“Orion will pick you up in the morning,” he murmurs softly as his eyes lower to my lips. Is he going to kiss me again? The annoying flutter in my stomach tells me I want it. He swipes his finger across my bottom lip, a touch that’s both sensual and ticklish at the same time. When I pull that lip in between my teeth to stop the tingling, his gaze darkens. Then, he turns away and climbs into the truck.
“Anytime, Senya. We’ll come for you,” he repeats before he pulls away. I stare after him for a minute, thinking about how much my life has changed in the last week. Did Aric know this would happen when he convinced Mrs. Desmon to put us together? What is happening?
Chapter 15
Orion
I couldn’t sleep until Apollo got home from his trip with Senya. We usually do everything together, but we both wanted separate time with her. It was something we never really had when we were kids because the five of us were always together. We’d rock-paper-scissored for who got tonight and who got tomorrow morning. I was jealous that he won.
Apollo might seem like a blank slate to everyone else, but I know his tells. When he comes straight to my room instead of his own, I know he wants to talk. The sparkle in his eyes tells me the night went well, but the tension in his shoulders tells me there were difficulties. I wait impatiently while he changes into a pair of loose sleep pants he grabs from his room.
“How was it?” I’m tired of waiting.
The slight shake to his shoulders as he muffles his laughter tells me he was stalling on purpose. “I kissed her,” he replies with a smirk.
My heart plummets to my feet, and my jaw drops open. “What does that mean? Why? How was it?”
Apollo laughs. He sits down on my bed, his legs crossed in front of him while I pace. “It was just a little kiss. That asshole, Chad, was getting on her again. She went for a hug and I stole a kiss. Hopefully, he'll leave her alone now.”
“I doubt it,” I snort. “He seems like the persistent sort.”
He nods in agreement. “We had a great evening. She’s just as stubborn and fiery as she’s always been, but she’s hiding so much sadness.”
Some people think my brother isn’t deep because he doesn’t speak much. That isn’t it at all. He feels everything a little too deeply. This whole thing is harder on him than he's letting on.
“So the night went well?” I prod for more information. He tells me about their grocery trip. It’s such a mundane task – going grocery shopping – and although it wasn’t a fancy date, I’m still jealous. He grows quiet near the end of his description. There’s more because his shoulders bunch with tension. “What’s the but?”
“We need to get her out of there, Ry. I can’t believe she’s not sick. Her apartment is so dirty. And her mother is a…” He stops and grimaces. “Piece of work,” he finishes finally. I have a feeling he wants to say worse, but it's still Senya’s mom he’s talking about.
“Manny is going to talk to his father. I don’t think any of us want her to stay there.”
I sit down at my desk but continue to stare at him. He sighs. “What do you want to know?”
“What does it mean? The kiss? Is she dating you now? Do you want to date her?”
He’s quiet for several minutes. “The kiss was for Chad’s benefit, although I definitely benefited from it as well. But it doesn’t mean anything.” He pauses and picks at the loose threads on my old, well-worn comforter. “Remember when we went away to football camp? We talked about coming back and asking Senya if she wanted to date us. Us.”
I nod. “Right. Because we both started to think of her as more of a friend and knew it would cause a fight between us if she picked just one of us. But we decided not to because it wasn’t fair to Aric and Manny.” I flinch. Manny has some repressed anger and guilt over his attraction to Senya while they were still technically brother and sister.
“Do you think that’s changed?” he asks softly.
I consider it a minute, remembering how Manny looks at her and how Aric hovers around her. He’s not pushy, but he gives her appreciative glances and longing stares. I wonder how long he’s been pining after her and why he hasn’t tried to date her before now if that’s the case.
“No,” I conclude. “It hasn’t changed.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why do we all want her? What is it about her? I mean, we’ve both dated quite a bit since middle school. I can’t help it. Every single girl I’m with - I compare her to Senya. I don’t even think the Senya in my mind is the same. She’s changed.”
