The Moth and the Flame (When Rivals Play #2) - B.B. Reid Page 0,152
honest one despite its flaws. Something Wren and I never truly had.
I hadn’t realized I had Jamie’s attention until gentle fingers lifted my chin. “Your eyes don’t belong down there.”
I smiled at him. It was hesitant and small but the best I could do.
“Are you okay?” Jamie asked.
“I will be if you throw in a foot massage, too.”
He shook his head and laughed. “Sorry, but I have to draw the line there. No one’s going to buy the cow if they can get the milk for free.”
“I don’t think that saying applies to foot massages and pedicures,” Tyra pointed out.
He looked her up and down. “You’d know, wouldn’t you, virgin?” She rolled her eyes, and he turned to me. “So yeah, even though we had a good thing going,” he said as he finished up, “I hope you and Wren work things out.”
“Jamie,” Four said as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “You dated her for like two seconds.”
He stood from the bed and grinned down at me. “And they were two glorious seconds, weren’t they?”
Jamie thankfully left before I could respond, and Tyra said her goodbyes shortly after. It was just Four and me, and with Jay D asleep at the foot of the bed, both of us were content with the silence.
I wasn’t sure how much time passed when she produced a paper out of the top drawer of her nightstand, stared at it for a few minutes, and sighed. It was wrinkled as if this wasn’t the first or even hundredth time she’d stared at it.
“What’s that?”
I didn’t miss her hesitation or the way she clutched the paper tighter before she replied. “A form…to change my name.”
I sat up quickly and rounded on her. “What? Why?”
“Because Rosalyn is a schizophrenic with an addiction to falling for the wrong man.”
My lips parted, but when no response came, I frowned. “Yeah, you’re going to have to explain that one to me.”
So she did.
By the time she was done telling me about her mother’s failed relationships and the three miscarriages that led to her mental spiral downward, I realized I’d underestimated Four.
But so had she.
“Did you know my birth mother was the one who named me?” Four blinked at me, and I shrugged. “I’m sure she picked it out with so much love in her heart right before she left me in the cold with a note that said I’m sorry, Louchana.” Taking the form from her hand, I ripped it in half, making her eyes bulge. “It’s just a fucking name.” I ripped the form again into fours. “Your mother could have given you the most beautiful or exotic name in the world, and she’d still be messed up.” I ripped the pieces of paper in half again. “That’s not your fault. These scars you bear are what made you who you are. Bold, beautiful, and badass. Wear them, Four. They’re your crown.”
I’LL TAKE THESE.” JAMIE SNATCHED the bouquet of roses from my hand and tossed them over the railing of the porch. It was a long way down given the blue beach house was sitting on stilts, so I watched them land in the sand, the petals scattered and ruined, before glaring at Jamie. “You’ll be showing your hand the moment she sees you,” he explained. “You need to sweep her off her feet before she has the chance to put her guard up.”
“And fix your face,” Vaughn criticized. “You want to look sorry, not pathetic.” My scowl deepened, and he grinned before saying, “Much better.”
“Now put this on,” Ever ordered while handing over a blue and gray sweater that read ‘Snow’s Out Ho Ho Ho’s Out’ with a snowflake pattern.
“Why?” I said, finding my voice for the first time since they bombarded me. It’s been nearly two weeks since Lou’s ultimatum, and I was running out of air. It was only a matter of time before I drowned, so when Ever invited me to this party, I readily agreed after he casually mentioned that Lou would be here as well.
“It’s the theme.”
I looked them over realizing that they were all wearing sweaters. Jamie wore a tank that looked like the top half of a Santa suit. His tattoos were in full effect, which I suspected was the reason he decided to risk the biting cold. Vaughn wore a black and white sweater that read ‘Snowtorious’ above a scowling snowman wearing a tilted crown. Ever’s was a Christmas-patterned cardigan and tie.