“You could wear that stuff. You’re eighteen soon right? You could come to the sex shop with me and buy a whole closet full of this type of thing.”
She huffs out a breath and her cheeks turn pink. “I’d just look fucking dumb. Plus if word got back to Rue and Tomi? A fucking bloodbath.”
Her words are exactly the distraction I need from all of the bullshit I’ve been dealing with. “Why would it end up in a bloodbath? They’re only lingerie.”
She huffs out a laugh and stands up, kicking at nothing on the tiled floor. “Thorn got custody of me when I was six. Tomi was fourteen and Rue was twelve, they both got put on Posey watch. Like, kept an eye on me around town and kept me safe. I think Rue’s always gonna see me as that fucking dumbass six year old with a shitty haircut, so there’s not going to be any sexy lingerie in my future. There’s only gonna be rebuilding engines and the fucking friend zone.”
I snort at her and a plan pops into my head. A dumb one but I’ve had a really fucking hard week and I need something… normal. Stupid and fun and something a girl my age would really do.
“Lemme do your makeup. You’re going to hang out with Trink tonight, right? Lemme fix you up for the night, might help keep that smile on your face.”
She grins at me and it’s like looking into the sun, bright and warming enough to sort through my skin and into my bones. Ten minutes later and it’s all done, I’m a freaking expert at doing the perfect face in zero time now and when I take a step back to look at my work it hits me in the gut.
She’s fucking stunning.
The makeup only enhances all of the beauty she already has but with it on there’s no mistaking the fucking beauty in her. The sweet soul and fierce loyalty, she’s going to break hearts no matter where she goes, even if Rue doesn’t want her.
I give her a pair of my shorts and a cami, the only clean one I’ve got but, hell, I think I’d hand this kid just about anything she asked for. She’s too fucking pure, too kind, too fucking smart for this dirty locker room.
She giggles as she shimmies out of her jeans and bends over to hook the shorts onto her legs, the cheeks of her ass on show thanks to the thong she’s wearing.
Speck’s eyebrows hit his hairline when he walks into the locker room, turning on his heel and yelling, “Fucking hell Poe, you tryna get me fucking killed or something?”
She snorts at him. “You practically fucking live here, like my ass is going to even fucking hit your radar.”
I hide a smile when he mumbles, “That ain’t the fucking danger.”
Ahh.
So Rue maybe notices her a little more than she thinks, that would explain Diamond’s hatred of her.
Sure enough, the moment she gets her ratty band tee over her head Rue stalks in and the look on his face tells me everything I need to know.
Everything.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, flower? Get your ass back in the office, you’re not supposed to be out here and you for-fucking-sure aren’t supposed to be getting your tits out.”
She huffs and shoves the cami over her head, straightening it before she turns around to face him. He rocks on his heels like he’s been shot.
Oh yeah.
He’s fucking smitten.
“Is it safe to look or are my balls still in danger of being ripped from my body?” Speck says as he turns around and Poe scowls at him.
“Why the hell are you teasing me? Am I not allowed to go out with my fucking friend and look like a fucking girl?”
The two of them keep their mouths shut so I fumble to fill the silence. I don’t know why he won’t tell her but I guess the very secret, very selective romantic in me wants to salvage this situation. “I’ve seen how fierce you are, Graves, no doubt you have them all worried about your claws. You look great, I’ll grab the clothes back next time you’re here.”
Her eyes narrow a little more at Speck before she turns to me with a grin. “Thanks! You could come over and pick them up if you wanted? Or I could come drop them off to you if you want? I don’t have a fucking beauty like the Chevy