“Yeah, but it’s still her. She’s still the same girl who helped you with your stutter and never laughed at you. She made sure I didn’t get into too much trouble with my pranks. She’s still the same girl who braided Aric’s sister’s hair and helped Manny with his anger.”
“But what if that’s the version of her that we want? Not who she is now?”
I shrug. “We just have to get to know her again.”
“And if we decide we all want to date her again?”
I’m silent. I don’t know how to answer that one. “We’ll deal with it if it happens. Right now, we focus on her safety and try to get her out of that house. There’s something she’s not telling us, and she’s scared. She doesn’t have anyone as far as we know. If she did, she wouldn’t be relying on us for rides and food.”
Apollo nods and stands up with a yawn, running his hand through his messy auburn curls. “All right, then. Goodnight, brother.”
“Wait,” I call out. He stops in the doorway with a raised eyebrow. “How was the tongue ring?” I smirk.
He rolls his eyes. “It was a chaste kiss. No tongue. Yet.” The last word is grumbled, and I’m sure he goes to bed with the same hard-on I'm sporting.
I never thought I’d be into piercings, but I really want to feel how Senya kisses with it, among other things…
I’m anxious to pick up Senya the next morning. Apollo got a ride with Manny, and I’m sitting outside her apartment. I text her, but she doesn’t appear automatically. I consider going up, but the rules are still in place. Apollo got to see her apartment, but his description makes me question whether I actually want to see or not. When she runs down the stairs, her hair is still a little damp. I can’t decide if I’m happy or disappointed that I didn’t get to go inside.
I’m out of the truck and opening her door for her before she can. I know it’s not something most men do anymore, but she’s way too short to climb into the cab without difficulty. It also gives me an excuse to touch her. She’s wearing one of her short skirts today with her thigh-high striped socks and clunky boots that make her look badass and sexy at the same time. She smells like lavender coconut again. I can’t help but lean in as I lift her into the truck.
“Did you just sniff my hair?”
Damn. She caught me. “Maybe? It smells really good.”
She snickers, and I close the door and run over to the other side. For a minute, I just stare at her. Her red waffle weave, long-sleeved shirt and leather bracelets emphasize her pale skin and dark makeup. Her blue eyes are bright.
“Why are you staring at me?”
“You look beautiful. You also look a little happy.”
Her pale cheeks redden adorably. She shrugs. “It’s nice to have a full meal before bed and when I wake up. And my mom didn’t steal my food yet. Win-win. Thanks, by the way, for coming to pick me up.”
I have to tear my eyes from her so I can focus on driving. “It’s my pleasure, my lady. I wanted to go last night, but I lost the game of rock-paper-scissors. I hope my brother treated you well.”
“He did, and you know it. I’m sure he told you all about it,” she teases me. She used to say we shared a brain when we were kids, and I’m not so certain she’s wrong. Even at nineteen and eighteen, we still do almost everything together. We’re closer than some twins.
“Yes, he told me, but I wanted to hear it from you.” I hesitate only a second before reaching for the ha
nd that is resting on the seat beside her. I don’t grab her; I just leave my hand there and let her decide if she wants to hold it. She does, and my heart jumps in excitement. Her skin is smooth, and her hand is so small – and cold. “You’re freezing,” I accuse her.
“Not really,” she argues.
“Liar.” I turn on the heater but also undo her seatbelt when we stop at a light.
“What are you doing?”
“Come here.” When she doesn’t move, I tug her hand. “Hurry up before the light changes.”
She sighs and slides over next to me before fastening the middle seat belt. We bought a truck that seated six for a reason. I sling my arm over her shoulders and enjoy how nicely she feels cuddled up next to me. The scent of her hair continues to tease me.
“You know they make coats, and it’s January.”
