Chapter 16 #3
“Technically it wasn’t a pool,” I say. Her head tilts in question as she sips her fresh pina colada the waitress just dropped off.
“It was a lake. Just a bunch of my buddies being dumb.” She snorts a little and I laugh.
I like learning more about Celeste, even through a bar game.
I also find it adorable when she learns things about me, like skinny-dipping, and thinks it’s scandalous.
Did she never go wild as a teenager?
I open my mouth to ask a question, hoping to glean more about Celeste when Ellora cuts me off.
“I have another.” Her voice kills the amusement at the table and Celeste and Delaney exchange a nervous glance.
Ellora was always someone to tell it like it is and I guess that hasn’t changed.
“Never have I ever had a family member arrested,” she spits, no fake smile to be seen, just a sneer of rage.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I hear Celeste and Delaney both sharply inhale and turn to me, awaiting my reply.
“It wasn’t like you did jail time or anything,” I grumble, by way of the worst explanation there could be for being fed up with a strung out sister and calling the cops on her, leading to her arrest for possession.
After years of begging my parents to change, my sister ended up doing the same drugs they did at the ripe old age of fourteen.
“No, just getting kicked out of another foster home and a fuck ton of community service because I couldn’t pay the charges—” Lor starts, her voice rising with her anger, but I cut her off.
“Why, Lor? Because Mom and Dad blew any money they had on drugs? So they couldn’t help you when you needed it?” I shoot back, my blood beginning to boil in my veins.
“Ellie, sweetie, I think—” Delaney coos, trying to paw at Ellora’s shoulder but she’s unbudging.
“No, Dellie,” Ellora says calmly to Delaney before turning back to me, seething, “I had to go to rehab instead of my first year of high school.”
“Dellie. That’s a new one,” Celeste offers from the side, poking Delaney in the ribs.
“And did the rehab not help you get sober, Lor?” I demand. I’m in awe at her ability to not see that everything I did was to separate her from my parents and get her on the right track. “Forgive me for wanting to make sure you made it to your next birthday alive, and not in a body bag,” I snap.
“Oh, you’re so right, big brother. Getting arrested and put in rehab really was the best birthday gift I could have ever received.
Did I not say thank you? Did you miss the pat on the back for being the best brother in the world, Dominic?
” Now Ellora is yelling, practically foaming at the mouth.
“Did you need another reason to feel superior, Dom? Hm? I guess it’s hard to tell from how high up you are on that horse.
No. It must be a Pegasus because you’re in the fucking clouds!
” A few of the people in the neighbouring booths and tables turn at my sister’s outburst. She fumbles with her tote and yanks on Delaney’s arm, “Come on, Dellie, I’m done here. ”
Shoving me out of the booth and practically dragging Delaney, Ellora hauls herself away without letting me get a word in.
I shake my head. Typical Ellora. Throws everything out there from her perspective and unwilling to hear my side at all.
It’s hard to deal with her over the phone, but in person I feel a whole new level of astonishment.
I watch as Delaney gives Celeste a small wave before being swallowed by the crowd.
I turn to Celeste not knowing what reaction I might get after that blowout. What I didn’t expect was for Celeste to be the picture of poise as she slurps up the dregs of her drink from a colourful straw. She offers me a closed-lip smile and pushes her finished drink to the middle of the table.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for all of that to come out.
” I sit across from her, my shoulders curving inwards as shame pools in my gut.
I let my forehead drop to the sticky table, not even caring at this point.
Then, for the second time tonight, I feel Celeste’s soft touch on my shoulder.
From my perspective I can see her small running shoes standing next to where I sit in the booth.
I turn my head slightly, making my whole view her curvy frame and beautiful face.
God, I just want to grab those hips and pull her closer.
I sigh at the chaos of my thoughts tonight and lift my head upright again.
“This isn’t me, it…” I don’t even know where to begin. Why does Ellora make me so rageful?
“Come on.” She grabs my hand and pulls me from the booth, I throw cash and a hefty tip for our waitress on the table, hoping Ellora’s outburst didn’t cause too much of a scene.
