Jaybird

by M. A. Foster

  “Jay,” I warn gently, fighting back a smile. Harper is now hunched over the bar, slapping her palm against the wood as her whole body shakes with silent laughter.

  Stacey frowns up at Cole, but his head is turned away; he’s also laughing his ass off. “Cole Mackenzie doesn’t do relationships. Everyone knows that.”

  My eyebrows shoot upward. What the hell is she talking about? There’s no doubt someone put her up to this. Ashton. “Someone didn’t get the memo,” I murmur.

  With a flirty smile, Stacey turns her big chest away from Cole and aims it my way. She arches her back, pushing her tits further in my direction. I’m not exaggerating when I say that if she arches her back any further, she might tip over.

  “You’re Zach, right? Didn’t we hook up at Devin Milner’s party last summer?”

  Bullshit. I jerk my gaze from her to Jay in a panic, and then back to her. “Uh… no. I don’t…. I think I would—”

  “Finish that sentence Zach, and I will punch you in the dick.” Jay’s angry glare remains on Stacey as her hands move to her hips. She’s in full battle mode. “Excuse me, Lacey… tits for brains.” She snaps her fingers in front of Stacey’s face. “He’s private property and you’re trespassing. Walk away or…” She reaches behind her and grabs a toothpick off the bar. “…I’ll use this to pop those water balloons.” She waves her hand, shooing her away. “Now go away before I smack you.”

  “I’d like to see you try.”

  Jay’s eyebrows shoot up to her hairline and her lips curl up on one side, smiling devilishly.

  You know that part in the movies, that “uh-oh” moment where someone says or does something stupid, followed by the sound of a record scratch and the whole room goes silent?

  This would be that moment.

  I move to wrap my arms around Jay and whisper in her ear, “Something’s up. She’s goading you on purpose. It’s okay to show your teeth, but don’t bite. There are too many people here with cell phones.”

  “Are you crazy, girl,” Cole speaks up, finally. “I’m not trying to be a dick, but you should probably walk away, Lacey, before she tears you apart.”

  “It’s Stacey,” she whines.

  “I don’t care what your name is,” Cole replies, sounding annoyed.

  “Lacey—Stacey, lower your tits so we can see your face-y,” Jay sings and then snorts, once again laughing at herself. I drop my forehead to her shoulder and burst out laughing and so does everyone else. Even Levi is laughing. I can’t believe Lacey—Stacey is still standing here.

  Lacey—Stacey curls her lip like she just smelled something foul. “Excuse me?”

  “For?”

  “Huh?”

  “Ho say what.”

  Oh, yeah, she’s done.

  “What?” Lacey—Stacey’s eyebrows pull inward, confusion marring her face and Jay doubles over in laughter. “Ugh! Whatever, bitch,” she mutters and storms off.

  Finally.

  “I’ll be back,” Logan says. “Lacey looks like she could use some comforting.”

  Everyone bursts into another round of laughs.

  “That was fun,” Jay says, winking at Harper. “Did you see the girl on those boobs?”

  Cherry laughs. “You mean boobs on that girl?”

  “Oh.” Jay snorts.

  “And she’s back.” Cole laughs.

  “And you’re still an asshole,” Jay shoots back.

  Cole runs his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry, Harper.”

  Harper whirls around angrily. “You’re always sorry,” she snaps out. “You have no problem running your mouth and putting people in their place…” She gestures to Jay. “…but some skank presses her big nasty tits up against you and all of a sudden you forget how to speak. You have no respect for me or my feelings and I’m sick of it. Fuck the hell off, Cole Mackenzie. I’m done.”

  “Don’t say that, Harper,” he pleads.

  Harper picks up another shot, tosses her head back, and then slams the empty shot glass on the bar before turning around, shoving past Cole, and heading for the dance floor.

  Cole gives me a pleading look.

  “What are you doing?” I ask, shooing him away. “Go after her.” I shake my head as Cole hurries off. “Sometimes I can’t believe he’s my best friend.”

  “I can’t believe I’m related to him.”

  “Go easy on him, Jay. He feels bad for what he said to you and he really does love Harper.”

