All Pepped Up (Pepper Jones #2)

by Ali Dean

  “So, Pepper…” Kayla turns to me. “Has Madeline given you any shit since the party at Remy’s a couple months ago?”

  My eyebrows shoot up. How does she know about that? “Not really.”

  I scoot forward in my chair to refill my wine glass. My head is starting to spin a little, but I’m feeling relaxed and I like it.

  “Hmmm,” Kayla reflects. “She may not have said anything to you directly, but she’s trying to stir up trouble.”

  My eyes flick to hers. “She is?”

  Kayla nods with a sympathetic smile. “Come on. Madeline doesn’t declare war on you like she did and then walk away. I know you’re a little naïve, Pepper, but you didn’t think she’d just disappear, did you?”

  I shrug. “Well, no. I mean, I’ve seen her around.”

  I don’t think Kayla intended to insult me, because there’s no snideness in her tone. And anyway, I’d rather be the one oblivious to social drama than the one instigating it. But what about being the victim? Is that what she’s telling me?

  “Where’s Jace tonight?” Lisa asks. “He’s not at Connor’s with the other guys.”

  That comment, on the other hand, was intended to rile my feathers. I let her know it didn’t by gazing back at her impassively.

  Andrea glares at Lisa, who shrinks back on the couch. “He’s at the game with Wesley, Lisa,” she says sharply. “Although Lisa does have a point. No need to get paranoid, but Madeline has definitely been trying to move in on your man, and it’s best you know about it.”

  I gulp down another sip of wine. Shit. How did I not know this?

  “Look, Pepper. We like you,” Kayla says. My eyes slide to Lisa. Who is we exactly?

  Kayla answers my unasked question “Well, Lis here needs to get over that you used to date her boyfriend, but she’s got your back.”

  Lisa nods in agreement, though her icy attitude tells me she’s only on board to avoid conflict with her best friends.

  “Anyway, we never liked Madeline hanging around Jace, acting like they had something special.” She must recognize the hurt look on my face because she adds, “It wasn’t anything special. We all got that he had a thing for you. Believe me. Sure, didn’t stop us from…”

  Andrea coughs and glares at Kayla. Right, they’ve all hooked up with him. At least, according to rumors.

  “Yeah, well, you know. So the point is, we don’t like Madeline and her girls. They’re bitches. We put up with them because Jace seems to like hanging with Wesley these days, and that means Lincoln people are going to be around at parties, but I do not want those girls moving in on our territory.”

  I frown. What exactly does she mean by territory? Their popularity and power at Brockton Public? Or maybe she means the guys? Both, I guess.

  “Serena is always all over Connor. It drives me nuts,” Andrea says. “I mean, we’re going to different colleges next year, and we finally have something good together. I won’t let her mess with my last few months with him.”

  “Do you know why Wes and Jace are so close now, anyway?” Lisa asks me.

  I look down at my wine glass and swirl around the pink liquid. These girls surely knew about the drug dealing, and they also probably know that’s not happening anymore. It’s a fair question, but I’m not going to be the one to give the full answer.

  “They used to be really close. I guess they just reconnected.” It’s not exactly a lie.

  All three girls watch me, and I know they sense I’m not telling the full truth.

  “What did you mean that Madeline is trying to move in on Jace?” I ask Kayla.

  She shrugs and leans back in her chair. “At first, she was moving in on Wesley. She probably thought it would make Jace jealous or something, since Wesley and Jace used to have some sort of rivalry. But Jace didn’t give a shit.”

  I remember her little display at the ping pong tournament. I also remember Jace looking angry. Had he been jealous? Or was he mad because he recognized she was using Wes to get his attention? Do brothers get protective of each other over stuff like that?

  Kayla continues, “Now she’s just going right for Jace. I’ve seen her in seduction mode a few times around him.”

  My blood boils. I know exactly what Kayla is talking about by “seduction mode”. I have seen Madeline work her magic, and it’s quite effective. Guys lose their cool big time when she turns on the charm.