She wrinkles her nose. “You know how much I hate certain clothes; that hasn’t changed since we were kids. Coats are too bulky. I can’t move with them on.” Her words remind me of how she’d always fight her dad as a kid. She’d run around barefoot and coatless every day of the year. She used to hate pants, and I think that’s still the case because I’ve never seen her in anything but skirts and leggings.
“You can always go naked.”
I can’t see her eyes, but I’m sure she rolls them. “I think that might cause more problems than it’s worth. Besides, I’m not comfortable naked either. I just like certain clothes more than others.”
“We can work on that.”
“Work on what?”
“You being comfortable naked.”
She tilts her head, trying to see my face to see if I’m serious. I am, and I’m not. I’d never push her. I wonder if she’s ever had sex, and I’m not proud to admit that it fills me with jealousy. I can’t stand thinking about some fumbling teenager fucking her.
“You seem to have an obsession with me being naked,” she teases.
“Guilty as charged, but you can’t really blame me. You’re hot, Senya.”
She’s quiet, and I wonder if I’ve gone too far. Finally, she speaks. “You haven’t changed much, Orion. Still the same teasing, absolutely blunt guy.”
I shrug. “I have changed, but I’m still the same teasing, honest guy. And yes, I say what’s on my mind. Life’s too short not to.”
She doesn’t reply, and I figure I’ve pushed her out of her comfort zone enough for the morning. I keep my arm around her, though, pleased when I feel her body heat up next to me. My fingers absently trace patterns on her upper arm, wishing it was summer so I could touch bare skin.
As we pull into the parking lot, she speaks. “I don’t know how to deal with this change, Orion. I had everything down to a routine.”
“But were you happy?”
She shrugs, but I know the answer is no. Her sadness practically surrounded her like a cloud when she walked down the halls. It broke our hearts. She pushed people away because she felt it was safer, but it didn’t make her any happier. I pull into my usual parking spot, and she draws back from me so I can see her face.
“Change doesn’t have to be bad, Sen.”
“But it’s not always good,” she counters. “Once you guys relieve the guilt you feel, you’ll be back with your cheerleaders, and I’ll go back to what I was. I appreciate everything you’re trying to do, but you don’t have to make up anything to me. Life happens. Shit happens. I understand.”
Her words shock me so much that I can’t say anything or react before she slips out of the truck. She thinks we’re trying to ease some fucking guilt over not being there for her after the funeral? Yeah, there might be some guilt, but that definitely isn’t the entirety of it.
My head is still reeling when I open my door and get out. I’m angry and upset, so it takes me a minute to understand something’s going on. Apollo stands behind our truck, and Manny is next to him. Aric is just behind them. They’re all facing Jack as I join them.
Jack gives me a thumbs-up and a crazed grin. “Way to go, bro!” he yells. “How was she? Is she just as frigid in bed as she is in class? Were there any rituals? Didja have to sacrifice something to get it on?”
He makes no sense, but it’s obvious he’s talking about Senya. He’s had a hard-on for her since ninth grade and it pisses him off that she doesn’t even notice him. She’s angry, but it seems like she’s used to it and that just pisses me off more. Her blue eyes blaze. Apollo and Manny are two seconds away from punching him. If my brother hits him, it will be the third incident, and he’ll get kicked off the team. If Manny hits him, it will reflect poorly on his all-American genius scholarship status.
So I step in. My fist slams into his jaw and knocks him to the ground.
Jack stares at me in shock. Blood drips from his lip.
“Don’t talk about her like that ever again,” I snarl. I’m still seething from Senya’s words and his utter disrespect. My hand aches and I shake it out without making it obvious. Asshole has a hard fucking head. But damn, that felt good. I’ve wanted to do it for years.
“What the fuck, man?” Jack spits out blood and stands up, angrily glaring at everyone standing around and staring. Some are smiling, happy to see him get what he deserves.
“You’re lucky he’s the only one who punched you,” Apollo warns. His jaw is tight with anger. “Stay away from her.”
We start to walk away, but the asshole just has to get the last word in. “Man, that pussy must be good.”