  “I know, but he seriously needs to stop being an ass.”

  Lexi and Evan move to the spot Harper just vacated. Logan has disappeared and the rest of our friends head for the dance floor. Probably to watch Cole beg.

  “Girl, that was so funny,” Lexi says, running her fingers below her eyes, wiping away her smeared mascara. “I think you could give Evangeline a run for her money.”

  Jay smirks. “I learned from the best.”

  “You confused the shit out of that girl.” Evan guffaws.

  “I confused myself,” Jay admits with a laugh as she pulls from my arms and turns to the bar. “Anyone want to do a shot with me?” She looks over at me. “Except you. I think you should stay away from alcohol for a while.”

  “I will,” Lexi volunteers.

  “I wasn’t planning on it,” I admit. “Besides, I’m driving you home tonight.”

  “I’m not going home with you, Zach.” She signals for Chad, Owen’s friend, who’s working the bar tonight.

  “Hey, Chad.” I jerk my chin in a nod. “I’ll take a Coke, please.” I turn to Jay. “I said I was driving you home. You drove here and you’re drinking. How did you think you were getting home?”

  “Levi. Duh.” She rolls her eyes.

  Chad catches my eye as he sets my Coke down on the bar. He waits for Jay to turn away before he swipes a hand past his throat, gesturing that she’s cut off before sliding a bottle of sparkling water across the bar.

  I mouth, “Thanks,” and turn to put my back to the bar.

  The lights dim and “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” starts playing.

  “Aww, I love this song,” Jay coos.

  “Dance with me.” I hold out my hand.

  “It’s too hot out there.”

  “I’m good right here.”

  “Fine,” she says before snaking her arms around my waist and resting her head against my chest. “This doesn’t change anything.”

  “I know,” I say, burying my face in her neck. “I miss you, Jay.”

  “I miss you, too.” She sighs. “Zach?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Did you hook up with Lacey?”

  I chuckle into her neck. “No, and neither did Cole. I think that whole scene was a setup to cause drama.”

  “Damn, I should have used that toothpick.”

  I chuckle again. “I love you, Jay.”

  “I love you too, Z.”

  “UGH,” I GROAN and peel my tongue from the roof of my mouth. “Who the hell let me drink all that tequila?” And why does my lady J feel like I dry-humped a piece of sandpaper?

  A deep chuckle comes from behind me. “Because you were bouncing up and down on my dick like a goddamn pogo stick all night,” Zach answers in that sleepy voice that makes him sound even sexier. God, I’ve missed him.

  I feel the flush creeping up my neck and across my cheeks when I realize I said that out loud.

  “I did not.” I totally did.

  He shifts behind me, pressing against my back. Curling his arm around my waist, he says in that deep, sleepy voice close to my ear, “I had no idea you were such a little freak when you’re drunk.” He rolls me onto my back and moves to straddle my hips. “You were all like…” He thrusts his hips and in a breathy voice, no doubt, imitating me, sings about “fucking like an animal” and I realize he’s singing the lyrics to “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails.

  I throw my head back and laugh. “You’re so full of shit.” I grab the pillow beside me and smack him in the head.

  H
e falls beside me on the mattress, props his head on his hand and continues to sing.

  I laugh so hard my bladder nearly bursts, making me scramble out of bed and run to the bathroom.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To pee,” I tell him. I barely make it to the bathroom in time, sitting down on the toilet and crossing my eyes in relief.

  Finishing up, I walk back into my bedroom to find Zach lying on my bed with his hands clasped behind his head. “Shame on you for taking advantage of me last night.” I push out my bottom lip, pretending to pout as I straddle his lap.

  “That was all you.” He smiles, resting his hand on my hip. “You’re a horny little thing when you’re drunk.”

  I grin. “More than usual?”

  He nods slowly before rolling on top of me, settling between my thighs, and bracing his arms on either side of my head. I push my fingers through his hair and stare into his blue eyes. “As much as I enjoyed the angry, make-up sex, I never want to fight like that again. It shredded me to be apart from you these last few days.” He presses a gentle kiss to my lips. “I love you. Tell me you love me and that we’re okay.”

