“It was Cece,” Jake announced.
My jaw dropped. “Cece? Isaac’s ex-girlfriend Cece?” I asked, just to be clear.
They both nodded as they chuckled.
I shook my head. “Wow. I did not see that happening. No wonder he turned white.” I shook my head and changed the subject. “Miles was about to take me around the non-food stalls, wanna go?”
“Sure,” Derrick said as he got to his feet and reached down with both hands. I smiled as he pulled me to my feet.
I picked up my water bottle. “Zeke, can I leave my bags here?”
He lay down in the shade and covered his eyes with his forearm. “Yeah. It’s too fucking hot to move.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t be wearing head to toe black in the summer,” I countered.
He lifted his arm and shot me a look. I smiled before walking off with Miles and the others.
We walked from stall to stall, checking out everything from sun hats to jewelry. I made sure to pick up a fancy dog treat for Hades. Derrick was asking a salesgirl questions while I checked out another rack of sunglasses.
Derrick picked up a pair of glasses and put them on.
The salesgirl giggled. "I call those the Terminator glasses."
Derrick grinned. "I'll be back,” he said in his best Schwarzenegger impression. I snickered at the corny joke. Jake turned away from the rack of hats and eyed Derrick.
“Are you upset about Dylan?” Miles asked quietly.
I smiled and looked up at him. His ears were pink, his blank face in place. “Not really. I was surprised. You don’t exactly expect to turn a corner and see your ex zipping their pants up.”
“No, I don’t suppose you do,” he said as we followed Jake and Derrick through the crowd. “But you’re alright?”
“I’m more upset about Isaac,” I admitted, watching as Derrick shot Jake a frustrated look.
“I thought you would be,” he said. “When did he promise to stop pulling stunts like today?” Jake shot Derrick an angry look.
“In April,” I said. “I told him that his stunts scared me.”
“And he agreed to stop,” he said, as if it made sense to him.
“Yeah, he promised.” Derrick and Jake were talking; it didn’t look like it was going well. What was going on with them?
“It’s not like him to break a promise,” Miles said.
“I know. I just kind of lost it,” I admitted. “I’ll talk to him about it.”
“That’s a good idea,” Miles said. Derrick stopped walking and turned to Jake, gesturing angrily at him. “Oh, perhaps we should—”
“Let’s stay back a bit.” I stepped up to a jewelry stall. Miles moved to my side as I looked at necklaces. There were a few I liked. Then my eyes found a rose gold angel wing necklace.
“Did you find something?” he asked softly.
I shrugged. “I gave my angel wing necklace to Riley. It worked better with her complexion.”
He started tapping a staccato rhythm on the table. “The one Dylan gave you?”
I nodded. “I realized how the silver washed me out.” I looked up at him. “So, I’m keeping my eyes out for a replacement.”
“Did you find one?” he asked.
I glanced to make sure the saleswoman was out of earshot. “Nah, these are too big and bulky. I’d be getting them caught on everything.” I smiled up at him. “Your birthday is coming up, are we still having dinner at the twins’?”
His ears turned pink. “Um, yeah, but there’s no reason to make a big deal—”
“It’s your eighteenth birthday,” I told him. “We’re gonna make it a big deal.”
He grinned as his ears turned red.
There was shouting in the crowd. I looked down the way. Derrick held his hands up, his face frustrated he turned and walked away. Jake looked down at the ground. “Miles, I think I need to talk to Jake.”
Miles looked the same direction I was. “I’ll head back to the others.”
I gave him a warm smile. “Thanks.”
“Of course.” He turned and moved into the crowd while I made my way to Jake.
“Hey, are you okay?” I asked when I reached him. Jake shook his head, his jaw locked. I took his hand and started moving him through the crowd, out of the market and across the street. When we had some privacy, I looked up at him. “What just happened?”
Jake shook his head. “Derrick fucking did it again."
"Huh?" What did I miss?
He ran his hand through his hair. “He’s fucking flirting with everything that moves!”
My eyebrows shot up. “What? When?”