  Andrea shakes her head and laughs. “Yeah, but Jace doesn’t give her the time of day. It’s so satisfying to witness.”

  “Did you see her after our tennis match the other day when Jace was leaving practice?” Lisa says with a giggle.

  Kayla rolls her eyes. “Yeah, he made a fool of her. But I don’t know how long that will last. I’ve never seen a guy turn her down.”

  The other girls look at each other and fidget. It’s clear from their uneasy expressions that Madeline has messed with the guys they are currently seeing.

  “We just need to watch her. She’ll change tactics at some point.” I can see why Kayla is the leader of the group. She’s thinking ahead. She knows how this scheming game works because she’s probably played at it herself. How else do you become the most powerful girl at Brockton Public? Not by sitting back and going with the flow, that’s for sure. Because that’s just what I’ve been doing, and apparently it’s unwise of me.

  Chapter 12

  “Boys are here!” Andrea announces some time later that night. We’ve been playing cards and I have no idea how much time has passed.

  Remy, Connor and Ryan enter the living room and laugh at the mess we’ve left on the coffee table. Remy lifts the box of Franzia. “Damn, girls, you finish this all tonight?”

  We giggle in response, providing him with his answer.

  “Where’s Ben?” I ask. Remy frowns at me. Maybe that was a stupid question. “It’s just, usually he’s with you guys,” I say quietly.

  “Oh, he went to hook up with some girl,” Remy tells me.

  I nod, realizing these guys each have a girl here, and I’m the odd one out. Awkward.

  “When did the game end?” I wonder.

  “About an hour ago,” Connor tells me.

  Oh. Jace should be back soon. Unless they went somewhere. But I don’t have my phone on me so I have no idea if he wanted to meet up.

  “Did you want to check in with Jace?” Remy asks, as though reading my mind.

  “Yeah. Can I use your phone?” I stand up, and waver for a second before catching my balance. Whoa. I definitely need to stop drinking.

  Remy walks over to me and takes my arm. “Easy there. You okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah. I’m good.”

  He hands me his phone and I head into the hallway to call Jace. As I scroll through Remy’s contacts I overhear him talking to Kayla. “How much did she drink? Jace might not be down with this.”

  “She’s a big girl, Remy. She’s been coming out and drinking since they got together. It’s no big deal.”

  “Yeah, but Jace is always with her when she’s been out before. And I’ve never really seen her drunk.”

  Well, maybe it’s about time I do get drunk. My body feels nice and loose, like a noodle. And I really want to see Jace.

  “What’s up?” Jace answers.

  I frown. That’s not usually how he answers when I call. Oh, right. He thinks it’s Remy calling.

  “Hey, it’s Pepper,” I tell him.

  Jace’s tone softens immediately and it makes me smile. “Oh, Pep,” he sounds relieved. “I was wondering where you were. I just got to your place and no one’s home. I was trying to reach you earlier. Where you at?”

  “I’m at Andrea Hill’s house. Do you know where she lives? You should come over. Everyone else has a boyfriend here and I want you to come.”

  Jace doesn’t say anything for a beat. “Have you been drinking?”

  “You can tell?”

  “Yeah, your voice is girlier or something when you drink. It’s cute.”

  “Oh.”


  “I’m on my way,” he tells me.

  When I hand Remy his phone, he gives me a glass of water. “You should drink this. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

  I shrug and take the glass from him before returning to my spot on the floor with Dave. There’s space for me on the couch, but it feels good to lie down.

  This is strange. Hanging out with all of Jace’s friends without Jace. But kind of cool too. And I haven’t thought about running all night.

  I can tell when Jace arrives before he says anything. It’s like the energy in the room just shifts in his direction.

  The guys get up to greet him and Andrea grabs him a beer from the fridge. He takes a sip but puts it down and heads over to me.

  His eyebrows are raised when he looks down at me. “Whatchya doin’ down there, Pep?” The corners of his mouth turn up in amusement.

  “Dave wanted to hang out with me. You wanna join us?”

  Jace shakes his head and laughs. “Sure, Pep.”

