The Elite Kings Boxset Vol. II

by Amo Jones

  Her eyes snap up to mine, a smile stretched wide. “Really?”

  I nod, pulling my lips between my teeth. “Yes. I will figure out work and pay rent—”

  Elena shakes her head. “No. No rent is needed. Can I ask you one more thing?”

  Why not. I nod, nervous about what she’s going to ask me next. Her eyes shift to Joseph, who looks almost statue-like. “You know my active life in The Kings. So, I just—”

  “—Honey, don’t bore her with all of that.”

  I sense she’s not telling me something, but it’s probably got to do with Nate and his asshole ways.

  Elena’s eyes cut to him, but come back to me and Micaela, who has started wriggling in my arms. She must be hungry.

  “I—please use me, with her. I know that Nate has told you that we are happy to have her if anything happens or comes up, you know that we would guard her with our life…” the way she says that raises warning flags, but I nod slowly.

  “I know.”

  “Also, I want you to go out as much as possible, Tillie. You’re eighteen, you should be going out and having fun. Please, please let me do as much as I can. As I said, I am here now and—” Her eyes go to Micaela and glass over. “God I love that girl. She’s like an apology for Nate,” she jokes and I laugh.

  “Hey!” Nate snaps from the archway. He’s leaning against it, his eyes on me and Micaela.

  Tate comes up beside Nate, leaning up on her tippy toes to whisper in his ear. He grins, throwing his arm around her.

  My heart shakes in my chest. Jealousy and rage bubbles to the surface. You will not look weak. You will not look weak.

  Nate and Tate disappear together.

  “I’m sorry,” Elena murmurs, and my eyes snap to her.

  “About what?” I clear my throat, afraid I’m going to explode. I think I’m acquiring an anger problem.

  “About Nate.”

  I shake my head. “Oh, don’t be sorry. He and I will never be in a relationship, and we will probably kill each other one of these days. So I should probably write my will, right?” I laugh, but they’re not joining. I sigh. “Anyway, thank you for offering the pool house. I think if it was a room in here, I wouldn’t have accepted. You know…” My voice drifts off and Elena’s hand comes to my knee.

  “I’m sorry,” she repeats, and I hate it. I hate how everyone feels sorry for me because of how Nate is.

  I ignore her this time. I will just have to show them how his actions do not affect me. He’s becoming an amazing father, and that is all I care about. “So, um, I think Madison wants us to—”

  “—Yes!” Elena claps her hands and shoots up from the sofa.

  “Wait, how did you even know what I was going to ask?” She’s adorable.

  Elena smiles a full tooth grin at me. One that somewhat resembles her son’s. “I want to babysit every day. Yes. I mean it, Tillie. Live your life, you’re young. You have me and Joseph to support you. Use us.”

  I lick my lips, exhaling. “Thank you.”

  Then she steps forward. “Want me to feed her?”

  “It’s okay.” I smile, needing some Micaela cuddles while silently cursing myself for bitching out on breastfeeding. “I can do it and then I guess you could take her?”

  She nods in glee, her lips curled under her teeth to stop a big smile.

  Jesus. I’m not sure if it’s normal for grandparents to act this way or not, but Elena is adorably intense with Micaela.

  “Oh, Tillie?” She calls just before I enter the kitchen.

  I turn back around.

  “We will go shopping tomorrow to grab some things for the pool house?”

  “Oh, there’s no need. I don’t mind—”

  She shakes her head. “—Please.”

  Jesus.

  “Okay.”

  I excuse myself quickly before she asks me anything else and make my way into the kitchen.

  “Her bottle is in the warmer. Nate made it up before leaving,” Madison says, taking Micaela off me.

  I remove the lid off the warmer and shake it vigorously. “Well. I guess I should be thankful.”

  We make our way back to the dining table. The guys have all disappeared, nothing but the faint mist of their cologne hangs in the air. Madison watches me.