Jake shot me an angry look. “He was flirting with that salesgirl!” He leaned back against the wall and tilted his head back to rest against it.
I thought back over Derrick’s conversation with the salesgirl at the last stall. There had been no flirting. “Um, Jake?”
“What?” he asked, his eyes closed.
“He wasn’t flirting,” I told him gently.
He lifted his head and looked down at me. “Yeah, he was. They were all giggly.”
“Jake, honey, I was standing right there,” I reminded him. “She made a joke about the sunglasses he was looking at, and he made a Terminator impression. That was it.”
His brow drew down as he frowned. “Really?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Why do you think he’s flirting?”
He sighed. “He’s… he’s bi, Lexie.”
“And?”
He turned back to me. “What if… what if I can’t keep him?”
“Keep him? Is he an animal?” I asked. He snorted. “Jake, Derrick is crazy for you.”
“For now,” he countered. “That doesn’t mean some bimbo with big knockers isn’t going to come along and steal him.”
“Let me get this straight… He might break up with you one day, so you’re sabotaging your relationship now,” I said bluntly.
“Aren’t you supposed to be on my side?” he snapped.
"I am," I told him, "but I'm not going to blow smoke up your ass."
His eyes narrowed on mine as he scowled at me. "What? So, I'm the bad guy?"
“No, you're not. But he wasn't flirting,” I countered.
"Yeah, he was!" he all but shouted as he clenched his fists.
"He made a joke,” I shot back. "Don't you think you might be overreacting?"
He walked up and down the sidewalk taking deep breaths.
“I’m going to tell you the truth. That’s why you love me,” I reminded him. “And kinda hate me right now."
“Maybe," he said through gritted teeth as he turned and paced back towards me. "You might have a point."
“Have you talked to him about this?” I tried to calm him down.
“We’ve been talking about it for a month.” He sighed as he came to stand next to me again.
“Talking, or fighting?” I asked.
He cursed and closed his eyes. “Fighting.”
“You’re being insecure and jealous”—I wrapped my arm around him—“and you’re pushing him away.”
“How’d you get so smart?” he grumbled.
I smiled. “We recognize our own.”
He smiled. “I should go find him.”
“Only if you want to keep your boyfriend,” I told him. He cursed.
We walked back across the street. Jake walked me back to the lawn and then left to find Derrick. When I reached the guys, the lawn was starting to fill up.
“I thought you were with Jake?” Asher asked.
“Jake and Derrick had a fight. He went to go find him,” I explained as my phone vibrated in my bra. I pulled my phone out and checked it.
Ethan: Kinda need you.
I smiled as I typed in my response.
Alexis: I’ll head over now. Where r u?
Ethan: West side of the lawn next to the van.
Alexis: Coming.
I looked in the direction he said he was. I could see the van from here. “I’ve go
t to head over to Ethan. I’ll be right back.”
“You want someone to go with you?” Zeke asked. I thought about it. It wasn’t even five hundred feet.
“Nah, I should be good,” I told him. “If something happens, I’ll scream.”
Zeke shot me a look. “Not funny, Lexie.”
I met his eyes, my grin fading. “I know.”
Asher got to his feet. “I need to make a trip to the food trucks anyway.”
He started walking me to the van. “Thanks, Asher,” I muttered.
“No problem, Ally girl,” he said.
I smiled up at him. “So, what food truck are you hitting?”
“I was thinking the Greek food truck. They have great food,” he said.
“Sweet, can you get me something yummy?”
He grinned down at me. “Sure. Have you ever tried Greek food?”
“Nope.”
“What are you wanting? Light or rich?” he asked.
I opened my mouth to say something, only to hear a noise from a nearby doorway. We turned. Ryan, Ethan’s drummer, was kissing a girl in the recessed doorway of the church. A girl with lilac hair. Oh my God. We went to walk by, but they split apart. Ryan’s face turned red, Riley’s turned pink.
I just grinned. “Carry on.” Then we walked a bit faster. We were ten feet away before we started laughing.
“Was that Riley?” Asher asked between laughs.