  “I love you, Z, but you need to ask yourself that question. You wanted me to love you and I do. With everything I have. You have to decide if you can handle this. I’m still mad at you for shoving your relationship with Reagan in my face.”

  “I’m sorry. Reagan was the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. Shoving it in your face is a close second to hooking up with Chelsea. Can we move past it?”

  “Fine. But if you ever pull that shit again, I’m done. I was content with pretending it’s only been me.”

  “When it comes to my heart, it’s only ever been you. None of that other stuff matters. Will you tell me what you were doing with Tyge Reynolds?”

  “I wasn’t with him. His father is my lawyer and his office is in that building. Tyge was there to see his… flavor of the week. I’ve known Tyge for a long time, but we’re not close and we weren’t having lunch. We were leaving at the same time.”

  “I’m sorry for acting like a jealous asshole. I do trust you, Jay. Just give me some time to adjust to all of this, okay?”

  “You don’t really have a choice, Z. Not if you want this relationship to work. Now move, I need coffee and food.”

  A teasing smile tugs at his lips as he circles his hips, grinding against me. “You worked up quite an appetite last night, freaky girl.”

  THE WHOLE GANG is here and seated around the table stuffing their faces. Grace is standing at the counter making a pot of coffee. “Good morning, Miss Jayla and Mister Z.” She smiles over her shoulder.

  “Good morning, Grace,” I say, hugging her from behind and kissing her on the cheek. “Thank you for feeding my friends.”

  I move to the island where the food is set up buffet-style. Zach kisses Grace on the cheek and follows my lead. We both pile our plates with pancakes, bacon and eggs and make our way over to the table, where everyone immediately goes silent. I look around to see them smiling.

  “How are you feeling?” Evan snickers.

  “I feel fine.” I reach for my coffee and bring it to my lips.

  Brad coughs. “So, Jay, I really liked your version of that Nine Inch Nails song. Cherry and I decided to add it to our playlist.” He wiggles his eyebrows.

  I pull the cup away from my lips and turn my head to laugh.

  “Seriously.” Cherry snickers before taking a sip of her orange juice. “After that performance, I’m pretty sure every cat in the neighborhood is pregnant.”

  Zach laughs and leans over to kiss my shoulder.

  “What are you laughing at, Zach?” Evan slumps down in his chair and throws his head back. “Oh, shit, Jay. Just like that. Oh. Yeah. Oh, fuuuuck!”

  “Come on, man.” Cole groans and covers his ears. “I don’t need to hear that shit.”

  I snort. “Hey, don’t talk like that in front of Grace.” I look over my shoulder to see her busying herself in the kitchen, but I know she can hear every word. Poor Grace.

  “Jay.” Lexi laughs. “You had me laughing so hard last night.”

  “Oh, God.” I roll my eyes. “What did I do?”

  “You don’t remember?” Zach asks.

  I frown, furrowing my brows. I don’t remember doing anything out of the ordinary. Shots, dancing, and sex. Apparently, I rode Zach like Seabiscuit last night and then passed out.

  “The blonde,” Evan presses.

  “Oh, my God, yes! The girl with the giant boobs?” I shake my head. “Snarky little bitch. She’s lucky I was in a good mood.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard in my life,” Lexi continues.

  “She was disgusting,” Cherry adds. “I could see her slit through her panties.”

  “She wasn’t that bad,” Cole insists, jerking his eyebrows up and down as he sips his coffee. A poor attempt at a bad joke.

  I drop my fork. “You did not just say that.”

  “What?” He grins and looks over at Harper. “I’m kidding.”

  Harper pushes away from the table abruptly and storms off, but not before slapping the back of Cole’s head on her way out.

  “Ow! What the fuck, Harper? It was joke.”

  “Well, it wasn’t funny,” I say. “Have you not been listening to her? Are you being a dick on purpose so she’ll dump you for good?”

  Cole struggles to rein in his temper, his nostrils flaring as he stands from the table. He rocks his head side to side, stretching his arms over his head, bouncing on the balls of his feet, and throwing a couple of jabs in the air before trailing after Harper.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Preparing for a fight,” he calls over his shoulder as he rounds the banister and jogs up the stairs.

