them to be because I’m talking to her when we see her.”
“ Her as in Cassie her?”
“Who else—” I felt myself growing flustered with the lack of concentration on Deacon’s part. “Yes, sweetheart. Cassie. Your ex?”
Deacon walked over to the dresser and pulled out a white shirt. He slipped off his shirt and tossed it into the hamper .
OKAY. So we’re doing THAT now.
“Did she reach out to you or something?” Deacon asked with a furrowed brow. “Why are you planning to talk to her?”
“Do you have a black shirt?” I walked over to the dresser and scanned his options. I pulled out a plain black V-neck and shoved it into his chest. “Put this one on.”
I was throwing him off with all my demands, but his mouth curved into a slight smile as he pulled his shirt over his head. He was enjoying this.
“What’s in your head, Lyla?” he asked calmly. He patted the jeans he was already wearing and waited for my opinion.
“Those are fine,” I stated, lowering my voice to make sure no one heard us. “I’ve been doing some thinking, and these little run-ins you’re having with Cassie aren’t going to be enough. I need to approach her and say something to pique her interest. Everyone knows the girl doesn’t get officially jealous until there is talk about how happy the guy is. It will be even more annoying for her if it comes from me.”
“And the black-on-black attire. That’s supposed to help our case too?”
“Black is just the elite color option. Everything is better in black.”
Deacon processed my game plan. “So you’re just going to talk to her? I know it helps when she sees us together, and if you add in that outfit you have going on . . .”
“Yes, the way we look together helps .” I placed my hands on his shoulders and smiled. “You can’t just rely on looks, Deac. Looks might land you a meeting or get you in the door, but confidence and personality are what sells. That’s the shit that gets a girl to go home with you at night. There are plenty of guys rolling around in sheets that should just shut the fuck up and do the deed.”
“Rolling around in the sheets, huh?” He ran a hand through his hair. “You say the sweetest things to me, Lyla Brooks.”
I smirked at his adoring gaze. “As long as I’m your girlfriend, I always will.”