“Yeah, it was.” I shook my head. “That girl has some explaining to do.”
“You didn’t know?”
“I knew she liked someone, but not who! And she’s gonna get so much shit for it,” I snickered.
We reached the van. Ethan was pacing back and forth in front of Oliver and Brooklyn.
“Ethan, calm down. You’ll be great,” Brooklyn said, trying to calm him down.
“Brooklyn, not now,” he snapped.
“You want anything for after your set?” Asher asked Ethan.
Ethan’s eyes found me. “Sure. I don’t care what.”
“One order of ‘I don’t care what’ coming up,” Asher announced before heading back.
I gave Ethan a small smile, took his hand, and made him follow me to the front of the van. “Ethan. You know you guys are amazing.”
He shook his head. “It’s an entirely new set, and you haven’t heard it.” His fingers twirled his silver rings.
I reached up, held his face, and made him look at me. “Ethan. What did you think when you left the garage last night?”
His eyes unfocused as his hands moved to my arms. “Good. I thought we were ready for tonight.”
“Then you’re ready,” I reassured him. “You are a perfectionist when it comes to practice, Snoopy. You don’t let anyone leave until you have it down. You got this.”
He sighed and rested his forehead on mine, his eyes closed. “You’re right.”
I took a deep breath, enjoying his spicy cologne. “I know I am.”
He chuckled softly, lifted his head and pulled me close. He hugged me tight. I smiled as I hugged him back.
“Are your wrists okay?” he whispered in my ear, sending chills down my spine.
“Yeah, the burns are small and should be gone in a couple days,” I whispered back, resting my chin on his shoulder. He squeezed me tighter.
“Have you talked to Isaac?” His voice was thick. I squeezed tighter.
“No, but I will,” I promised.
He nodded, his breath caressing my ear. “Thank you, Lexie.”
“You’re welcome,” I whispered back.
“Ryan’s back. It’s time.” Brooklyn’s voice was relieved. I opened my eyes to find her watching me, as if I was going to attack her or something. I pulled back from Ethan. He took several deep breaths before nodding to me. He walked around the van. I followed.
“Come on, guys.” Ethan moved to make a circle with the others. Ryan was trying not to look at me. I bit back a grin as I leaned against the van and waited. They put their hands in a circle before throwing them up, shouting, “Under Fire!” My heart ached a bit.
Ethan came back and took my hand. “Come on, Beautiful. We’ve got a show.” I gave him the smile he needed and walked with them to the stage. As the others walked on, Ethan squeezed my hand and sent me a smile.
“Go kick some ass, Snoopy,” I said, trying not to be upset that I wasn’t going on with him. I let go and started making my way through the seated crowd. The guys were still under the tree, including Isaac. Everyone was talking when I stepped around them and sat in the back of the group with my back against the tree trunk.
Asher passed Miles a small bag. Miles passed it to me.
“Thanks,” I said as Ethan went to the microphone.
“Alright, what a turn out,” Ethan said, his smooth, smoky voice rolling over the crowd. “Now, let’s have a good time.” He played the first few notes of ‘Unbreakable’ by Fireflight. It was a good song. Then Brooklyn started singing. She was good, damn good. She stayed in key and hit the right notes. And the girl had range. She was a perfect fit for the band.
“Lexie, eat,” Zeke ordered over his shoulder. How did he know? I pulled out the thick cardboard container and opened it. It was a sandwich wrapped in flatbread. Inside were grilled onions, peppers, tomatoes, and some meat I couldn’t identify, along with an interesting looking white sauce. It smelled delicious and I trusted Asher, so I took a bite. My eyes almost rolled into the back of my head. Ohhh. It was so fucking good.
I finished my bite before asking. “Ash, what is this? ’Cause I need it at home every day.”
Asher chuckled. “It’s a gyro. Flatbread, meat, some veggies, and Tzatziki sauce.”
“It’s fucking delicious,” I said with my hand in front of my full mouth. The guys chuckled. I finished my sandwich quickly; the sauce was surprisingly light and perfect in this weather. I leaned back against the tree and listened to the band.
