I watch them, waiting for her eyes to either focus on his spiky green hair or the vintage Scooby-Doo T-shirt he’s wearing. She doesn’t do either.
Instead, she turns to me. “I brought cherry pie. It’s Troy’s favorite.”
“I’m sure he’ll love it. Let me make room in the fridge for it.”
“We’re about to play Betrayal at House on the Hill if you want to join us,” Fred tells Jane.
“I’ve never played that before. What’s the learning curve like?”
“Steep,” Blake replies from the couch.
I’m not surprised by his grumpy reply. He hates explaining game rules to newcomers.
“Be nice,” I say. “Besides, it’s not that complicated.”
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to join. I’ve always wanted to play board games, but none of my friends are into them.”
“Awesome. The more, the merrier.” Fred steps closer to Jane and, as if they were old friends, throws his arm over her shoulders. “Don’t worry. I’ll be your guide this evening. By the time it’s over, you’ll be a pro.”
I expect the girl to shove him off her, but she simply laughs.
My eyes meet Blake’s. He gives me a what-the-hell look before shaking his head. I respond with a what-can-you-do shrug and join everyone on the couch. For a brief moment, all thoughts of Troy recede to the back of my mind.
* * *
TROY
My shoulder is bothering me again, but I keep the discomfort to myself. I got a ride with Andreas, and I don’t need him to get angry all over again over my accident. He hasn’t brought up Charlie at all today, but despite his easygoing personality, he also has a mean streak. Mess with him or his friends, and he’s out to get you.
We stopped by Zuko’s Diner to grab dinner, and during the entire time, Andreas blabbered about a set of twins he’d been screwing—not at the same time, he made sure to point that out. In fact, it seems they don’t know he’s been tapping them both. He plans to propose a ménage soon, but I told him it would backfire royally. In his usual fashion, he wasn’t worried about it.
We’re ten minutes from the house when I receive a text from Charlie. A surge of excitement runs through me just seeing her name pop up on my screen. We’re no longer fighting like cats and dogs, which means my previous assessment that I enjoyed my fights with her because of the rush was false. It’s her that gives me the high. And I have no clue what to do about it. If it’s only a physical thing, then it should go away as soon as we bang. If it doesn’t, then that’s a problem.
“Who texted you?” Andreas asks.
“Charlie.”
“What does she want?” His tone turns dark. Yeah, he’s still not over Charlie’s part in my accident.
“She wants to know if she can host a game night at our place.”
“And what did you say?”
“I haven’t texted her back yet.”
“Say no just out of spite.”
“How old are you? I’m not going to say no.”
I text her back with a No problem, then look out the window, thinking about the conversation Brooke interrupted. Where was I going with it?
“Fine. I’m curious to see who her friends are. It’ll probably be fun crashing her party.”
“You’re not coming in unless you promise to behave.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t treat Charlie bad or anything. In fact, I’ll be so sweet to her, she’ll get a toothache.”
I glance at him, narrowing my eyes. “Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of.”
He doesn’t offer another comment during the rest of the drive, and when we park in front of the house, his grin makes me suspect he’s up to no good. I get out and head to the front, not bothering to wait for him. He doesn’t follow me right away, but when he catches up with me, he’s whistling. I notice the backpack strap hoisted over his shoulder.
“What are you doing with that?”
“I missed my gym session this morning. I figured I could lift some weights.”
“I thought you said you wanted to crash Charlie’s party.”
“That too.”
I’m not sure what he’s planning, but he’d better not pull some crap tonight. I throw him a meaningful glance before opening the front door.
The scene I walk in on makes my steps falter. I see Charlie and two guys I’ve never met, plus my sister, Jane, animatedly speaking at the same time. They’re so into their conversation that they don’t notice we just walked through the door.
“Jane?” Andreas says.
The conversation ceases in an instant.
She looks at us, smiling broadly. “Hey, you’re home. Hi, Andy.”
“What’s going on here?” he asks as if he lives here and not me.