  He bends down and lies next to me, putting his arm under my head and tugging me to him.

  We lie there together for a few minutes, catching up on each other’s day.

  “Hey! I forgot. Gran’s at some old ladies’ retreat in the mountains. You can sleep over.”

  “Old ladies’ retreat?” he asks in amusement.

  I roll my eyes. “I honestly have no idea what it is. That’s just what she calls it. Maybe they all sit around knitting.”

  “It’s probably much less innocent than that if Buns is there. And Lulu. Those two together are double trouble.”

  His assessment sends me into a fit of giggles and Jace shakes his head, smiling at me. A moment later, Jace scoops me up and shifts me to his back for a piggyback ride.

  “All right, we’re outta here,” he announces as he marches out the door. I cling to his back and check to make sure Dave is following us.

  We wave goodbye and Jace buckles me in. I start to get sleepy on the drive home, and Jace carries me up to the apartment. He helps me into my pajamas, and snuggles in beside me.

  “You never told me that Madeline has been trying to get in your pants,” I tell him on a yawn.

  “No. Why would you want to know that? I shut her down, Pep. So it’s not important.”

  “Okay. Those girls are all worked up, telling me about some war with her.” I snuggle in closer, suddenly not caring about the drama. “Let’s just stay out of it.”

  “You always have, Pep. No need to change that now.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.” Or is he? Now that I’m his girlfriend, is it still possible to stay out of it?

  Jace strokes my back. “Are you ever going to want to spend some time with my mom? I know you don’t like her, but she’s becoming a part of my life, and I’d like you to get to know her a little.”

  Huh? He wants me to get to know her? I thought he was hiding me from her. He’s right though. I don’t really want to spend time with her. But I will for him.

  “Sure, Jace. But only if we can make out a little before I fall asleep.”

  Jace pulls me on top of him with a groan and grants my request.

  ***

  I wake up with a dry mouth and my face smooshed against Jace’s chest. I creep out of his arms and chug two glasses of water before brushing my teeth and climbing back in bed.

  “How you feelin’?” Jace asks as he nuzzles my neck.

  “Hungry,” I tell him. “I’m craving bacon.”

  Jace laughs. “How are you not hung over? You could barely walk last night.”

  “How do you know? You carried me everywhere.”

  He squeezes my hips where I’m ticklish and I slap his hands away. “I carried you because you couldn’t walk,” he explains.

  “Oh.”

  “You’re a sweet drunk though.” He kisses my collarbone and shoulder.

  “I thought you’d be mad. Give me a lecture or something.”

  “That’d be a little hypocritical of me, don’t you think?” He sits up on his elbow and props his head in his hand. “But we do have some stuff to talk about. So I’m gonna run home and get changed, and then I’m taking you to Hal’s.”

  After waiting outside for a table to open up, we slide into a booth at Hal’s Diner and order the $4.99 special. The Wilders are out of pancake ingredients so we have to forgo our usual Sunday morning breakfast.

  “Pep, I know something’s up with you and running. You never talk about racing anymore. You don’t seem excited about it. What’s up?”

  I sigh. Here we go. Time to hash this out.

  “It’s the pressure. The expectations. Everyone expects me to be the best now. Before, people had confidence in me. And that felt good. But now, it’s different. It’s like if I don’t do well, they’ll be disappointed.”

  Jace tilts his head to the side. “What do you mean by ‘they’? Who, exactly?”

  I shrug. “Everyone, I guess.”

  “Not me. Not Gran. We just want you to have fun out there. We’re always proud of you when you have a great race, but only because we know you love it.”

  I think about that. Yeah, I guess that’s true. “But what about my teammates, and just, you know, all the people at Brockton Public and in Brockton who have been following my running?”

  “You really think your teammates would be disappointed in you? And who cares about fans you don’t even know?”

  Maybe he’s right. But still, the pressure weighs on me. “Do you ever feel it with football? The expectations? Doesn’t it get to you?”

  “Yeah, of course.” He sounds surprised that I asked. “You can’t tell?”