The sun set and it grew dark. I thought I was doing pretty well, until Brooklyn moved to stand next to Ethan. The first notes of ‘Burn with Me’ by Amaranthe played. It was a good song, but it was a duet.
Ethan sang the first verse. Then Brooklyn jumped in. My heart took a hit. My eyes burned. I couldn’t sit here. I got up and quietly walked around the tree and back through the closing market. Vendors were packing up. I walked to one of the closing food trucks, grabbed some tissues, turned around and went still. Isaac was standing there, his amber eyes meeting mine. He didn’t say a word. He just stepped closer, pulled me into his arms, and hugged me. I took a deep, shaking breath and wrapped my arms around his waist. He didn’t move, not until the song was over.
“I wish I could give you back your singing voice,” he whispered against my forehead. Tears fell down my cheeks.
“You beat the shit out of him,” I whispered back. “Tell me again what you did.”
“Broken knee, broken arm, broken ribs, kicked him in the face several times, and stomped on his sack a few more.”
I smiled. “Thanks, Isaac.” I pulled back and wiped my face. “I’m still a little mad at you.”
“So am I,” he admitted quietly.
I looked up and met his eyes again. “Why do you do those stunts?”
Behind his eyes he struggled until he looked down at the ground. “There’s this part of me, sometimes, that needs to see how close I can get.”
“To what?” I asked softly.
He lifted his head. “You know what.” He turned and walked several feet away.
Death. He wanted to see how close he could get to dying? My chest burned as I moved to stand in front of him. “What were you thinking up there today?”
He sighed and looked away. “That if I get close enough, maybe it will go away.”
“Isaac, do you know what it was like when you were underwater today?” I asked, tears rolling down my cheeks. “I thought you were dead. An overreaction, probably, but it’s where my mind went.” I looked down at the ground. I couldn’t look at him and tell him. “I
saw the world without you, and it…” I took a deep breath, my lungs growing tight as I met his eyes. “There were no more pranks, no more jokes, no more hugs, no more you. And I don’t know if I could…” I took a deep breath and looked away. I had to try to make him understand. They couldn’t lose both of us. “Isaac. You have people who love you. Hell, I love you. I don’t want to lose you. Or see you get hurt.” He shook his head as if to deny it. “Cookie Monster, what if it was me?” His gaze snapped to mine. “What if I was the one on that ledge today, and you were the one who had to watch?”
He looked away. “I don’t want to think about that.”
“Because it hurts,” I told him before I reached up and placed my hand over the center of his chest. “Because it feels like you can’t breathe. That your heart is going to shatter and never be put back together.”
He reached up and held my hand against his hard chest before he met my eyes.
“That’s what you do to us every time you pull a stunt like that.” I didn’t know how else to make him understand. “We love you. We can’t lose you.”
He swallowed hard and pulled me against him again. I admit, I held on to him as hard as I could. I looked up at him and met his eyes. He wiped the tears from my cheeks again before bending down and resting his forehead against mine.
“I’m sorry,” he breathed. I reached up and held his face in my hands. We held each other for several minutes, just like that. Then the band started playing ‘I’m Yours’ by The Script.
“Dance with me, Red,” he whispered. I smiled and slid my hands down his neck and over his shoulders. He lifted his head. I stepped closer and rested my head on his shoulder. He rested his cheek against my hair and started slowly dancing with me. I breathed in limes, and peace slipped through me. I knew there was more he wasn’t telling me, but he had let me in a little. With the music, and his arms around me as he danced with me in the dark, it was enough. I stayed against him, not caring that it was hot or that we were both sweating. All that mattered was that he was here, dancing with me, breathing and alive. And that’s all I needed tonight.
* * *
Zeke pulled up to Rory’s house. He’d been quiet most of the night. Then again, I didn’t mind. After talking with Isaac I was pretty tired. He put the Jeep in park. I stared at the house. Tara’s car was in the driveway. Joy.
When Evil Comes to Play Page 13
