Why Now?

by Carey Heywood

  I’m tempted to down the whole bottle but Kacey’s, “Wait, I wanted some of that,” has me lowering the bottle.

  “Huh?”

  She releases Heath’s hand and hurries to me, gently pushing me aside to reach up into a cabinet to pull down two glasses.

  “This is one of my Black Friday beers,” she explains which makes no sense.

  Without asking, she takes the beer from me and begins to pour it into the two glasses.

  “I woke up at five a.m. that day to wait in line to get this Goose Island Proprietor’s and a bottle of their Rare Bourbon Stout that was distilled with Heaven Hill Whiskey. I was saving it for a special occasion, but since it’s open there is no way I am not having some.”

  “I’m sorry,” I start, but she’s already raised her glass to her nose and, with closed eyes and a blissed out half-smile, inhaling it.

  “I told you to label the special beers,” Reilly mutters from behind me.

  “Shhh,” Kacey murmurs, not opening her eyes.

  “I had no clue you were this into beer, Killer,” I chuckle, claiming my glass from the counter.

  Before when I drank from the bottle, I didn’t realize how dark this beer was. In this clear glass, it’s not just dark; it’s black. Following Kacey’s lead, I give it a sniff.

  “Do I smell gingerbread?” I ask.

  Her eyes slowly open and fix on mine, the half-smile still there. “Oh, yeah.”

  Something is obviously wrong with me because even knowing she was kissed roughly by someone other than me, less than two minutes ago, I want her.

  Is it because I’ve always considered her mine even though I knew I couldn’t have her? Now that someone is trying to take her away from me, I’m finding all of my reasons she shouldn’t be mine falling flat.

  Her gaze holds mine as she takes a taste, not a sip, not a gulp, a taste. Pulling the glass from her lips, she holds the liquid on her tongue before swallowing.

  Hell, I gulp in response and I haven’t even taken a drink from my glass yet.

  Our moment is broken when she turns to offer a glass to Heath. She doesn’t bother offering any to Reilly. My sister will drink beer but she prefers liquor.

  When the pizza arrives, we make a circle around the coffee table to eat.

  “Want to watch a movie?” Reilly asks, after loading two slices onto a plate and settling herself into an armchair.

  “I’d rather catch up with you. Tell me about your plans, your boyfriends, whatever you want. We get DVDs on the rig. I’ll take you to a movie another night, but I’m burnt out on watching them on a TV.”

  “What’d the insurance adjustor say about all the damage to the house?” Heath asks.

  By the time he got to the house to pick us up, both the insurance guy and Reilly’s cameraman were gone. We’ve only talked about Kacey’s freak out since.

  Pausing to take another drink of my beer, I notice a hint of coconut this time. It’s an effort to not mention it to Kacey, but I answer Heath instead.

  “He gave me the number of a company to get a repair quote from. He has to take their quote and the quote from another company to decide our payout. No matter what, either quote is going to be higher than our deductible so we’re out that amount.”

  “I want to find whoever did it and teach them a lesson,” Reilly hisses angrily, before taking a bite of her pizza.

  It’s an effort not to laugh. She’s pissed, but taking it out on her slice does not make her that intimidating.

  “This might sound crazy,” I go on. “But, I’m thinking about doing the repairs myself.”

  “Why would you do that?” Heath asks.

  Setting my plate on the coffee table, I lean back on the sofa. “So much of what these places charge is labor. I know how to drywall and I have a ton of vacation time I didn’t know what to do with. I can camp out at the house so nobody breaks into it again while it’s being repaired and maybe make back the deductible in savings.”

  Reilly leans forward. “I can help.”

  She looks at Heath and Kacey, “We all can.”

  Heath nods but Kacey looks away.

  Yep, she’s still intent on avoiding me.

  He opened my Black Friday beer and I didn’t kill him, I didn’t even yell at him other than to ask for some of MY Black Friday beer. What the hell is wrong with me? And, what the hell has gotten into Heath?

  I didn’t even have time to jump when he startled me earlier because his lips were already on mine and his tongue was in my mouth. Then, his hands were in my hair and good grief it was hot.

