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I look at the time on my phone and sigh. I regret not going to work tonight, but the idea of having a party, where Thea is going to front and present, was too appealing to pass up. I’ll be the guy in the back, lurking. The one making sure her drink is safe, and no one takes advantage of her. Some dumb-ass guy is going to forget about her brother and then I’ll step in. No one wants to mess with me.
There’s a banging on my door. Jude hollers, “Can you tap the keg?”
“I’ll be right down,” I tell him. The benefit of living with a bartender: I can tap a keg, mix drinks, and break up any fights. I don’t mind if the guys depend on me. This way, they know it’s done right and some guy who thinks he knows everything won’t fuck shit up. Before I head downstairs, I think about changing out of my black shirt, but decide to keep it on. I got the impression the other night Thea likes me in black. I adjust the sleeves of my T-shirt, rolling them over my biceps. I run my hand through my unruly hair and glance at the tattoo on my bicep. It’s somewhat new, from over the summer, and something I couldn’t afford. When I went into my friend’s shop, I told him I needed something mean and he drew a massive lion’s head with a full mane, and when I flex, his mouth opens. It’s a bad-ass piece of art and mixes well with my shoulder piece.
Downstairs, the music is thumping. Devon and Nolan are in the kitchen stacking slices of pizza and Solo cups. The keg and makeshift bar are in the corner with a sign saying, “Don’t fucking break anything.” The message will fall on deaf ears, but the effort is nice. As soon as I’m done tapping the keg, my phone chimes. I pull it from my pocket and see a text from my sister:
Ally Rose
Can you take Lacey tonight?
Why?
Ally Rose
I want to go out
No
Ally Rose
WTF, Ky???? Are you serious?
Yes, I’m serious. The house is having a party and I’m busy. Ask mom or get a babysitter. Whatever the fuck you do, do not leave Lacey home by herself!
Ally Rose
As if I would
Hmm . . .
Lovely, now the rest of the night I’ll sit here and wonder if my niece is home by herself. Ally’s done this once before and I threatened to have Lacey taken away from her. I get being a single parent is hard, but Ally needs to be smarter and put her daughter first. Most of the time she does, but her friends manipulate the shit out of her and they’re a bad influence. They’re all single and living the life Ally wanted, and they make sure she knows it.
I pour myself a beer and head into the other room to have a look around. Anything breakable has been put in a box and stuffed into the closet and there’s a sheet over the television. I hate having parties here. We get asked all the time because the house is big, but it’s always a hassle. Undoubtedly, I’ll find some drunk ass trying to get into my bedroom so he can get laid. After making another round, I head into the kitchen and out to the back yard where more people are gathering.
“Ky, you stoned-ass motherfucker. How the hell are you?” Josh Perring grabs my hand and pulls me into a bro hug. He graduated last year and was a second and third string center for four years. He hated backing me up, but I’m better and everyone knows it. He prides himself on being a bash brother and couldn’t wait to get out of college so he could kick someone’s ass in the minors.
“You do know I don’t smoke pot, right?”
“Yeah, man,” he says, jabbing me in the ribs. “You just always look stoned.”
“No, he always looks pissed off.” This red head saddles up next to me and places her arm around my waist. “I think he needs a good and proper?—”
“Blow job,” Josh yells.
“I can assure you,” I say as I pull her arm away, “it wouldn’t remove the scowl from my face.”
“We’ll see about that later.” She licks her lips as if she’s going to entice me to drop my shorts to my ankles and let her suck me off.
“That’s a challenge, Ky!” Josh seems overly happy about this, and I don’t understand why.
“One I’m going to win. See ya around, Josh.” It doesn’t take much to remind myself why I keep to myself. I head back into the kitchen and recognize Thea immediately. She doesn’t know I’m behind her, watching as she mixes a drink. I chuckle at the thought of her preaching to me about being healthy when she’s about to down a sugary-sweet drink full of juice and coconut rum.
I step up to her and inhale her sweet perfume. Fuck! My dick jumps to ready. He’s willing and able, as am I, but Thea and I can never happen. Every thought I have about her is pure torture and as much as I hate it, I enjoy it just the same. I step back before she can sense me.
“So, you don’t drink hot chocolate, but sweet and sickly fruit punch is okay?” I ask, alerting her to my presence.
Thea turns, her cheeks flush, and her mouth widens into a grin. Damn, she’s beautiful. “Hey, I may eat healthy, but I’m not a saint. I’m surprised to see you here.”