“Dude, chill out,” I tell him.
“I came by to see how Troy was doing, and then Charlie invited me to play a game while I waited,” Jane explains.
“Oh, cool. What are you playing?” I ask.
“Betrayal at House on the Hill,” she replies.
“I didn’t know you were into board games.” I walk closer, not glancing at Charlie on purpose. I’m afraid if I do, it’ll show on my face what she’s doing to me.
“I’ve always wanted to play, but no one in my circle cares for them.”
“It’s because your friends are all lame.” The dude with spiked green hair bumps my sister’s arm with his elbow, making me frown. A bit too familiar there.
“Who are you?” Andreas asks, not hiding the aggression in his tone.
I whip my face to his, hoping he can see the warning in my eyes, but he’s not paying any attention to me. He’s staring at Charlie’s friend.
Shit. His beast mode is activated.
“You just got here. Shouldn’t you be introducing yourself first?” the guy sitting next to Charlie retorts.
Andreas snorts. “Like you don’t know who I am.”
“Why should they? You’re not a celebrity,” Jane replies, making my jaw slacken. Ten minutes of hanging out with Charlie has put sass in my sister. I’ll be damned.
Andreas seems to be at a loss for words as well. He simply stares at Jane, bug-eyed.
Charlie points at her green-haired friend. “That’s Fred, and this is Blake.”
I don’t miss when she touches the dude’s arm. She’s standing way too fucking close to him, and I don’t like it.
“How do you know Charlie?” I ask.
“I met Charlie through LARPing,” Fred replies. “But she and Blake have known each other for like forever.”
Crossing my arms, I look at her. “Is that so?”
“Yeah, I’ve known Blake since we were in kindergarten.”
I sense the guy staring a hole through my face, so I move my attention to him. Looking closely, I realize he seems familiar. “I’ve met you before.”
“Sure have. Ludwig dragged me to one of your games. He introduced us.” I try to rescue the memory from the depths of my brain, but before I can, he continues, “I’m the editor of the Rushmore Gazette. Let me tell you, I loved getting censored by the school administration because of you.”
Ah fuck. That explains why he’s shooting daggers at me.
“You shouldn’t publish garbage then,” Andreas pipes up.
Charlie whips her head around so fast, her ponytail slashes across the air. “My article wasn’t garbage.”
“What’s going on?” Jane asks, confused.
“Nothing is going on,” I butt in before things get out of hand. “Charlie and I have settled our differences. Let’s just keep the past in the past.”
My remark seems to mollify Charlie.
When she looks at me, her eyes aren’t crackling fire anymore. “Right. We’re no longer archenemies, unless Troy decides to join us for game night. Then all bets are off.”
Her lips curl into a mischievous smile that sets my body ablaze. I’m lusting for this girl badly.
“That’s an unfair challenge. I’ve never played that b
efore.”
“And you’re not going to. I’m not about to waste another twenty minutes explaining the rules,” Blake grumbles.
“Hey. It didn’t take me twenty minutes to learn,” Jane complains.
“I know, but I’m going out on a limb here and guessing your brother will be a more challenging case.”
“Blake! Stop it.” Charlie hits him on the chest with the back of her hand.
I wave her off. “Nah, it’s okay, roomie. Cheap insults like that don’t bother me. But if you want to beat me in a game, I have Monopoly lying around somewhere.”
Blake makes a face of disgust, but his friend perks up in his seat. “Oh, I haven’t played Monopoly in ages. Let’s do it.”
I glance at Charlie. “What do you say?”
She smirks. “Oh, it’s on. And so you know, you’re going down.”
17
TROY
Andreas corners me as soon as I enter my bedroom. “What the hell are you doing?”
“I’m looking for my Monopoly game, in case you haven’t noticed,” I reply, annoyed. He’s pissing me off with his attitude.
“Right. I’m talking about the little foreplay between you and Charlie. When did you flip, man?”
“Foreplay? Are you crazy?”
“I know what I saw.”
