His Lucky Penny (The Penny Books, #1)

by LL Meyer

  I can’t argue with that, so I just sigh contentedly, making them laugh harder.

  I guess Jason is coming with us to get my stuff because we all get in the truck. That’s fine with me because if Jason drives, I can snuggle up to Dane.

  At my place, Dane instructs me to bring everything I need, because I won’t be back for at least a week. When we’re about to leave, I flop down on the front steps of the porch. They both turn to look at me.

  “I have to tell Charmaine,” I tell them. “I’m just not sure how to phrase it.”

  “Just tell her the truth,” Dane says.

  He makes it sound so easy. I pull out my phone and start typing, knowing I’m not going to like her reaction.

  A weirdo tried to grab me yesterday. He had my info on him, including our address. Police say we shdn’t be here for a while. Make sure Josh is with u if u come home. I’m w/Dane.

  I guess she’s not in an exam like I was hoping, because my phone starts buzzing right away with a call. I seriously consider letting it go to voicemail. But Dane is looking at me expectantly, and I know I have to do the right thing.

  “Hey,” I say quietly, accepting the call.

  “What happened?” she demands without preamble, and I cringe at her tone.

  “Just what I told you.”

  “What do you mean grabbed you?” The annoyed skepticism in her voice is loud and clear.

  “Literally that,” I say in an attempt not to repeat the whole ordeal. “But I’m okay. Don’t worry.”

  “Good grief, you really know how to pick them.”

  “What?” The dismay in my voice has the guys looking more closely at me now. “I didn’t pick him.”

  “Well, attract them, then,” she drawls sarcastically like I’m something distasteful.

  “I swear I didn’t do anything,” I say, trying to defend myself, tears prickling.

  Dane’s standing in front of me with his hand out for the phone. I hesitate for a second before I relinquish the whole thing to him. I watch his tear-warped image go down the walk toward the street before he puts the phone to his ear and starts talking. I’m thankful that I can’t hear what he’s saying.

  Jason sits down beside me and I sink into him as he puts his arm around me. I know I have to stop doing this kind of thing with him; he’s not my boyfriend, though he’s almost as comforting as the real thing.

  “Did she say it was your fault?”

  I sigh, stubbornly brushing my tears aside. “I have gotten a bit complacent since I met you guys. I didn’t even have my pepper spray with me.”

  “That shit yesterday was targeted, Pretty Girl. It had nothing to do with being complacent. The only way you could have stopped it was if you’d stayed locked in your room.”

  I nod like that’s the best idea I’ve ever heard. “I told Dane I don’t want to go to school anymore.”

  There’s a pause and I’m so glad I can’t see his expression. “And what did he say?”

  I wave my hand dismissively. “Something about not spouting off.”

  Jason snorts. “He can be pretty inspirational, can’t he?”

  The urge to cry overpowers me. “He doesn’t understand. Nobody does. I just don’t want to be afraid anymore.”

  “And you think staying in your room is going to give you that?”

  My shoulders sag. When he says it like that, it sounds so stupid. And all I can do is let the tears fall.

  When Dane sits down beside me, Jason doesn’t let me go.

  “Don’t worry, Lil,” Dane says soothingly. “I sorted it out. She misunderstood, that’s all.”

  I sit up, resignation and exhaustion hanging heavy over me. He seems to need some kind of acknowledgement from me, so I nod. He smooths my hair back from my face and smiles at me as he wipes my tears. It fills a bit of the void in me, but not much.

  “Can we make one stop before we go home?” he asks, standing up, pulling me with him. “I just need to make sure there’s no ass-kicking needed on the new flip.”

  I titter weakly. I love him so much.

  Charmaine – that self-centered bitch. I tore a strip off her so wide that I wouldn’t be surprised if her boyfriend showed up to defend her honor, or some shit like that. Surprisingly, she hadn’t hung up on me, though she’d been stunned into silence. It’s amazing how words like rape and stalking can put things into perspective.

