by Toni Aleo
“That’s cool,” she says, leaning on her hands. “Why didn’t you play hockey?”
I shrug, grinning. “I sucked at it.”
“No way! Your dad is a legend, and Aiden is amazing.”
It’s refreshing that she doesn’t get that dreamy look in her eye when she speaks of my brother. “Yeah, but I wasn’t good. It wasn’t my passion. I like fixing things, I guess.”
“That’s cool. I play a little hockey, but I like volleyball more.”
“You’re really good. You and Ally are a great team.”
She nods. “Yeah, she’s one hell of a setter.”
“She is. I don’t miss a game when I’m around,” I say, and casually, I look over to where Ally and Taco are. They’re talking, and Ally looks more into it. That pisses me off. She’s probably forcing it since I called her on not wanting to be there. Man, she’s so stubborn.
“You’ve been gone three and a half years, right?”
“Yeah, I finished college, and now I’m back. I actually have an interview with the Assassins organization this Friday.”
“That’s cool.”
“How’s Jayden? Is his hand doing better?”
She nods. Jayden Sinclair is her uncle and the Assassins’ captain. “Way better. Being home has been nice for him. My cousins love it, and they are getting so big.”
“Yeah, it’s crazy how all of us are growing up. We’re all becoming adults and shit.”
“Scary, right?”
I laugh. “So scary. How’s your sister, Charlotte, and the boys?”
I forgot her brothers’ names, and unfortunately, she doesn’t help me out. “Good, in school and shit. It’s great that my dad is home now. I wish it was like that when I was growing up.”
“Right? Emery and Stella got more of my dad than Aiden and I did.”
“Makes you jealous, huh?”
“Yeah, but it’s okay. I got my work ethic from him.”
“Yeah?”
“Definitely.” I lean on the table, trying so hard to ignore Ally. It’s not working, and I’m finding now I’m the one forcing shit. “I’m actually going to call the athletic director at Bellevue tomorrow. Y’all’s jumbotron sucks.”
She nods. “So, you’re aiming for two jobs?”
“Yeah,” I say simply. “Keep me busy.”
She doesn’t seem to like that, but she doesn’t say so. Instead, says, “Our jumbotron needs help. I think the guy who was working on it quit.”
“Yeah, it hurt me to see it so messed up.”
She laughs. “That’s weird.”
“Oh, you don’t even know,” I say with a grin. “In my head, I am fixing it. Still. And it’s been hours since I left it.”
Her laugh is contagious, and man, she’s pretty. “You’re such a nerd.”
“I am,” I admit without shame.
“It’s cool. I’m nerdy too.”
I make a face. “No way.”
“I am. My dad has me obsessed with Funko Pops.”
I grin. “For real? That is nerdy.”
She nods. “Yeah, and I’m pretty damn good at D&D.”
My jaw actually drops. “You’re lying.”
“I’m not,” she laughs. “You used to play with my dad. Surely, you know I would follow in his footsteps.”
I honestly hadn’t even put two and two together. Benji, her dad, taught me D&D. “That poses a question. Is he going to be okay with us starting something?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. I haven’t told my parents. I don’t know if I want to.”
“What does that mean?”
She leans in toward me. “I think I’ll tell them if we’re going for a relationship. But if we’re just fucking, I don’t need to mention it.”
I swallow hard. “What do you want?”
“Not sure,” she says, her eyes dark and sultry. “I’m too young for anything serious. I want to enjoy being a wild college kid. I don’t want to be tied down to anyone. I like you, but I don’t want a relationship.”
I nod slowly. “I’ve always been a relationship kind of guy.”
Her eyes search mine. “Want to try something different?”
Do I?