I see red, whirl around, and swing again. This punch knocks him against the car behind him.
“Mr. Tucker! Mr. Danvers!” an older voice yells over the chatter of the kids. I sigh. “In my office, now!”
“He punched me! Twice!” Jack screams like a baby and my fist twitches with the need to punch him again until he can’t even get any words out of his filthy mouth.
Senya stares at me with wide eyes. “Are you okay?” she asks quietly as we move as a group towards the door. The principal’s face is beet red, his bald head shining in the sunlight.
I force a smile. “I feel better than I’ve felt in a long time.” It did feel good to punch Jack, but I’m still hurting over her accusations.
Apollo glances at me. He knows something’s wrong. He slaps me on my shoulder. “Thanks for taking the hit.”
I nod. It’s only my first strike. I’m usually the one that breaks up fights, not starts them. Manny is also watching me. He knows me well enough to know that something other than Jack set me off. Text us, he mouths before I get pulled into the principal’s office. I have no doubt that I’m going to be sent home today. I’ll never feel guilty about punching Jack. He’s had it coming for years, and I’m surprised I haven’t done it before now. Hopefully, the guys will help me reassure Senya that we’re not just with her out of some misguided guilt.
Chapter 16
Senya
I don’t really know what’s happening. After Apollo dropped me off last night, I spent some time remembering how fun it was to be with him and how nice his kiss felt. I looked through old pictures of us and sketches Aric had drawn for me. The coin that the old fortune teller gave me rests heavy in my pocket this morning. For some reason, I felt like I wanted it with me. I don’t know why.
Orion’s words and touch are what’s on my mind as I make my way to the first class, though. He told me I’m hot. His body felt amazing pressed up against mine. And he punched Jack. Finally. I’m not happy that Orion is going to get in trouble, and I feel a little sorry he got pushed to that point. But I’ll smile about Jack falling to the ground as long as the memory stays with me. He had it coming. Sure, violence isn’t the answer, but a douche like Jack doesn’t understand anything else. I don’t think it will stop him from harassing me, though. Guys like him don’t back down.
Manny catches my eye, but I’m not ready to talk to him yet. Apollo is a steady presence by my side until we split for class, and Aric seems preoccupied to the point where I ask him to join me for lunch. My phone dings in third perio
d, and I take a break between classes to look at it.
STARBOY: suspended for 3 days. Are we meeting tonight for our project? Let’s meet at our house.
I chew on my lip as I consider my reply. The more time I spend with the guys, the more confused I am. However, I can’t deny that I’m enjoying not being alone anymore, regardless of why they’re hanging out with me.
SMARTYPANTS: sounds like a plan
SUN GOD: K. I’ll drive Senya.
I snort as I type in my response.
SENYA: I haven’t said I’m available yet.
STARBOY: U R. Come keep me company. I’ll be soooo bored and dad might ground me too.
I roll my eyes. I suppose I do owe him for punching Jack.
SENYA: Fine. I can come for a little while.
Aric doesn’t reply, and I’m anxious as I wait for him to join me at lunch. I can tell something is wrong when he sits down next to me. He has dark circles under his eyes. I’m surprised when Apollo and Manny join us, though. The cafeteria explodes the moment Apollo sits down. His football buddies yell at him, and the cheerleaders talk loudly behind their hands and shoot me evil glares.
“What are you guys doing here?”
“I didn’t have to do my TA assignment today, and I wanted to talk,” Manny explains. He adjusts his glasses. His dark eyes study me as if he can just pick what he wants to know out of mind.
Apollo just grunts as if the entire cafeteria isn’t looking at him. He eats steadily from a tray overflowing with food. Whereas I can feel every glare directed toward me, he just ignores them and adds a brownie to the lunch I packed.
“I guess if it’s okay with Aric. I wanted to ask him what’s going on. Something is obviously wrong.”
Lost & Found: Contemporary Reverse Harem Page 11