“Uh-huh. Yeah, only your depraved mind would think anything dirty from a polite conversation.”
“Whatever. Well, while you look for your game, I’m going to work out.” He disappears through the door.
I don’t stop him. It’s better if Andreas doesn’t join us downstairs. He’s in an antagonizing mood and needs to chill out on his own.
It takes me five minutes to find the old board game. The box is falling apart, held together by tape. It belonged to Dad. I found it in a donation bin in his garage, though I’m not sure what prompted me to rescue it. I don’t think we’ve ever played it as a family before my parents split up when I was fairly young, soon after Robbie died.
I run my hand over the top, getting sentimental over nothing.
Screw this. I’d better get back to the living room before I fall into a dark hole of memories and can’t get out.
When I pass in front of the gym room, I glance inside. Andreas isn’t there.
Where the hell did he go?
I get my answer right away when I hear his booming voice coming from downstairs. Son of a bitch. He must have changed his mind about working out. I wish Danny were here to serve as a buffer. Usually, the two of us can keep Andreas’s mercurial mood in check much easier.
“I found the game,” I announce from the top of the stairs.
“Oh goodie,” Blake replies sardonically.
His rude comments are beginning to get to me. I can’t fall for his goading though. I’m trying to stay on Charlie’s good side. Fighting with her no longer appeals to me—unless we’re sparring in the bedroom.
Jesus. I think Andreas’s way of thinking has rubbed off on me.
We get ready to play the game. The L-shaped couch can’t fit all of us, so I grab a folding chair from the closet beneath the stairs and set it right across from Charlie. I want to look at her all night. I hope my cock behaves. She’s not even all dolled up tonight. Her clothes are casual and cover most of her body. Her hair is in a ponytail, and she’s wearing her big glasses. Still sexy as hell.
The first few rounds of the game are fairly uneventful, everyone busy trying to acquire as many properties as possible. It’s only when a few of us start to build houses and hotels that things get interesting. Andreas is currently spending time in jail. It’s Charlie’s turn now, and she’s about to pass through my side of the board. I have three properties, all with hotels, and a mode of transport. Basically, it’s a minefield.
I lean back in my chair, grinning like an idiot.
“Come on, roomie. Daddy needs more money for his empire,” I say.
“Daddy?” She quirks an eyebrow.
I shrug a shoulder.
Charlie rolls the dice, then lifts her fist in the air when she gets double sixes. “Yes! Take that, sucker.”
She blows past my properties, not landing on any of them, to my utter disappointment.
“I’ll get you next time.”
“I’m happy in jail. I never want to get out.” Andreas chuckles, looking pointedly at Jane. He almost went bankrupt after he landed on one of her properties with two hotels.
“Sorry.” She chuckles.
He holds her gaze for a moment, almost as if he’s in a trance.
Ah shit. My worst fear is happening before my eyes. Jane is totally on his radar now.
I toss a handful of peanuts at him. “It’s your turn.”
“Hey, I’m not cleaning that mess.” Charlie points at me, furrowing her eyebrows as if she were mad. But her eyes dance with glee.
Something has definitely changed between us since that kiss. I wouldn’t call our banter foreplay, but it’s definitely toeing the line of flirtation territory. I hate to concede that Andreas was right. I should stop, erect a barrier between us, but I don’t want to. Deep down, I know if anything happens between Charlie and me, it won’t end well. But I’m a fucking glutton for punishment.
“Sorry, darling. I can’t do any housework.” I point at my arm in the sling.
“But you sure can make a mess.” Jane shakes her head. “Typical.”
“I know, right?” Charlie piles on.
I snort. “That’s rich coming from you. Have you already forgotten that time I came home and it looked like a Halloween truck had exploded in my living room?”
She rolls her eyes. “Please, I was in the middle of moving. You can’t use that as an example.”
“Yeah, yeah. Whose turn is it now?” Blake asks, glowering at the board.
“Oopsie. It’s mine,” Fred pipes up. He reaches for the dice, then leans closer to Jane. “Blow on them for good luck?”