I’ve never had a girl be so direct with me like this. Usually, females want relationships with flowers and candy. I’ve never had a girl look at me the way Angie is, with one thing on her mind. Getting me naked. It’s hot as hell, but I’m not sure I want that. She’s a gorgeous, sexy girl, and I wouldn’t mind getting naked with her, but I’ve also known her for a long time. I know her parents; I know her siblings. I’m not sure if I can just jump in bed with her. Then again, maybe that’s my problem. Maybe I’ve been too hung up on relationships that I’m missing out on sleeping around. Aiden did it for a long time before he got with Shelli. It’s appealing, but this is different. “I don’t know. It’s really hard to do that when I know you like I do. I don’t want to disrespect you.”
She grins. “Can’t disrespect me if I just want you to fuck me dumb.”
Lord. I can’t help but grin. “Okay, I don’t know what to say to that.”
She reaches over, taking my hand in hers. “Say you’re going to stop thinking and take me back to your place.”
I grimace. “I live with my parents right now.”
She makes a face. “Ew.”
“I know,” I laugh, shaking my head as I lace our fingers. “I just got back. Gotta get my life together.”
“Yeah, you do.”
I scoff. “Don’t worry, I’ll have it together in a month’s time.”
“I guess I can wait.”
“You guess?” I tease, my eyes holding hers.
“Yeah, but then again, we can go back to my dorm.”
“Don’t you share a room with Ally?”
“So?”
I shake my head. “So, that’s weird. I don’t want her walking in on us.”
She makes a face. “Who cares if she does?”
“As her cousin, you really don’t seem to care much about her feelings.”
She shakes her head, her eyes still very much narrowed. “It’s not that at all. But I’m getting the feeling that the guy I’m interested in is interested in her.”
“That’s not the case at all. I just don’t want to make anything weird for anyone.”
“If there are no feelings between you two, then why would it be weird?”
Well, shit, she’s got me there. “You’re right.”
She moves her thumb along my wrist. “Then let’s head back to my dorm.”
I hesitate. I fucking hesitate. This girl has her pussy on a platter, and I’m hesitating. What is wrong with me? My dad and my brother never hesitated, and look at them now, both really fucking happy. I don’t know why I am wavering. I should be up and ready to go, but I can’t seem to move.
“You’re an incredibly beautiful woman, and believe me, I would love to jump in bed with you—”
“But you’re not that kind of guy?”
I bite my lip and then nod. “I don’t want to sound like a pussy, and my brother would be very disappointed in me, but I think I want to get to know you a little more, rather than hop straight in bed with you.”
She quirks her lips. “I can respect that.”
“You think I’m a pussy?” I ask and she laughs.
“Actually, it’s refreshing for a guy to want to know me instead of just fucking me on night one.”
“I blame my mom.” She laughs, and I laugh along with her as I move closer to her. “I listen to her tell my sisters never to accept anything less than the royal treatment, and I think I don’t want to let her down. I wouldn’t want some dude to take either of my sisters to bed without knowing them. Though, I’m pretty sure Stella is busy as fuck.”
She laughs harder. “She isn’t a saint.”
“I know,” I say, shaking my head. “But for me, I want more than just a roll in the sack. I’m wired a different way.”
“I think that’s sweet,”
she says softly, and we share a grin.
I lower my voice and lean toward her. “But once I know you, believe me, I’ll fuck you not dumb, but stupid, which is way harder and with meaning.”
She beams at me, and a little snicker leaves her lips. “You’re so dorky.”
“It’s part of my charm.”
She hasn’t stopped smiling. “I’ve always found you attractive, and I’ve told Ally many times I don’t know how she isn’t humping you daily. But now I think I might like you, like you.”
I scoff. “Well, thanks.”
She bites her lip. “So.”
“So?”
But before I can even focus on what she is saying, I see Ally getting up and heading out with Taco. Hand in hand. I hold up my hand to Angie. “One second.”
I get up then despite her gripe and catch up with Ally and Taco. “Hey.”
Ally’s brows come in, and Taco gives me that “Die” look he has totally perfected since meeting me. Dude hates me. A lot. I take great pride in that. “Are you leaving?”
Ally eyes me. “Yeah.”