  In the end, she’d apologized profusely, but she hadn’t asked to talk to Lil again. She’s a coward and I hate her guts. I understand now why Lil never told her about getting roofied. But it’s not up to me to choose who my girlfriend hangs out with, so I’ll never say a word about it.

  And now Lily’s quiet, and tears have been falling off and on throughout the day. She’d stayed in the truck at the site, not wanting to face anyone and I’d been fine with that. But now I’m scared that she’s going to fall into some kind of full-blown depression. And I have no idea what to say or do to help her. By the time she says she wants to go to bed, I’ve decided that we shouldn’t avoid talking about what’s happened.

  I get on the bed and rub her back, waiting for her to look at me in the dim light coming from the bathroom. When her eyes open, they’re brimming with tears again.

  “I wish I could just kiss you and make it all better, but I know I can’t,” I tell her. “What happened isn’t something that can be left behind overnight.”

  She sniffles loudly. “Why did this have to happen? Things were going so well. It’s just not fair.”

  I smile down at her. “No, it’s not. But I love you, and we’ll make it through this together, okay?”

  She nods. “Dane? I don’t want to give up school.”

  I laugh softly. “You weren’t really going to quit, Pretty Girl.”

  “But I don’t know what else to do,” she says, the heart-rending desperation in her voice like a razorblade goring at my guts.

  “Look at me, Lil.” I cup her cheek with my palm. “They’re going to find the guy who did this, and until they do, I’ll take you everywhere.”

  She manages a half roll of her eyes and a tiny smile. “That’s not very feasible.”

  “Sure it is,” I say good-humoredly. “There’s two of me, and there’s nothing either of us wouldn’t do for you.”

  “But Jason has better things to do with his time than babysit me.”

  I laugh now. “Oh yeah? Like what? And anyways, you’re part of the team now. Hands down, there’s nothing more important to us than you.” The love in her expression soothes my nerves. At least sometimes my mouth remains foot-free. “You don’t have to do this alone, Lily. You have me and Jason and . . .” I hesitate for a second. “And I think you should go to counseling.”

  She’s not surprised by this announcement, so she’s obviously considered it before. “But the counselors are on campus,” she laments.

  I scoff. “Those hacks?”

  That gets a weak giggle out of her, making me smile.

  “You don’t have to go on campus, Lil.”

  “But counseling costs a lot of money.”

  “Huh, then it’s a good thing I have lots of that.”

  The look on her face is pure misery, and I’m about to argue with her when she cuts me off.

  “I know I have issues about money. I guess because I never had any growing up . . . or now. I just can’t imagine having enough to spend it on something that’s not absolutely necessary.”

  “We’re talking about your mental health. What could be more necessary?”

  Her mouth opens as if to say something, but then closes. Finally, she says, “Well it’s not rent, food, bus fare, or tuition. So it doesn’t really make my list.”

  “But it makes mine. And it would make me so happy if you’d let me do this for you.”

  She looks away for a moment. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, Dane. I mean of all the girls in the world, I don’t know how you picked me.”

  “Yeah right. You’re the one who came after me.
Calling me up, all needy and desperate. I didn’t have a chance.”

  This has her in little fits of giggles until she says, “I want you to know that I know how lucky I am.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far. It’s not all hearts and flowers hanging out with me. I’m constantly saying stupid shit that hurts your feelings.”

  “And you’re moody and bossy,” she reminds me, trying to hide her smile.

  “Yes, thank you, I’d forgotten.”

  At my tone, her smile broadens. “But I love all the Danes equally.”

  “And I love all the Lilys equally.”

  I lean down to give her a little kiss.

  “So does this mean you’ll go?”

  She nods.

  Every possible positive emotion flows through my veins: relief, happiness, pride, triumph. But soon all thoughts are gone from my head as she pulls me down for a kiss that quickly becomes making out.

  “Dane?” she whispers while I suck gently on the pulse point on her neck. “Tomorrow’s Saturday.”

  “So?” I tug at the duvet, which is so inconveniently creating a barrier between us.

  “It’s been a week.”