  “Seriously? You act so chill about it, and you’ve never said anything.”

  “I could tell you were feeling it because I get that way too. Maybe it motivates some people, knowing everyone’s watching and critiquing, but it messes with me. I just want to play well because I love it. It’s cool when we have a crowd and people are really into it, but the hype about how I’m playing is a distraction. So I just try to block it out, you know?”

  “Kinda. I was on two relays at the Rocky Mountain Relays last weekend. The first one, once I got moving, I blocked it out and had a great race. The second one, I don’t know what happened. I just didn’t have it. I didn’t feel it.”

  Jace traces his finger along my thigh. It’s distracting me but he hardly seems to notice he’s doing it.

  “That happens to any athlete, Pep. Just because more people are paying attention doesn’t mean you’re not gonna have races that don’t go well.”

  “Yeah, I guess every race can’t be a great one. I mean, I’ve had some pretty disastrous ones over the years. But I never felt scared it would happen before the race began. Usually, I assume it’ll go well but now, I assume it won’t. Or at least it won’t go as well as other people think it should.”

  I put my hand down to join his on my leg, stilling his movements. He uses his other hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

  “You just gotta accept that you’re gonna have some bad races and people might say some mean stuff that isn’t true. But it’s worth it, because you love racing.”

  “When did you turn into such a smarty-pants?” I tease.

  “It’s sports. I can talk sports,” Jace says with a grin. That’s true, but he’s talking about emotions too, and it’s good to see him opening up.

  We finish our meal and Jace pays the bill. He takes my hand again as we head out the door and walk down the sidewalk toward his Jeep. I’ve noticed he likes to make sure we’re touching somehow whenever we’re together.

  “So, the other thing I wanted to talk to you about…” Jace pauses and clears his throat. I glance up at him, curious about the nervousness in his voice. There’s a wrinkle in his forehead and I squeeze his hand, hoping he’ll relax.

  “My mom. She’s asked me to invite you to dinner a couple times now.” Jace leans me against the passenger door when we reach the car and puts his hands on my
hips. “You haven’t said anything, but I can tell how you feel about her, and about me spending time with her.”

  I swallow. Is it fair for me to hold a grudge against her when it’s Jace that she hurt?

  “Just, can you give her a chance? This is important to me,” he says softly.

  I brush a lock of hair out of his eyes. “Of course.” How can I refuse a request like that from my boyfriend? “It’s just hard for me to understand how you can forgive her and trust her so easily after all this time. But, if you have, and you want a relationship with her, I’ll do my best to get on board.”

  He kisses my jaw. “I guess I feel like I understand when people make mistakes and do stupid things. She regrets it, and it just took her a while to get well enough to come back. I’ve never been an addict, but I get how all-consuming the stuff is. Don’t let me turn to that shit again, okay?”

  “I won’t.”

  “Come on, let’s get some homework done and then we’ll meet my mom for dinner.”

  To my surprise, Jace brings all his books over and studies diligently beside me for several hours. I know he has to get homework done at some point, but I rarely witness it.

  He talks me into going to the UC gym later in the afternoon and I do some light lifting while watching girls ogle Jace. And these are college girls. Sheesh.

  I’m going through the motions on the leg machines, but I still don’t feel like I’m pushing myself with any specific goal in mind. I understand what Jace was saying, but I’m still afraid. I can’t just block out the hype around my running success. And it seems like no matter what, I’ll never live up to others’ expectations. Once you’ve won a national title, there’s nowhere to go but down.

  On the drive to Annie’s house, I try to psych myself up and get into the same mindset as Jace. She was young when she had him. She had an addiction. She’s trying to make up for it now. She’s a good person. Who won’t hurt Jace. Ugh. I just can’t bring myself to believe it.

  Annie’s roommate, Helen, answers the door, and we follow her into the living room. “Annie will be home any minute. Her shift at the restaurant went later than expected. What can I get you kids to drink?”

  We settle in on the couch and Helen brings us lemonade. They live in a two-story condo that’s clean and decorated in a modern, minimalist style.