the empty bottle in the middle of the blanket. “Now everybody sit on the blanket, one on each side.”
“Okay.” Sasha crossed her pretty legs, but her dress came up. “Wooo!”
“Settle down, Sash.” David resettled on the blanket, with Allie catty-corner to him. A soft breeze blew through the trees, and the last sunlight of the day made a moving pattern of light and dark on their beautiful faces. Or maybe the vodka made it look that way. No matter, they were the cool kids, she was hanging with them, and David Hybrinski wanted to kiss her.
“I have an idea!” Sasha picked up the gun. “Why don’t we play Spin the Gun instead?”
“Spin the Gun?” Julian looked at her like she was crazy. “Woman, what’s the matter with you?”
“If you don’t know, you’re about to find out.” Sasha giggled, the boys laughed, and even Allie joined in.
Julian snorted. “A bottle spins easier than a gun.”
“How do you know? Anyway, how far do you want it to go?” Sasha burst into giddy laughter, and so did the others, since everybody knew Julian wanted to kiss Sasha, who plucked the bottle off the blanket and replaced it with the gun. “Okay, who wants to go first?”
“I will!” Julian spun the gun, which got caught in the blanket, its muzzle aimed at Sasha.
“Oh, too bad!” Sasha laughed, and so did Julian and Allie.
“Do it, dude!” David called out, so Julian leaned close to Sasha, put his hand on her cheek, and started kissing her.
“Way to go!” Allie realized that was probably a dumb thing to say, but she was so excited. She was getting ready for her turn, with David.
Suddenly they heard a shout from the top of the hill, and they all looked up to see someone was coming toward them, a tall silhouette. It looked like a man, but Allie couldn’t see his face because it was getting dark. Julian picked up the gun and hid it behind him.
Sasha rose, waving at the man. “Kyle, what took you so long?”
CHAPTER 30
Julian Browne
Julian realized who the silhouette was because Sasha was so happy to see him. It was the new guy that Sasha had hugged at her doorstep. Julian gritted his teeth so hard his gums stung. Sasha must have invited Kyle because she wanted to play Spin the Bottle with him.
Sasha called out, “Kyle, hurry! You’re late! We already started!”
“Started what?” Kyle called back, his voice deep. He climbed down the hill toward them.
“Our party!”
David sat straighter. “Who’s this dude, Sasha?”
“He’s new,” Sasha answered over her shoulder. “He saved my cat. He’ll be at school in September.”
“He’s a hunk,” Allie blurted out.
Julian struggled to control his emotions. Kyle was just Sasha’s type. A dumb jock with big shoulders, cut biceps, and swollen forearms. It was getting dim under the trees so Julian couldn’t make out the guy’s face, but he wasn’t about to let anybody move in on Sasha. His father taught him you have to fight to win, and if Julian had to fight for Sasha, so be it.
“Kyle, I even brought a beverage for you!” Sasha dug her hand in her tote bag and produced another water bottle.
“A beverage?” Kyle called back, laughing.
“It’s not water.” Sasha giggled.
“I didn’t think so.” Kyle reached them, accepting the bottle from Sasha. “Thanks.”
“Welcome to our gang. Guys, say hi to Kyle!” Sasha giggled again, and Julian couldn’t believe the way she was acting.
“Kyle Gallagher.” Kyle twisted open the bottle and took a swig.
“Julian Browne.” Julian glanced at David, hoping he would remember their conversation at the tennis courts about Sasha’s new guy. But David was smiling at Kyle, which made Julian even angrier. David could be such a jocksniffer.
“I’m David Hybrinski.”
“Allie Garvey.” Allie smiled.
Sasha giggled, touching Kyle’s arm. “I think I drink too much. I mean, drank.”
“I think you did, too,” Julian said pointedly. “So, Kyle, what are you doing here?”
“I invited him,” Sasha answered, her eyes still on Kyle.
Julian let it go. Kyle was playing the cool jock role, big easy grin, dumb look in his eyes. No way was he good enough for Sasha. “Are you new or something?”
“Yeah.”
“Where are you from?”
“Ohio.”
“Where in Ohio?”
“Columbus subs.”
“My dad has developments there.” Julian knew the nice neighborhoods. “Dublin? New Albany?”
“Julian, don’t brag.” Sasha shot him a look, and her body was facing Kyle’s in a way Julian didn’t like at all. “Kyle is my hero. He rescued Bootsy.”
“Really.” Julian couldn’t shake the challenge from his tone and didn’t want to try.