I Have Lived and I Have Loved - Willow Winters Page 0,86

as some people left behind us. He and Kirk had decided to join us, and Nick sat behind me, adding, “More like Mackenzie decided to get in some practice of her own, with Stephanie’s head as the ball.” He nudged my shoulder with his fist. “Hmm? Hmm? Am I right?”

“Yeah?” Pete grinned. “I remember hearing you wiped the floor with an ex of Ryan’s too.” He tipped his chin to me. “You the next badass of Portside High?”

I laughed at that. “Badass?”

“She holds her own,” Kirk said as he dropped down beside Cora. He nodded to me before turning and shoving Pete off his seat. “Touch what’s mine again, and we’ll have real words.”

“Oh yeah?” Pete was unfazed, scrambling back and pushing his face close to Kirk’s. “So Cora’s yours now? You claiming her?” It was small, but I caught the smallest wink in Cora’s direction.

I studied my friend, and I didn’t miss the small smile on her face or the way her head suddenly ducked down. I was starting to wonder if this hadn’t been set up by Cora herself. Maybe Pete was doing a little friendly favor for one or both of them.

“I . . .” Kirk was unsure, glancing to Cora. “Well?” He frowned, softening his tone. “Do you—do you want to go out sometime?”

Her head popped up. “Sometime?”

“Tonight.”

Nick made a noise.

Kirk corrected, “Tomorrow night?” He winced. “There’s a party tonight I already said I’d go to.”

Her face was almost bright red. “Oh! Um. Y-yes. Yes.”

She beamed, and Kirk nodded. “Cool.”

The two continued to stare at each other, having a small moment before Nick punched his cousin in the shoulder.

“Ow!” Pete clamped a hand over his arm and glared. “Honestly. What is up with the physical violence?”

“From what I remember, you hit him the first time I met you.” I pointed at Pete and then Nick.

Both cousins froze and then Nick cracked up. “Ha! She got you there.” But he swung back and tried to punch his cousin again, only Pete was ready this time. He leaned back, and Nick’s arm went in front of his chest, and he grabbed it. Nick retaliated, and the two started brawling right there in the stands.

Kirk grabbed Cora and me, pulling us down a seat, but most of the others around them scrambled out of the way. A few little kids started crying.

“Ah! Stop it!” A middle-aged lady took her purse and began batting at Nick and Pete’s backs. “You two. Stop it at once.”

It worked, and it didn’t.

They stopped wrestling and returned to their seats, but they started shoving instead.

“You guys.” Tom had run up the side of the bleachers, using the actual stairs, and he paused at the end of our row. “Kirk.” He gestured to the court where some of the basketball players had stopped to watch the scuffle. “They’re going to call security.”

Kirk groaned, but he started to wade in between the cousins. “I can’t take these two anywhere, I swear.”

The purse lady gave up and passed her weapon to her husband, who was the only one who didn’t seem perturbed by Pete and Nick. He remained almost in the middle of it, sitting calmly and watching the court. I followed his eyes and found his attention fixed on where the cheerleaders were stretching. One had her back to the bleachers, bent over so she could still talk to her friend. Her ass was right there. I didn’t think she cared.

Then—smack! I reeled backward, feeling blinding pain on the side of my face.

“Hey!” Kirk yelled, but I couldn’t see. I just knew I was falling—falling—until hands caught me, more than one pair of hands.

“Oh, dear.” A lady gasped from beneath me, and then an arm came around the back of my waist and lifted me back upright.

“HEY!”

I recognized that chest pressed against mine and started to protest even as I relaxed. “No, no. You’re supposed to be warming up.”

Ryan’s arm tightened around me. His whole body tensed, and he barked again, “Knock it off! NOW!”

He kept me cradled against him with one arm, his other moving around.

The pain started to recede, and I opened one eye enough to see Nick and Pete staring at me.

“Oh no.” Nick started forward.

Tom had waded in too, and he made a gurgling sound. If it was meant to stop Nick, it worked because his shoulders dropped dramatically. “That wasn’t Pete I hit with my shoulder, I’m betting.”

Pete pushed forward. “I’m sorry, Mackenzie. He’s sorry too.”

Nick hit his shoulder. “I was