  A moment later, my mom and Cam walk into the kitchen from the garage. Guess they’re not keeping their relationship a secret anymore. My mom slides her phone across the table. “Well, that didn’t take long.”

  I pick up her phone to see the headline: Jaybird’s Mystery Guy and below it is a picture of Zach and me slow dancing at Justin’s party last night. His head is buried in my neck and my face is partially covered by his bicep. It’s a sweet picture. I shrug and pass her phone back to her. “There’s nothing wrong with this picture.”

  “No, but I heard you were drinking. You know the rules, Jayla.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.” I flick my gaze to Cam. “And I’m sorry for throwing my phone at your head.”

  Cam chuckles. “I’ve had worse thrown at me.”

  “What happens now?” Zach asks.

  “It means no scratching your balls in public,” Cam replies with a chuckle.

  “When you’re out in public, act as if there’s always a camera on you,” Mom adds. “Because most likely there will be.”

  Our conversation is interrupted by the sound of Cole shouting, drawing everyone’s attention to the stairs. A few seconds later he jogs down the stairs and right out the front door, slamming it behind him.

  Zach pushes back from the table and follows after Cole.

  “What the hell is going on?” My mom asks.

  I shrug. I have no clue.

  AFTER EVERYONE LEAVES, Zach and I head back up to my room. I poke my head inside Harper’s doorway and see her sitting on the edge of the bed with her face buried in her hands, crying. “Harper? Are you okay?”

  She shakes her head.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “No,” she says into her hands. “I just need to be alone right now. I’m sorry, Jay.”

  “It’s okay. If you need me, I’ll be on my balcony.”

  “Thank you,” she says as I reach for the door and pull it closed.

  “I should probably call him,” Zach says as we go into my bedroom.

  I grab a couple of blankets while Zach tries to reach Cole. Of course, he doesn’t answer. I didn’t expect he would. He needs time to calm down.

  Zach follows me out t
o the balcony and we curl up on the daybed facing each other.

  “Did you know about my mom and Cam?”

  Zach’s eyes widen in surprise and he smiles sheepishly. “I was wondering what that was about earlier. Yes, I knew, but I wish I didn’t. I hated keeping it from you, but Cam made me promise to keep my mouth shut and leave it up to your mom to tell you. She finally told you?”

  I snort. “No. I caught them in the shower together while we were in California.”

  “Damn. And you threw your phone at Cam?” He laughs. “I’m sorry, babe. Are you okay?”

  I shake my head. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m acting like a spoiled brat, but don’t you think it’s too soon?”

  Zach shrugs. “I think your feelings are valid. I’m sure it’s hard to see your mom with another man. But I think the only person who gets to decide when it’s time for your mom to move on is your mom. Do you want her to be alone for the rest of her life? I don’t think your dad would want that. He’d want her to be happy. If being with Cam makes her happy, who are you to tell her she can’t be?”

  “She should’ve talked to me about it. That’s not an image I can easily erase from my brain.”

  “You’re right. But maybe she was afraid you wouldn’t approve or would think less of her.”

  “I don’t think less of her. She’s still my mom. It’s her life and of course, I want her to be happy. Clearly, Cam makes her happy.”

  “What’s gonna happen now with that picture of us floating around?”

  “I don’t know. That’s Emerson’s department. Trust me. She’ll handle it.”

  “ZACH, YOU NEED to get home. Emerson, Cam, Chris, and Rebecca are all here. There’s a lot of yelling going on, listen.” Logan pauses and I can hear people shouting in the background.

  “We’re on our way.”

  “What’s going on?” Jay asks.

  “I don’t know. Your mom and Cam are at my house and so are Chelsea’s parents. Logan said everyone is shouting at each other.”

  “Let’s go.”

  Chelsea is waiting outside on the porch when Jay whips her Range Rover into the driveway, throws it in Park, and shoves open the driver’s side door before I can even unclench my ass cheeks, pry my hand from the “oh, shit” bar, and climb out of the passenger side.