  My hands had a life of their own. One minute they were at my sides, and the next they were wrapping themselves around Heath’s neck.

  God, then he pressed me back against the wall, his hips to mine, and I knew without a doubt just how much he wanted me. In that moment, I wanted him too. That kiss was incredible, it was almost as good as . . . then I heard Jake’s voice and it was like a bucket of cold water was dumped over my head.

  There might be something between Heath and me but I could not handle exploring whatever it was with Jake friggin’ Whitmore in the next room. Heath wasn’t thrilled when I pulled away, but he had to know it was insane to start something like that then.

  He didn’t argue when I grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the living room. He’s stayed close ever since. When Jake sat down on the sofa, Heath moved to sit next to Jake and motioned for me to sit on his other side. If Reilly wasn’t already in the armchair, I would have sat there. Now, I’m sitting on our sofa with Jake on the other side of a Heath wall.

  A wall that has his thigh pressed fully against mine with his hand resting on my knee, the same knee Jake placed his hand on earlier today. Does it feel different because Jake touched my bare skin where Heath’s hand is blocked by my jeans?

  Pizza, Kacey, focus on pizza. Pizza is safe.

  Pizza is not staying in Ferncliff and doing the work on his grandparent’s house with Heath, Reilly, and me.

  Thanks for that one, Reilly.

  Nope, pizza knows its purpose. Its purpose is to fill my belly with yummy goodness and not butterflies.

  “Want another drink?” Reilly asks either Jake or Heath, catching my attention.

  “Anything but the other Goose Island,” I blurt, making everyone look at me.

  I blush. “What?”

  Jake stands. “I won’t. Anyone else need another?”

  Reilly gets up as well to make her drink. While both of them are gone, Heath takes my empty plate from my lap and moves it to the coffee table.

  He turns his clear blue eyes to mine and I’m struck by how handsome he is up close.

  He leans in and softly presses his lips to mine. “You doing okay?”

  He is so nice. God, why can’t his kiss, his touch, and his presence light me up the way Jake does?

  Tucking myself into him, I reply, “Yes.”

  If I say it enough, maybe I’ll believe it.

  Reilly and Jake come back with their drinks.

  Before either of them sits, Reilly says, “Let’s play a drinking game.”

  “You know I have zero tolerance. I am not drinking more than two beers tonight,” I argue.

  She grins down at me. “With this game, you won’t have to. It’s not like you have to take shots, you can just keep sipping your Black Friday beer.”

  Sounds intriguing.

  Heath beats me to it when he asks, “What’s the game?”

  She moves around the coffee table and back to her armchair. “Never have I ever.”

  Jake, Heath, and I all groan in unison as she sinks back into her seat.

  “What?” She snaps. “Any of you have a better idea?”

  Um . . .

  Jake sits back down. When none of us says anything she lifts her drink and replies, “Thought so.”

  It’s my turn to pipe up. “How do you play this again?”

  Reilly rolls her eyes. “It’s like the easiest game ever. Someone says never have I ever b
lah blah blah and if you have blah blah blahed you take a drink. I’ll go first. Never have I ever kissed a member of the same sex.”

  Jake, Heath, and I all stare at her as she drinks.

  “You’ve kissed a girl?” Jake asked.

  She nods, “It was no big deal in college. Katy Perry was singing all over the place about liking it, so I thought what the hell. I tried to talk Kacey into kissing me but she refused.”

  Both Jake and Heath’s eyes snap to me.

  “So you’ve never kissed a girl?”

  Blushing, I reply, “I didn’t drink, did I?”

  Reilly frowns at all of us. “We need to rearrange seating. All three of you on the sofa is weird. If Heath leans forward, I can’t see Jake.”

  She stands and walks into her bedroom returning a minute later with her camp chair under her arm. She sets it up on the other side of the coffee table.

  “Jake, you sit here,” she orders.

  He lifts his beer and motions over his body with it. “Really?”

  He does look pretty comfortable but Reilly holds firm and nods.