  “They all left for Brantley’s. We all decided that the party house can no longer be this house because of the princess of the princess,” Madison teases the Princess nickname. “And since you know, Brantley is all alone in that big freaky house…”

  I nod, taking Micaela out of Madison’s arms and pushing the teet to her mouth. “Tills. Are you okay with this whole Nate and Tate thing? I’m sorry. Like seriously, they stopped for a while and I don’t know what they were playing at this morning or why they took off together just then, but—” Her words die out. God. I’m sick of it.

  I shake my head. “Madison, I really don’t want to talk about those two right now. Tate can do what she wants. If she likes being treated like a piece of ass, then by all means, be his piece of ass.” I ignore the way my stomach sinks at my own words. “I really wish people would stop feeling sorry for me.”

  I hate that my options are limited and Nate acts like the puppeteer. I really need a plan. I can stay in the pool house, at least I don’t have to watch all of the girls he brings home, but I do need a long-term plan.

  My phone dings. We were supposed to meet up!

  “Shit.” I start typing out a reply with one hand.

  Madison nudges her head. “Who is it?”

  “Ridge,” I murmur, hitting send on my message.

  T: So sorry. Life has been crazy.

  “Invite him tonight!” Madison’s eyes beam in mischief.

  “What?” I snort, ignoring the next text that comes through. “I thought it was a girl’s night?” Micaela finishes up with her bottle and Madison puts her hands out, eager to burp her. I place her in Madison’s arms, sitting back down on my seat.

  “Well it is, but he is your friend. He can come here and pre-drink with us in the pool house while we get ready, then he can meet this adorable little soul.” Madison squeezes Micaela’s cheeks.

  “True,” I agree. “Hey, I was wondering,” I look around the room, and then my eyes come to hers. “If you would want to be Micaela’s godmother?”

  Madison’s eyes glisten a little, and then her face breaks out into the cheesiest smile. “I don’t know what that means but yes!”

  “It—well I don’t know what it means, but I’m gathering it means that you will pretty much always look out for her. Like a real-life angel. I was going to ask Ridge to be her godfather, but pretty sure Nate will want to choose that role and pretty sure it will be Bishop.”

  Madison chuckles, putting the bottle onto the table and lifting Micaela up to pat her back. “You’re really good at this.” I gesture to Micaela.

  Madison laughs, her face falling. “I guess it’s just something that comes naturally.”

  Hmmm. We will need to talk about that face drop, but I know Madz. She needs to be drunk before the truth starts spilling out all over the place. I open Ridge’s text.

  R: I get it. But I miss you.

  T: Wanna come over and meet Micaela? We’re going out tonight too, so you can tag along?

  The text reply is almost instant. R: Done. Send me the address.

  I send the address and then take Micaela. “I’ll go change her upstairs and then we can start moving what little things I have into the pool house. But I need to go shopping. I have some money left in my account from a while ago, so you up for it?”

  Madison grins. “Absolutely.”

  Tillie

  “I’m exhausted. I still hate shopping,” Madison growls, pushing her hair out of her face.

  I chuckle. “I think we’re good though.”

  Madison moves her head from where it was leaning against the back of the chair and looks at me, her eyelids weak. “Yes, I think so.”

  We order some lunch and dig in. Sh
opping should count as cardio. “I can’t decide on the red one or the black one.”

  “Red,” Madison says around her bite of sushi. “Red is your color, which is strange because of your pink hair, but it works.”

  After lunch, we make our way back out to Madison’s teal blue Ferrari. I still can’t get over Bishop buying her this car. We slide inside and as soon as she turns it on, the radio starts playing Juvenile “Slow Motion,” and I crank it up.

  Madison chuckles. “Snapchat, now!”

  I laugh, tying my hair up into a high ponytail and sliding my Ray-Bans over my eyes. I pucker my lips and start dancing, moving the camera to Madison. She drops it down into third and floors it. The video is cut off by us laughing our asses off. I add it to my story, captioning it “Girl’s night out tonight” with the celebration emoji and champagne glasses.

  “God, can we make a rule for tonight?” she asks, turning the music down a little.

  “Sure.” I gaze out the window.

  “No talking about The Kings.”

  “Mads…” I warn, worry taking hold of me. “Are you and B okay?” I love Bishop, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he has never dogged around on Madison. Maybe it does.