I sit straighter in my chair, ready to put the green-haired idiot back in his place, but Andreas beats me to the punch. “What the hell, dude? She’s in high school. Stop putting the moves on her.”
Jane’s eyes turn as round as saucers. Her cheeks flush.
“Why? So you can take his place?” Blake retorts.
“Excuse me?” Andreas stands up, body coiled tight with tension.
I do the same, ready to get in between him and Charlie’s friend.
“I should go. It’s getting late,” Jane announces, looking embarrassed as hell.
I turn to her. “Good idea. I’ll walk you out.”
“Hold on. I’m coming too.” Andreas follows us. Of course he would.
I’m almost certain he only decided to stick around because of Jane.
“Finally,” Blake mumbles.
“Blake, stop being such an ass,” Charlie replies.
It’s an effort to bite my tongue, but I do so because I’m not in the mood to start another argument. My shoulder is suddenly throbbing. I need to stop obsessing about Charlie and worry about my recovery.
“There’s cherry pie in the fridge,” Jane tells me outside.
“Thanks. I’m sorry the evening turned out sour.” I glare at Andreas.
He scoffs. “What’s with the look? I didn’t do anything wrong. That punk with green hair, on the other hand, is a fucking perv. Jane is barely eighteen.”
“Fred is not a perv.” She crosses her arms. “I don’t need another big brother protecting me, Andy. Troy is plenty.”
Andreas opens and shuts his mouth without making a sound, like a fish out of water.
Ha! It seems I don’t need to worry about Jane after all. Thank fuck.
I pull her into a side hug. “Thanks for coming. We’ll do something fun this weekend.”
“We have Dad’s barbeque on Saturday. Now that you can’t play, you’re coming.”
“Ah hell. I forgot about that. Do we need to go?”
“Yes. I already said we would. I’m not going alone.”
“That sound
s like a lot of fun,” Andreas pipes up. “I wish I were off. Maybe I could get the twins to come.”
Jane wrinkles her nose. “Ew.”
The consternated look on his face makes me chuckle.
He rolls his eyes at me. “Ha-ha. Laugh all you want. At least I’m getting booty. Meanwhile, you’re pining for a girl who hates your guts.”
His comment kills my amusement in a flash. “Get the hell out of here before I punch you in the throat, jackass.”
He flips me off, then strides to his car.
“What’s up with him?” Jane asks. “He used to be nicer.”
“No, he’s always been an ass. He just hid it from you.”
“Hmm.” She keeps her gaze trained on him until he gets in his Bronco. Then, as if she just finished processing Andreas’s comment, she glances at me. “You have a thing for Charlie?”
Thanks a lot, Andy.
“No. That’s all in Andy’s dirty imagination.”
Jane narrows her eyes. “I’m not sure if he’s making stuff up. You guys were pretty flirtatious tonight.”
I step away from her. “Not you too, Jane.”
“What’s the big deal if you like her?”
“For starters, we live together. Have you ever heard the saying, Don’t shit where you eat?”
She rolls her eyes, followed by a sigh. “Okay, fine. I’m not going to bug you about it. But if you want to explore the possibility, I’d say the path is clear.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’m saying Charlie is into you too.”
I keep my expression neutral, but I can’t ignore how Jane’s comment sends a thrill down my spine.
18
CHARLIE
With Troy unable to play football, we’re constantly home at the same time. However, I go out of my way to not spend too much time in his company. It’s not only that I’m afraid to explore whatever is going on between us, but I also legit have a ton of work to do.
It’s Friday night, and I don’t foresee going to bed until the early hours of the morning. I have to finish my editing job. It’s a romance novel, and to be fair, I’ve been procrastinating finishing the assignment. Romance is not something I read for fun, but that’s not the issue. The hero reminds me too much of Troy, even down to his description. That leads my mind to wander to him instead of focusing on correcting the grammar in the book. But I’m determined to finish it tonight.
Heart Stopper: Rebels of Rushmore Book One Page 9