  He groans, but like the good big brother he is, he stands and moves to sit in the camp chair.

  Reilly moves back to her seat and sits back down. She instantly pops back up and this time walks into my room.

  “Kacey, help me.”

  “Your sister is nuts,” I sigh, before standing up.

  She’s standing next to my polka dotted armchair, moving a small pile of clothes I needed to put away to the top of my dresser.

  “Help me carry this.”

  I take the back while she grabs the feet and we move it out into the living room.

  “Heath, you sit here,” Reilly says, once it’s on the other side of the coffee table. He doesn’t argue but looks at the ceiling for a moment before moving.

  “Isn’t this nicer?” She asks once we’re all sitting back down.

  Jake is across from me and Heath is across from Reilly.

  “This way we can all see each other,” she adds.

  “I’ll go next,” Jake says. “Never have I ever considered strangling Reilly Whitmore.”

  Heath, Jake, and I laugh, before all taking a drink.

  “You guys are so funny,” she huffs after we’ve all taken a drink and we laugh.

  She doesn’t seem amused and says, “Okay Kacey, your turn.”

  My eyes widen, moving from her face to Jake’s and then to Heath’s.

  It’s lame, but after a moment of thinking I reply, “Never have I ever been outside of North America.”

  “Trying to get me drunk?” Heath teases.

  He’s the only one of us who drinks. After high school, his mom and dad took him to Europe. It’s not like I didn’t know he would be the only one drinking, I just wasn’t sure what else to say. Besides, if I had said outside of the US we all would have needed to drink because we’ve all been to Mexico at least once.

  It’s like a rite of passage to go to Tijuana. One time was enough for me. The cab ride from one club to another was the scariest fifteen minutes of my life. That, and Reilly convincing me we were going to be kidnapped and sold into sex slavery or wake up in a hotel room bath tub with our organs removed.

  Sure, Wikipedia confirmed that last one was impossible but she had been pretty convincing at the time.

  “You’re up next, Mackey,” Reilly says.

  He scratches the side of his nose. “Never have I ever watched porn.”

  Oh God.

  Glancing around, I’m relieved and find it pretty funny that everyone lifts their glasses. We all drink.

  “You’ve watched porn?” Heath leans forward, his eyes on me.

  “Don’t embarrass her,” Jake snaps and I blush.

  Heath leans back, an annoyed expression on his face. “I wasn’t trying to embarrass her, I was just surprised.”

  Sofa, please swallow me up whole.

  “Moving on,” Reilly mutters and I can kiss her. “Never have I ever skinny dipped.”

  Both Heath and Jake lift their drinks. Reilly doesn’t, even though that is something I could see her doing.

  “At the same time?” She presses, glancing between them.

  Jake’s eyebrows come together. “No, I have not skinny dipped with Heath.”

  Reilly shrugs. “No reason to get all defensive about it. I was only being curious. Your turn, Kace.”

  This is hard. The last time I went, I picked a safe one that I already knew the answer to. There are things that I’m curious about but I’m not really sure I want to know.

  “Hmmmm, never have I ever stolen something.”

  All three of them drink while my jaw drops. “What did you guys steal?”

  Reilly answers first. “I stole a pack of grape bubbacrazy gum from Bob’s gas station when I was eight years old. Grams hated bubble gum so she never bought me any. Anywho, to conceal the evidence I tried to chew the whole pack on my walk home. I barfed grape gum into Mrs. Heyward’s daffodils and have never liked grape flavored anything since. Oh, and I stole your silvery top. The one you were looking for a couple of months ago.”

  “You did what?” I gasp.

  She purses her lips squinting one eye before replying. “Well, technically I borrowed it without you knowing and then forgot I had it. When you were looking for it, I forgot where I put it. Then I found it again and I’ve been waiting for the right time to tell you.”

  Standing I ask. “Where is it?”

  “It’s in my sock drawer,” she replies.

  I go retrieve my shirt. As I walk back into the room, I point at her. “You suck. I love this shirt.”

  She grimaces. “I’m sorry. If it makes you feel any better your tits looked way better in it than mine did.”