“Are you giving me a ride?”
Taco looks between us, and his aggravation is growing. “No, we’re leaving.”
“I thought you were going to Uber?” Ally asks me.
“My PayPal is shut down, and I left my wallet at home.” Wow, that lie came off my tongue quick. Ally doesn’t believe a word of it.
“I can call you an Uber,” Ally suggests, but I shake my head.
“Why, when you can take me? Meet up with him later.”
“Dude, stop cockblocking,” Taco says, and I give him a look that I hope he realizes means he is trash.
“Chalupa, I mean Nacho. Sorry, can I call you Nacho?” I ask and his look says no, but I don’t care. “I don’t need to cockblock. You’re not worth her time—”
“Ash, stop,” Ally says then, pressing her hand into my chest. “Go back to your date. Stella can give you a ride.”
Our eyes meet, and I silently beg her not to do this. “You’re better than this.”
She looks away. “See ya.”
I want to stop her, but there is no point. She does what she wants. That asshole has some kind of pull on her. As I watch them walk out, Taco’s hand slides down her back to her ass, and I cringe as the anger eats me alive. What the hell is she doing? When Stella comes up beside me, I can feel her gaze on me as I exhale.
“Just FYI, you can’t care more about your best friend than you do a potential girlfriend. Your date can get a little icky about it.”
I take a deep breath as I shake my head. “Ally has been my best friend for a long time—she is important to me. Whoever I am with will just need to get used to that. I care about Ally’s well-being. She doesn’t think before she acts.”
I meet Stella’s gaze, and she’s giving me a weird look. “Dude, you know the only reason Jasmine was okay with your relationship with Ally was because she wanted to sleep with her, right?”
I don’t need this reminder. “So?”
“So, a straight woman isn’t like that. They want you all to themselves. You either need to be prepared to give up this need to protect and be there for Ally, or start dating her, because you can’t have both.” She pats my chest. “I’ll be ready to leave in ten. Might want to go back and smooth things over with Angie before you lose that potential. She’s really great, and I think you two could be good together.”
I make a face. “She only wants to sleep with me.”
She shrugs. “What’s wrong with that?”
With that, she walks away as I let out a long breath. I think there is something wrong with me because, unlike my sister—and I know, my brother—I don’t want to just fuck someone. I want a relationship; I want the person I’m with to understand my relationship with Ally. She means a lot to me. I don’t care what Stella says; anyone who wants to be with me will always have to be cool with Ally. She’s my person, and it’s that simple. I’ll be alone forever before I stop worrying, caring, or trying to protect her. Anyone who can’t understand that wouldn’t understand me. It’s loyalty, and Ally has all mine. When I turn, I see Angie waiting for me. She looks annoyed, and I really don’t want to go back over there. Maybe we could be great together, but I want someone who wants me for who I am. Not because I look good and can rock her world. I can, but I want more.
I want to chase after Ally and make sure she doesn’t go home with that jackass.
Man, I knew coming home would be a cluster, but I honestly didn’t think the cluster would be caused by Ally.
Chapter Eight
Asher
I haven’t talked to Ally since she left Brooks House last night.
This is weird for us. We usually talk a lot, but it’s been sixteen hours—and nothing. Not that I’ve texted her, but she hasn’t texted me either. I’m still struggling with the fact that she left with that asshole. It’s ridiculous and annoying. She needs so much more than some dude who only wants to fuck her and mess up her life. I don’t know why she doesn’t see her worth when it comes to relationships. She settles for shit, and it blows my mind. She’s highly intelligent, so why does she want him? He’s an idiot. Fucking infuriating.
Infuriating is also how Angie was. She didn’t like that I tried to stop Ally. For someone who just wants to fuck around, she gets really jealous, really fast. It’s actually a turn-off, but I can look past it. Mostly because I don’t care. Angie can be jealous all she wants, but I’ll continue to be concerned for Ally. It’s nice to be wanted completely by someone—and for them not to want to sleep with Ally—but I don’t think things will progress with Angie. She’s a cool chick and hot as hell, but we are on different paths. She doesn’t want what I want, and that’s fine. I’ll see her again, but I’ll make sure she is aware of what I want. I don’t date for fun; I date for a future. Seriously, I was engaged at nineteen. Obviously, I want companionship with someone who completes me.