  “What?” Madison turns to face me, and then sighs, going back to the road. “We might be fighting.”

  “Want to talk about it?”

  She shakes her head. “Not really.”

  I turn the music up. “Then let’s just drink.”

  We empty all our shopping bags out of the car and quickly run across the backyard to the pool house. It’s a small apartment style with a glass wall that looks directly out to the pool. I’ve only been here maybe once or twice, and when I flick the light on, I see not much has changed. The décor is all white and red. The glass wall that looks out to the pool is tinted for privacy. There’s a small L-shaped leather couch that somewhat separates the main living room and the small kitchen. There’s a square marble coffee table that sits smack bang in the middle and a white rug tucked underneath it. To the right is the large king-sized bed with enough pillows to fill two beds and white sheets spread over. Elena had obviously been in here to freshen it up because there’s a candle burning on the coffee table, igniting a sweet cedar tree smell through the air. It’s warm and inviting. There’s also a small crib beside my bed, but not the same as the one that’s in Nate’s room. I wonder when she found the time to buy it and set it up. To the right of the bed is a door that leads into a bathroom. I take a step toward it and peek in. It’s all white marble and has a small counter with delicate soaps. I know that they had this as a guest house, but it’s really nice.

  “Well!” Madison says, flopping down onto the couch. “I’m ready to get drunk.” I want to ask what’s wrong with her, but I know she won’t tell me until she’s ready.

  I decide to shift the subject to one that’s a little more uncomfortable for me. “Is Tate coming?”

  Madison doesn’t say anything, her eyes stay on the ceiling, her head tilted back against the edge of the couch. “She will probably meet us there.” Then she turns to look directly at me. “She’s not been herself lately. Nate and her, they, I don’t know. Is it okay for me to talk to you about this?” She leans forward, her eyes coming to mine. I feel like I might be too sober for this conversation, but I nod my head anyway because I don’t want to seem, I don’t know, vulnerable. Besides, everyone already tiptoes around me where Nate is concerned. I don’t need any more pity.

  “Sure.”

  Madison exhales. “Okay, so she slept with Bishop’s cousin Spyder the other night, and then all of a sudden, she’s back into Nate, only more forceful this time. It’s fucking strange. She is fucking strange right now.” I don’t know what to say, the fact that Tate has slept with Bishop’s cousin doesn’t surprise me, the girl is the female version of Nate.

  I shrug, engaging my poker face. “Well, I’m sure she’s not the only one Nate has been with either so…” God, I fucking hate him.

  Madison sighs, standing from the sofa and making her way to the kitchen. “True that.” Then her eyes come to me. “I’m sorry if any of this talk hurts you at all…”

  I shake my head. “I don’t care.” Lies. “He’s a good dad to Micaela, for that I’m thankful. I knew he was going to hate me, Madison. It just is what it is with him and I. It’s fire and ice and when it collides, it explodes and those closest to us get hit with the shrapnel. The way he is with you isn’t the way he’s with me. Well,” I pause, my thoughts flicking back to the first time we met. “At least it hasn’t been for a while.” You will not think about those memories. I snap my attention back to Madison who is staring at me with a strange expression.

  She clears her throat and puts her cup onto the counter. “That’s enough talk of them, huh?”

  I smile. “That would be ah-mazing.”

  Looking down at my watch, I point to the shower. “I’ll go in first. You mix those cocktails you were going on about.”

  She grins, getting busy in the kitchen. After my shower, I wrap the towel around my body and grab my new makeup. I happen to love makeup—a lot. I don’t wear it that much, but when I do, I think I’m pretty good at putting it on. I start with a moisturizer, and then a good pore refining primer, and then the foundation before putting the setting powder on. Madison walks into the bathroom and pauses, spitting her drink out.

  “What the hell is that on your face?”

  I roll my eyes. “It’s banana powder to cook my makeup so it doesn’t melt off in an hour.” I start on my eyes, deciding on smoke as dark as my mood.

  “Oh, you are so doing my makeup. I forgot how amazing you are at this. You totally need to do a makeup tutorial on YouTube.”

