ignore it.
Nevertheless, we try.
The dinner goes well enough. Hamilton gives me his number before we depart, even though I’m not sure what I’d ever have to talk to him about. How much of a dick my brother is? I guess contacts have been built on less.
Sugar visibly deflates once she’s in the car. “That didn’t go so bad. Right? It didn’t seem like they hated me.”
“They didn’t seem to hate you,” I agree. “In fact, they seemed to really like you, and buckle up, because I’m pretty sure you might have more of these in your future.”
She groans, but then looks abashed about it. “It’s not that I don’t like them too, it was just a lot of work.”
We’re halfway across town before I finally begin, “So, hey. There’s this thing tonight.”
She looks instantly wary. “What kind of thing?” The way she says it makes it clear she’s expecting a race or something equally as sketchy.
I shake my head. “Nothing like that. Every now and then, we all like to get together at the lake. There’s usually a bonfire. Beer. Weed. Music. The usual. It’s really low-key, not crazy like the car shows.”
She chews on her lip for a moment. “And by ‘we’, you mean…?”
“The group,” I say, trying to find a way to sum up the Devils without outing us as being Devils. I’d already taken a chance of passing Emory what I’d stolen from Miss Weathers—Preston’s college counselor and holder of the keys to the drama department—right in front of Sugar earlier. I need to be careful. “Georgia, V, Em, Reyn, etcetera and so forth.”
“Oh.” She looks relieved, and then thoughtful. “Is that why Vandy told me to bring a change of clothes?”
“Probably.” I haven’t clued them in on her coming yet, but it’s probably obvious. These things are for Devils and their partners only. Sometimes Tyson brings his girlfriend, and Elana had a guy she was into for about five minutes. Ben’s too on the down-low about liking dick to ask whoever he’s been hooking up with, but everyone would be chill about it. Bringing Sugar tonight is an obvious move. “What do you think?”
I can sense her eyes on me, like she’s searching, wondering what the deal is. The truth is, I’ve never brought anyone to one of these things. Before Sugar, the closest I’d ever gotten to legit dating was probably attending a middle school dance with the daughter of someone my dad was chummy with. Asking Sugar to come with me to this is a bigger declaration than taking her to dinner tonight, or kissing her in the hall.
Which is why when she says, “Okay,” it’s a big freaking deal, even if she doesn’t know it.
Sugar changes on the ride up, right beside me in the passenger seat. It’s a bit of a struggle to watch the road instead of the increasing amount of bare skin that flashes in my periphery, but I do my best.
Still get a nice little glance at those tits. She rolls her eyes when I whistle, but goddamn. Her cleavage has been killing me all damn night.
Emory cheers when we arrive. “’Bout time, you fucker!” From the sound of it, plus the way Carlton has lost his shirt—plus the way Afton looks annoyed—it’s clear these guys are already in the thick of it.
Reyn tosses me a beer, giving me a nod. “All good?”
I nod, knowing he’s asking about the dinner. “Ran into Bates, actually.”
Emory nods. “Where Gwen goes, he goes. Guy’s got it bad.”
They all laugh about it, but I know better. To people like me and Hamilton—guys who come from fucked-up, dysfunctional families—the Adamses are a real nice picture. I can see why they took him in, and I can see why he let them.
We settle into a spot in front of the fire, and Sugar warms her hands. “They were nice. Really normal.” She stares into the flames, and there’s a sadness there. I’m pretty sure it’s reflected back at her when I nudge her shoulder, finding her gaze.
“Want a beer?”
Her nose wrinkles. “Not a fan.” To the group, she asks, “Hey, is it cool for me to snap some candids? I promise to avoid any legal proof of contributions made to the delinquency of minors.”
Carlton instantly starts flexing. “Yeah, gotta document this!”
Sugar gives him an exasperated look that almost makes me jealous. I’m used to seeing that directed at me. “It’s not candid if you’re posing, jackass.”
Despite getting everyone’s permission, she mostly spends the next ten