then his attention shifted to something behind me. Even though I knew it could only be one person, I peered over my shoulder and found my sister in tears. She was standing at the landing, her face so much like mine and soaked in sorrow. Before I could go to her and offer her comfort, she was storming down the stairs. I’d barely sidestepped her in time to avoid falling. A moment later, the sound of Selena’s palm hitting my father’s cheek echoed through the foyer, and then the slam of the front door followed after she fled through it.
By the time I got over my shock, I had heard tires squealing and then an engine racing, telling me that running after Selena would only be in vain. I started toward my father, but he held up his hand. I couldn’t bear to see the disappointment in his gaze, so I was relieved when he disappeared inside the kitchen. Ashamed of the mess I’d made and late for work, I slowly made my way back to my bedroom to shower and dress.
Hours after Selena had run out of my father’s house in tears, I slyly checked my phone for the thousandth time and found zero notifications waiting for me once again. I’d even mustered up the courage to reach out to Vaughn, but his call had gone straight to voicemail. I didn’t know what to think or what to do on both fronts. Even attempts to talk to my father had been futile. Before I left for work, he’d secluded himself inside his room and hadn’t answered the door when I knocked. It had only taken me less than twenty-four hours to alienate everyone important to me.
Well…almost.
I was on barista duty today, and as I was finishing off a latte for a customer, Jamie sauntered in all smiles and wearing a fucking tiara. Of course, Bee was right behind him, trying desperately to remove it, but he kept ducking her hand as they made their way over to the counter. Begrudgingly, I admitted how fucking perfect they were together.
“Ty-baby, we came to spread the word,” Jamie greeted when he finally noticed me. “We’re partying tonight. You’re already a square, so I can’t threaten you to be there. I will tell you that it’s against the rules to say no to the birthday boy. We all know how you love rules, Goody Two.”
“And who’s the birthday boy?” I teased. Today was Jamie’s nineteenth birthday, so naturally, he assumed he had free rein to be even more obnoxious than usual.
Smiling wide, he lifted a party horn I didn’t notice him holding and blew into it. “Me, of course.” He blew it again, and I cringed when the disturbed patrons glared our way.
I was already on my last leg with Terry after I left during the middle of my shift two weeks ago. Vaughn had taken me to the beach house, where I spent the rest of the day and all night, making sure the only thing he felt was me. And so went the two weeks that followed. I couldn’t tell if Vaughn’s heightened sex drive was because he’d gone nearly a year without or because he was desperately trying to exorcise whatever demons haunted him. Regardless of the answer, my body had taken a delicious beating.
“Jamie, stop blowing that thing. You’re disturbing the other customers.”
“Only if you blow me instead.” He started to blow the horn again when Bee snatched it and pinned him with her glare. “Force of habit, baby. I’m not used to being a boyfriend.”
That much was true. It had only been a month, but I was shocked they’d lasted this long. Just being in the same room with Jameson Buchanan required a lot of patience.
“You won’t ever get used to it if you keep testing me,” Bee warned. When she looked away, Jamie shot me a cocky look that said, “yeah, right,” and I had to agree. Bee was hooked, lined, and Jamie was more than ready to reel her in. She wasn’t going anywhere.
“So, anyway,” Jamie continued, blatantly dismissing Bee’s threat. “We’re also celebrating Four winning her race last weekend, and since Vaughn is heading to Cali for training camp next week, I guess we’re calling it a send-off, too. But the most important part of tonight,” he stressed, “is me. It’s my day. Don’t any of you forget that.”
The last couple of weeks had been pretty intense. When Vaughn wasn’t trying to knock the lining