  Both Heath and Jake look over at the shirt in my hand with curiosity. Pressing it to my chest, I hurry to put it away.

  Jake is telling everyone what he stole when I walk back in.

  “ . . . I didn’t even know how to drive, other than the ride on lawn mower and the times Gramps would let me drive his cart for him when he went golfing.”

  Interrupting, I ask, “What’d you steal?”

  Jake grins. “Mr. Carlson’s mail truck.”

  My eyes widen. “You did not.”

  “I sure did.”

  “How old were you?” I ask.

  “I was ten.”

  Then I glance at Reilly. She looks just as shocked. “How did we not know this?”

  Jake laughs, “Gramps whooped my ass so badly I never bragged about it.”

  Reilly gasps, “Gramps spanked you?”

  He nods. “I couldn’t sit down for a week. See, messing with mail is a federal offence and the only reason Mr. Carlson didn’t turn me in was he and Gramps knew I did it. Gramps wanted him to be sure I’d never do it again.”

  “Did you crash?” I ask, sitting back down.

  “Nope. He wouldn’t admit it until he took me to get my learner’s permit, but Gramps said I was a natural.”

  “That is so much cooler than my gum story,” Reilly breathes.

  Then we all look at Heath.

  “What’d you steal?” Reilly asks.

  He frowns. “Nothing cool. A case of beer from my neighbor’s garage for a party when we were in high school.”

  He’s right; Jake’s story was way cooler.

  “Your turn, Jake,” Reilly says.

  “Speaking of high school, never have I ever gotten drunk at a high school party.”

  We all drink. Neither Jake nor Heath seems shocked that Reilly does, but they both give me looks.

  “Come on, Killer,” Jake presses. “Spill.”

  “Like the whole thing?” I ask, laughing and they nod.

  I cover my face with my hand and mumble, “God, this is so embarrassing.”

  Reilly says, “Ahh, I remember. You thought you were going to die.”

  Dropping my hand, I nod.

  “What?” Jake growls, his expression hardening.

&n
bsp; “I was nowhere near actually dying,” I quickly explain and he relaxes.

  “I mixed liquors and the last thing I drank was this red mixed drink. It ended up being the first thing to come back up and I was so drunk that when I started throwing up I thought it was blood and I was going to die.”

  Reilly nods. “Between bouts of hugging the toilet she came back to the party to say goodbye to everyone. She wanted them to know she’d miss them after she died.”

  Her eyes widen and she smacks her leg before continuing, “I almost forgot. You even made me write a farewell letter to Jake. Oh God, it was hysterical.”

  Blushing, I cut her off. “Yeah, well, it’s also the reason I don’t like mixed drinks. Whose turn is it?”

  “I’ll go,” Heath says, coming to my rescue. “Never have I ever had a fake ID.”

  Reilly is the only one who drinks, and Jake asks, “Where did you get a fake ID from?”

  It’s funny how he can still be an over protective brother eight years after the fact.

  Reilly seems amused by his annoyance and his question. “There was a boy who lived in our dorm with an older sister who looked like me. It was her driver’s license and it was ages ago.”

  His gaze turns to me. “I’m surprise she didn’t find one for you as well.”

  “Oh God, even if I had, Kace never would have accepted it,” she jokes.

  “Only proves how much smarter she is than you,” he grumbles.

  “Thanks, Jake, that’s super nice of you to say,” she snaps, setting her drink onto the coffee table with a bang.

  Jake folds his arms across his chest, unmoved by her actions. “You’ve grown up a lot since then but you’re still too impulsive. I swear, if I go prematurely gray it will be because of you.”

  She lifts her chin. “And it’d probably look good on you because men turn into silver foxes and women age. Being a girl fucking sucks.”

  Jake cracks a smile. “Sorry I’m so sexy, and shut up about aging, you’re still a baby.”

  “Am not,” she replies, but does it smiling then looks at me. “Your turn.”

  Shit, I should have been thinking of one while it was someone else’s turn.

  What have I always wanted to know about the people in this room? Reilly’s an open book so there isn’t anything I should direct her way.