  I’m on the verge of being offended that she’s making small talk while I’m trying to seduce her, but then her meaning clicks in my brain. My head snaps up and she giggles at my expression.

  I sit up quickly and rip the duvet away from her and then replace it with my body. No condom! Awesome.

  In the morning, she seems like a new woman. While the melancholy in her eyes isn’t completely gone, it has dulled significantly. She insists on making us breakfast, and the smell of coffee, pancakes, and sausages is almost as heavenly as watching her bustle happily around the kitchen doing her thing.

  “So, we’re not staying home today,” Jason announces from the barstool beside me at the island. “I know from experience,” he says, looking at me pointedly, “that sitting around doing nothing just adds to a depressing situation. I say we go have some fun.”

  “Like what?” Lily asks before she turns back to the stove, spatula in hand. Both Jason and I check out the way her ass cheeks peek out from below those little sleep shorts.

  When there’s no reply to her question, she turns back. I’m not sure if she realizes that we were looking at her ass, because she makes no attempt to pull her shorts down. I almost groan aloud at the idea that she likes us ogling her – us, not me.

  Now her eyebrows are raising as she looks between the two of us. I smack Jason on the arm and he jumps. “Like what?” I repeat her question, trying to keep a straight face.

  Jason’s expression shows just how deep he was into whatever fantasy he had going on. “Uh, fun, right. Um . . .”

  I snicker, because I’m sure the fun he’s imagining now isn’t the fun he was suggesting a minute ago. I take pity on him. “How about mini golf?”

  Lil’s face lights up. “I always wanted to do that.”

  “You’ve never played mini golf?” Jason asks incredulously, finally able to form a coherent sentence.

  She shakes her head.

  “Well then, I’ll win for sure, because Dane’s terrible.”

  I shove him. “What are you talking about? You came in fourth last time. Out of five.”

  “Yeah,” he says in triumph. “And who was fifth?”

  “Uh, your mother.”

  “Obviously, you were drunker than I remember, because you lost.”

  “I did not.”

  Her giggling pulls us out of our bickering. Her smile is so wide that it triggers one on my face as well. “Is it really important who wins or loses?” she asks. “I thought it was supposed to be fun.”

  She places a plate in front of me as I scoff at her. “Winning is a lot more fun than losing.”

  Shaking her head, she turns back to make up Jason’s plate. “Isn’t that kind of competitiveness supposed to die out as you get older?”

  Jason laughs. “She just called you old.”

  “I did not,” she cries.

  “You know, Pretty Girl, I’m younger than he is. Whenever you get bored with the old man here, just let me know.”

  “What? We’re the same age, you idiot.”

  “Not true. I’m two months younger.” He says it like there’s real validity to his asinine comment, and Lily thinks it’s funny. The sound of her laugh is wonderful after the day we had yesterday, and we’re able to keep her in stitches for most of breakfast.

  We do play mini golf and ride go-karts. Under overcast skies, we head north and then out to the coast and spend the day having fun. Lily loves the fantasy castle theme of the course, and for her first time she does well. Jason loves lording it over me that he wins, because it’s true, I suck. But then I rub it in that she feels the need to console me with a bit of kissing.

  I’ve told Jason to lay off, but he’s still putting his arm around her a lot and swatting her ass when she’s in his way. Not to mention, his comments come in a constant stream. Lily seems fine with it, laughing and joking with him freely, but normal boundaries are definitely a little blurred. I worry that it’s putting more stress on her. So, if I forced Jason away, would she be disappointed? Or if I brought him closer, would she panic? Should we be open about what we want? But what is that exactly? Is it even possible to have a real relationship between three people? Because at this point, it wouldn’t just be sex between Jason and Lily. God, forget Lily, I don’t know if I could handle that.

  At dinner, Jason convinces Lil to have margaritas with him, and soon she’s chattering away about everything from how she never saw her parents kiss each other to how she’s never been on an airplane. It’s a really good day.