As I move through the kitchen, cleaning up the mess from the breakfast I made for everyone, the house is quiet. This month, my dad started scouting for the Assassins, and he left this morning for Boston. My mom is at the restaurant, and the girls are at school. It’s nice to have the house to myself, but I’m still ready to move out. I need my own space. Emery took the last pancake I made, and apparently Stella didn’t have any, so she tried to stab the pancake away from Emery but stuck her middle finger instead. The screaming was real—even Mom and Dad got involved. It was entertaining, to say the least. So now, Emery is walking around holding up her middle finger since it hurts but directing it right at Stella. At every turn, she flips her off. It’s insanely immature, but that’s Emery and Stella.
If I don’t get out of here soon, I might end up in a straitjacket.
When my phone rings, I bring it out of my pocket to see that it’s Aiden.
Thank God.
“Damn, getting ahold of you is like trying to reach the president.”
Aiden laughs. “I’m a busy dude. Winning hockey games and planning a wedding.”
I sputter with laughter. “Please, Shelli and Elli are doing all that.”
“True,” he laughs again. “So, what’s up? You’ve been harassing me.”
“Wanting to talk to my brother is harassing you?” I ask as I lean on the counter. “What if I needed something important? Would that be harassing?”
He groans in frustration. “Dude, shut up. I know what you want. You want my condo because you can’t handle the girls.”
“Well, aren’t you intuitive?”
He laughs. “I lived there too. I know what it’s like now that their periods have synced.”
I laugh along with him. “Stella stabbed Emery with a fork this morning. It was by accident, apparently.”
Aiden snorts. “No, it wasn’t. I don’t understand those two. They almost always kill each other, yet they love each other more than anything. It’s weird.”
“So weird,” I agree on an exhale. “But seriously, can I
get your condo?”
“Yeah, it’s empty. Take it.”
I jerk back in surprise. “When did you guys move?”
“Last week. We moved into a bigger apartment while they’re finishing building our house.”
“A bigger apartment?”
“Yeah, Shelli has a lot of shit.”
“I know,” I say, and he laughs.
“Our new place will be pretty awesome. I don’t know how Shelli can run the team, decorate our house, and plan our wedding, but I think she’s pretty badass.”
“She’s something, for sure.”
“We’ll be having a housewarming once it’s done.”
I grin. “It’s weird. I never saw this coming from you.”
“Eh, for the right woman, you’ll do anything. Shelli is that and more.”
“That’s awesome. I’m really happy for you.”
“Ew, don’t get mushy.”
I laugh. “Shut up. I am, though. I remember when you were just fucking and leaving. I never saw you getting with one woman like this.”
“I didn’t either, especially someone I grew up with. But Shelli, she’s everything for me.”
“Good,” I say happily. My brother was a little bit wild for a long time. He had no desire to settle down; he was scared of love, thanks to our parents and their whirlwind love story. The thing is, Shelli Adler is someone you can’t ignore. He was done for once she decided he was hers. He almost fucked it up with his insecurities and aloof attitude, but in the end, they were predestined. At the end of the summer, they’ll be married in some over-the-top circus of a wedding, and while I’m dreading the theatrics, I’m excited to see them become one.
What can I say? I’m a hopeless romantic.
“Though, I am surprised I’ll be married before you.”
“Right?” I agree. “I fucked up wasting years on Jasmine.”
“Yup,” he says. “It’s cool, though, just means you can go sow your wild oats.”
I snort. “No sowing for me. I like to get to know who I’m sleeping with.”
He laughs. “As long as you have a condom, you’re good. Go get you some. Enjoy it.”