Celeste winds her fingers in mine and fuck do I love the feeling of holding her hand in front of people.
Letting them believe whatever they want about us, a couple, first date, three year anniversary?
Anything, as long as it’s with Celeste. We make it to the front door and into the brisk summer night too soon.
Her hand slips from mine and without thinking I reach for it again, keeping her soft, delicate fingers in my grasp as if she were my sanity and I’d be crazed without her touch.
“Holding hands now are we, Peggy?” she teases. My face heats but luckily the blanket of nightfall covers my embarrassment.
“Safety measures, Hoot. You never know what kind of hooligans are out at this hour,” I say.
My point is proven immediately when a rowdy group, whom I believe are the football team that wiped me of all my pastries a while back, come barreling out of the bar we just exited.
Loud laughter and some very off-key singing breakthrough the otherwise peaceful night.
Celeste and I turn as the group seems to be getting closer to us.
“Hey! Sunshine!” A deep baritone voice hollers from just behind us. A smile, big but not quite meeting her eyes, appears on Celeste’s face.
“Hey, Corey right? And Payton?” She gives a little wave to the two football players at the front of the pack.
I recognize them as the ones she had talked to at Biblio & Brew that day.
The two of them look like they could be brothers, broad and wide both with short brown hair, but it looks like Corey has green eyes where Payton has brown.
It’s hard to explain why, but for some reason my hackles go up instinctively.
With my hand still entwined in Celeste’s, I pull her a little closer to me.
“Yeah, that’s us!” says Corey, louder than necessary, clearly inebriated.
“So, sunshine, what do you say about coming to a party with us? The night is young,” Payton offers, his arms outstretched like a king speaking to his subjects, the group of football players behind him serving as his audience.
“Sorry, guys, not tonight. Thank you for the offer though,” Celeste says with a tight smile.
I stand there, sentry to Celeste in case she needs me for back up.
These guys haven’t even acknowledged my existence and it’s not out of awareness since I have about three inches of height on them, and I’m clearly right fucking here.
My tongue slides over my teeth at my sudden impatience to get Celeste far away from these clowns.
“Ah! But, sunshine, you have to! It wouldn’t be a party without a pretty blonde.” Corey winks at her and leans in, the smell of stale beer wafting from him. “Lose this loser and let the big boys show you what’s up.”
I’ve had about enough. My hand that isn’t holding Celeste’s is clenched tight in a fist and my teeth ache from how hard I’m grinding them. I’m just about to let them know what’s up when Celeste beats me to it.
“Okay.” Celeste smiles and it rivals the one Ellora had given me earlier, absolutely venomous.
She turns to me and dips her head with a small wink just for me. She lets go of my hand and walks two steps, closing the distance between us and the group of players.
“I’ll go, if you can answer one question.” Her words drip saccharine sweet, Corey and Payton falling for this web weaved by a black widow. They nod eagerly, chuckling and holding each other up.
I swear to God the whole team shares a single brain cell.
“What’s my name?” she asks slowly as if speaking to children. The question hangs thick between them. Corey and Payton are silent, their shared brain cell working on overdrive to try and remember her name as if they hadn’t had a full conversation with her only a few weeks ago.
“Uh, it’s Callie!” Corey says with conviction while Payton yells out, “Angelica?” at the same time. She shakes her head with a small, amused smile on her face.
“You make it very difficult to underestimate you two. While I haven’t had the chance to meet Callie, I do know Angelica.
I also know she’s pressing charges against you and a few of your little buddies that are cowering behind you.
She’s told me all about it actually, and I have no problem spreading this information around. ”
I swallow my smile as a few of their teammates turn tail and head back for the bar.
Corey and Payton look gob smacked, finally realizing Celeste isn’t little red riding hoot, she’s the goddamn wolf.
More follow suit heading back towards the bar, and now it’s just Corey and Payton standing in front of us.
“Those charges won’t stick, my Dad is getting me out of it. It’s a misunderstanding,” Corey says through gritted teeth. I worry he might retaliate at Celeste but he looks more like a skittish animal instead of Remington Hills University’s tough first string wide receiver.