The Punk and the Plaything (When Rivals Play #3) - B.B. Reid Page 0,53

mused as she moseyed into the kitchen with Ever swaggering in behind her. I didn’t miss the lazy look in either of their eyes or the satisfied smirk on Ever’s lips. “Even we heard him from upstairs.”

Vaughn looked ready to tell Four off, but an eyebrow from Ever had him backing down with a roll of his eyes. “Pussy-whipped simp,” he muttered.

Somebody was on the bitter train.

It was his own damn fault for letting his father dictate who he could fall in love with.

As if I’d conjured her up, the doorbell rang. I stood to answer it since Wren and Lou were busy trying not to burn the food.

“Hey, sorry,” Tyra said as she rushed in. “My relief had car trouble and was late for her shift.”

“I’ve told you before, and I’ll say it again, quit that job and these people, and just run away with me,” I flirted.

Giggling, she pushed me away. “In your dreams.”

“Weren’t you listening?” I quipped as I followed her into the kitchen. “Where do you think I got the idea? When I dream, I dream big.”

Ignoring me, Tyra greeted everyone before kissing Vaughn and stealing my seat. He was too busy scowling at me to kiss her back, though. “Sooooo… what did I miss?” she said as her gaze traveled back and forth between us.

“I gave your boyfriend a massage, and he acted like I groped his dick.”

“You may as well have, you fucking prick.”

Tyra frowned as she regarded Vaughn. “So what? That doesn’t mean anything. You’re telling me you’d only get a massage from a female masseuse?”

“He’s not a fucking masseuse!” Vaughn barked.

“Oh, God.” Tyra groaned as she clutched her forehead. “Please don’t tell me you’re homophobic. That’s a deal-breaker, times ten, Rees.”

He sucked his teeth while I chose to ignore her comment about me being gay. I definitely wasn’t but getting the answers I needed while avoiding a million questions was worth a little side-eye.

“Of-fucking-course-not,” he said, breaking the awkward silence. “I still want to know his deal, though.”

Everyone’s eyes traveled to me. Even Wren and Lou had broken free of their bubble to regard me. I definitely needed to talk to those two. Alone.

“I don’t know,” I pretended to muse as I hopped onto the island. “I was thinking of trying dick for a while. Pussy is getting to be a little monotonous, you know?”

“No,” Vaughn said with a sarcastic twist of his lips. “I don’t know.”

“But you never know how great it can be from both sides until you give it a try, though, right?” When I winked at him, he rolled his eyes. He wasn’t falling for my shit, but at least he wasn’t asking questions I couldn’t answer just yet.

An hour later, we were packed inside their tiny living room, ready to devour the pizza and wings we ordered after Wren disappeared to take a call, and Lou somehow burned our dinner to a crisp. I watched from the corner of my eye as she checked her phone for the umpteenth time and pursed her lips.

“Expecting someone?” Leaning over, I whispered, “A single friend, perhaps?”

Reaching up, Lou pinched my cheek. “Whatever happens, just remember,” she whispered back, “I’m only looking out for my bestie.”

“I’m your damn best friend,” Wren barked as he returned from the kitchen with a stack of plates. After handing them to Lou, she counted them, and we both frowned when she said she needed eight. There were only seven of us.

Before Wren could grill her, however, the doorbell rang.

“WE’RE HERE, MISS.”

I stared at the beautiful, blue house and the familiar vehicles parked outside of it and wondered what the hell I was doing. Lou had invited me over when we weren’t even friends, and I accepted despite knowing who would be there.

Or maybe the promise of who’d be here had been my reason for accepting.

Willingly sharing the same space with Jameson was a bad idea on all counts, but it would only be for one night. A few hours free of my cage. A few hours spent being a normal teen hanging out. Lou had said as much when she called to extend the invitation. I’d hesitated to accept—a million reasons why I shouldn’t, waiting to spill from my lips.

“You shouldn’t take life so seriously. We can’t control when we go or even how we go, but we can control the way we live… So lighten the fuck up.”

I couldn’t help smiling at her “advice” as I watched the figures moving around inside the house.