Page 12 of Hating On Riot

“Um, more evasive maneuvers later?” I walk backward and do this awkward half-wave thing.

Why does he have this effect on me? One minute I’m a bumbling, wide-eyed, crush-struck teenager, and the next I’m a wanton hussy with the insane urge to grind against my bully’s boner.

“Sure, yeah, later.”

He can’t seem to stop staring at my mouth. Is he remembering the kiss he stole from me? Or does he suspect I’m the girl who stole a kiss from him in the dark closet at Galley’s place at one of his insane parties?

He blinks, and whatever he was thinking about disappears from his mind. His focus is back on Nerf War.

“We’ll play hide-and-seek in the house. Get you practicing in tight spaces and blind spots.”

Tight spaces and blind spots? Like down there?

“What?” I stumble and nearly fall on my ass when my legs hit the curb.

“Aw, shit. I forgot our places are fair game.” He shakes his head and catches up to me. “We should set booby traps.”

“Sounds horrifying.”

“Nah. They’re cool if done right.”

We walk side by side. He holds our blasters one-handed. His fingers graze mine. I cross my arms and tuck my hands under my pits. It’s a horrible, unladylike move, but anything to avoid touching him. I glance sidelong at him. He wears a big grin.

“I forgot you and your brothers pranked one another when you guys got bored.”

“Or horny out of our minds. Taking down and getting taken down by one of their booby traps cooled the hormones quickly.”

I laugh. “I bet. How are they, by the way?”

I shouldn’t ask. Some things should never be spoken of in Riot’s presence, but this easy back-and-forth between us is a welcome change of pace from the emotions of my falling out with Cooper.

“The usual. Helping my parents take care of our grandparents. Running their business. Yours?”

“Busy renovating another house. Making a mess of the current one we’re living in.”

“That’s right. My mom mentioned something about them moving up here with you.”

Though our brothers hate one another, Riot’s mom and my mom are friends.

“You’re surprised.”

“Sure am. I figured you’re your own woman now.”

I stop walking. “What does that mean exactly?” This is why we don’t bring up our brothers.

Riot and I tend to clash over what’s best for me. What’s best for me is having my brothers’ overprotectiveness, even though they go overboard.

“I’m just saying, isn’t it time you told them to shove off? That you’re more than capable of looking after yourself. What happened with⁠—”

“Don’t, Riot.”

“You have to talk to someone about that day, Arie.”

“I’m not ready. No one in my family is.” To talk about my twin sister, Laney. “Can we not bring her up, please?”

Talking isn’t an option. Talking about Laney’s death makes my feelings real. Makes her death permanent. I’d rather not relive the emotions felt when my sister lost her life. She died because of me.

“Cooper too? Is talking about him off limits?”