  I snort. “No thanks, but yes, I will do yours. Give me forty minutes to finish up. Go take a shower.”

  Two hours later, we’re both ready. My makeup is heavy on the eyes with a nude lip, and Madison is light on the eyes with dark burgundy lips. Her hair is in soft curls that trail down her back, and mine is dead straight, my ends hitting just above my tailbone. I don’t have the heart to cut it just yet.

  “God, I fucking love that dress on you!” Madison says for the hundredth time, tipping her head back as she drinks her frozen slushy-type thing. It does look good. It’s a strapless silk mini dress that hangs just below my ass. There’s a small slit on the left side too and the material clings to my body everywhere. I managed to score a good deal on a pushup bra too, so the girls are pushed up to the high heavens. For shoes, I’m wearing plain black strap heels. Nothing too fancy since the dress is on its own level.

  I grab my clutch, pulling out my phone. “Ridge is almost here.”

  Madison claps her hands together. She’s got about two drinks on me since she has been sipping them like they’re water and she’s starving in the Sahara Desert. I really need to pine about what’s going on with her and B later.

  I pick up my glass and sink the rest of mine, taking me up to drink three. Just as I’m pouring another from the jug, a jug that is filled with some sort of slushy that tastes of every single alcohol you could think of, there’s a knock on the door. I walk over to it, opening wide to Ridge.

  “Holy fuck,” is the first thing he says, his eyes going up and down my body. “Jesus, Tip.” Ridge steps inside and I flush at his nickname for me.

  “You look amazing, Pidge.”

  He rolls his eyes at my nickname. He hates it. But he does look great. Wearing nice jeans and a dress shirt, he looks so much different than the guy I grew up with. He looks—older. Grown. No backward caps or basketball shorts. His tattoos are obviously still there, but his style has changed. His hair has grown a little since too, now flopping over his forehead. This is probably a good thing, now his style won’t remind me of a certain asshole.

  “Damn, Gina, you look hot too. I’m going to need to call backup. There’s no way I can fight them all off you both.”

  Madison laughs, flicking her leg over her other, he
r eyes raking up and down Ridge.

  I don’t have to worry about her though, as much as her and Bishop fight, they are always okay. She would never.

  She licks her lips.

  Right?

  “So!” I yell, shutting the door. “You wanna come see Micaela? I’m not sure if she’s still awake, but we can sneak in.” It’s nine p.m, I know she won’t be awake. Ridge nods his head, a smile beaming from him.

  “Yeah, I’d love to.”

  Madison stands, running her hands over her black slinky dress and gestures to the door. “You ready to see the most beautiful girl in the world?”

  Ridge winks. “If she’s anything like Tillie…”

  “Well, she’s more like Nate, but we don’t tell him that,” Madison mutters.

  I laugh and we all stumble over to the main house. The door opens just as we reach it and Elena is on the sofa, her cheeks dipped in soft pink rose, her skin glowing. How is it my child is making her glow.

  “Hey, sorry to interrupt. This is Ridge, he and I grew up together. He hasn’t met Micaela yet.”

  Elena smiles from the sofa, waving upstairs. “She’s in our bedroom. I have a crib in there too, you know, for when she’s here, and I didn’t want to put her in Nate’s room tonight without you there too.”

  I exhale, my shoulders relaxing. She gets me. “Thank you.” There’s a silent conversation that goes between Elena and I. I’m so glad she thought of that. Would Nate bring someone back here though? Now, with Micaela here? I don’t want to be naïve in saying no, but I really don’t think he will. Tate is different, she’s in our group, but even still, I can’t see him taking her into his room now that that’s basically Micaela’s room too.

  We head upstairs and into Elena and Joseph’s room. Ridge shakes his head, exhaling while running his finger down her face. She’s sleeping peacefully, wrapped up in a muslin wrap. Her small little face pops out the top and her hair is brushed backward.

  “She’s going to have lots of hair,” I say to Ridge, my heart clenching in my chest. God, I love her so much it cripples me. I don’t know how I feel about loving something so much and having her live in this cruel world.