  In the truck on the way home, she falls asleep on Jason’s shoulder because I’m driving. I keep my eyes on the road, trying not to notice how he plays with her hair, smells it, runs it between his fingers. My instincts tell me to stop him, to keep him away from what’s mine. But then images of them together kick in and they start some kind of erotic tug of war between my brain and my cock.

  When we get home and Jason is the one who carries her upstairs to bed, jealousy swamps me, especially when he seems to want to follow her right under the covers. I have to interrupt his worshipful look with a shove toward the door.

  Jason follows me down the stairs to the kitchen. “When Dane?” he demands.

  And that’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? And one that’s beginning to scare me more than a little. The high risk implies high gain, but on the flip side, there’s that bottomless pit of agony. Or more likely, a Lily who wants to please me, and I end up screwing our relationship all to hell.

  “It’s way too soon. She’s been through a lot.”

  “Yeah, she has. But she wants it.”

  Opening the fridge, I pull out two beers.

  “She doesn’t have a clue. You want it.”

  Understanding flashes across his face. “And you don’t?”

  “I don’t even fucking know anymore. She’s not just some girl, Jase.” I hand him his bottle.

  “I know that.”

  I give him a long look, but can’t come up with anything to say.

  “You’re jealous,” he announces in disbelief. “Of what?”

  Another good question. This is Jason. My best friend, my brother, my other half. “She likes you.”

  “Well, yeah,” he says like I’m stupid.

  “It wouldn’t just be fucking.”

  “And it’s going to be incredible.”

  “In the beginning, yeah. But I’m scared it’s all going to crash and burn. And I can’t lose her. I can’t.”

  “Crashing and burning doesn’t need to involve you. We’re all adults. If it doesn’t work, it’s me who’s out.”

  “You can’t know that.”

  He narrows his eyes as he takes a drink of his beer. “You really think I would try to take her from you? And then what?”

  When he says it out loud, it sounds idiotic, but that doesn’t stop m
y gut feeling from telling me not to let him anywhere near her.

  “Dane, listen to me. She’s so in love with you. She and I just joke around.”

  Anger flares inside of me. “Don’t fucking lie to me, Jason. You’ve got your heads together all the time, whispering about God knows what. You saved her! That’s not joking around, and you know it.”

  “Don’t be a moron. We’re whispering about you.” He lets that sink in before he continues. “Now I want you to listen to me closely, because I know you better than you know yourself. There is no me and her without you, Dane. There’s nothing to feel threatened by. Nothing.”

  I lower my elbows to the island in front of me and blow out a breath. He comes close and leans down beside me, so we’re shoulder to shoulder. “You need to stop being a pussy, brother. It’s freaking me out.”

  I can’t help but laugh.

  “And I’m going to ask you again: When? A week?”

  I take a swig of my beer, the emotions mercifully dissipating. There is no me and her without you. He’s right, I know he is. “At least,” I tell him. “Let’s give it some time, and if she seems okay, we’ll tell her.”

  His answering smile unnerves me.

  “But that doesn’t mean she’s going to agree. And we’re not going to pressure her. She’s already got enough on her plate.”

  “I know,” he says. “If she turns it down flat, that’ll be the end of it.”

  “Speaking of turning you down flat, did you get your test results?”

  “I get them Monday. And if I’m not mistaken, today is Saturday.”

  A grin slips onto my face. “It is.”

  He pushes off the island and goes to sit at the kitchen table, putting his feet up on the chair next to him. “So? I didn’t hear her this morning. You planning to go wake her up?”

  “Shit. You can hear her?”

  Jason laughs as I go to sit with him. “She’s pretty noisy.”

  I groan. “She is. And I did her bare last night.”

  “And?”

  “And it was amazing.”

  Now it’s Jason’s turn to groan as I go into detail. And then we’re on to the particulars of our sex toy shopping trip, which, with everything that’s happened, we haven’t even talked about yet. We get lucky that when Lily comes downstairs looking for us an hour later, there’s nothing that really gives away what we’re talking about. I wonder how she would react if she knew the things I told Jason. She would probably blush while she gave me crap. God, I love her.