happened.”
“Nothing happened? So you’re telling me I need to get my hearing checked?” Even when I stood there staring at him, refusing to admit my colossal mistake, he didn’t back down. “This is Tyra,” he practically begged for me to remember. “Tyra. And that girl I heard you kissing is her sister. What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
“It was one kiss,” I argued as if it made a difference. “And she kissed me, or did you miss that part?”
“It’s more than e-fucking-nough to make you lose Tyra forever.”
“I already lost her.” At Ever’s confused blink, I added, “She broke…it off,” I said, changing gears when I almost admitted to Tyra breaking up with me. We were never in a relationship, which meant it didn’t matter who kissed who or why I didn’t stop her sister from sticking her tongue down my throat. I hadn’t done anything wrong. I started to point this out to Ever when the lie melted like acid on my tongue, rendering me speechless.
I should never have allowed Selena into that backseat with me. Not after seeing her true colors. My anger toward my father had spilled onto Tyra because when you couldn’t take your frustrations out on the guilty, the innocent became your casualty.
“I know what you’re feeling,” Ever conceded, “but a piece of advice? When a girl says it’s over, she means try harder. Unless you kiss her fucking sister. You pull crap like this on skeezers, gold diggers, and cum buckets. You do not, under any circumstances, do this to the girl who broke your heart. Why do you think you gave it to her in the first place, genius?”
“I’m not in love with Tyra.”
“Now you’re just insulting my intelligence.”
“I’m not, and I can’t try harder. That’s the point, motherfucker. I don’t have anything to offer her but a bullet from my father.”
“That’s your choice,” Ever scoffed, pissing me off. “Stop blaming your father when it’s your choice to bow to him.”
Just then, Jay D appeared out of the dark, bounding up to us and licking my balled fist. I immediately felt myself relax and bent just enough to give him a scratch behind the ears in gratitude. I’d been two seconds from clocking my best friend. A moment later, Four appeared, her gaze flicking between us. “Is everything okay?”
“I told you to wait in the van,” Ever said in response.
Shrugging, Four came to stand next to Jay D with her arms crossed defiantly. “I assumed it was a suggestion because I don’t take orders.”
They became locked in a staring contest that ended with Jay D baring his teeth and growling softly at Ever. Shaking his head, Ever broke the stare.
“I hate that damn dog,” he muttered when Four finally walked away. He watched as she made her way across the dark parking lot and didn’t look away until she disappeared inside the restaurant.
I frowned at him because who didn’t like dogs? “Are you a cat person or something?”
“Fuck no. I just don’t like anything I have to share my girl with.”
“She had to share you with Bee,” I pointed out while holding in my laughter. “The least you can do is be civil to her dog.”
“She never had to share me. Not once since the moment she kneed me in the balls over a plate of fucking food.”
“You mean her dinner that you ate out of spite? Didn’t you also imply that her mother was a whore, fucking for better health benefits?”
He cut his gaze my way before mumbling, “Remind me not to tell you anything ever again.” He walked away, and I followed, holding my sides as I tried to keep my laughter in. Ever wouldn’t hesitate to turn around and break my jaw, and I wasn’t keen on getting arrested for fighting in an Applebee’s parking lot.
Just as we neared the van, I spotted Tyra climbing out. She slid the sliding door closed and paused, her arms wrapped around her small frame to shield herself from the cold when she noticed us.
Mumbling to myself, I quickly opened the backdoor and grabbed my letterman jacket that I’d left in the seat. When she tried to pass me as if I didn’t fucking exist, I grabbed her and draped the jacket on her shoulders. Our gazes met, and then she took a deep breath as if pained before looking away. Cool as ice, she pushed the jacket off her shoulders and let it fall to the ground. “No, thanks.”
Ever and I