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“Don’t even pretend.” Salem laughs. “If she showed up at the party tonight and dropped on her knees in front of you, you wouldn’t stop her.”
“Untrue.”
“So true! Just like you said you wouldn’t let her do it before, huh? In the end, all you guys think with is your dicks.”
“She’s not worth the drama.”
“Sounds familiar. Almost like something I told you before she sucked you off the first time.”
Ugh. I guess they’re talking about Madison. I haven’t run into her since the news of the engagement came out, but my luck can’t last forever. It’s not a pretty mental picture, that skank on her knees.
“I’m telling you. I’m not interested.”
By now, I’m at the end of the hedge. I can’t take another step without being seen. This feels so stupid. Sneaking around in my own backyard, even if it doesn’t quite feel like mine yet.
Maybe with Salem around, he’ll play nice. He sounds happy. Relaxed. In other words, the opposite of how he sounds when she’s not around. I wonder if she would mind moving in.
I step out of my hiding place and take a bite of my apple.
Salem waves me over. “What do you think? I think her hair looks awesome like that.”
I touch a self-conscious hand to my smooth, shiny hair and wait for his reaction.
He doesn’t disappoint. “It looks like hair.” He backstrokes away, and I have to tell myself not to stare at his body. I’ve never seen him like this before, in nothing but a pair of swim trunks. Water glistens on his abs and chest. He moves with smooth, effortless grace. I could watch him all day.
“Men.” Salem rolls her eyes. “The worst.”
“Are you kidding? That’s nice compared to some of the things he says.” Why bother hiding it? Let his friends see what an asshole he is.
“He’s just playing with you. Don’t let him bother you.”
I want so much to tell her, but a deeper part of me knows that would only make things worse. She can’t be with me all the time, and he can make my life extremely miserable in so many ways.
“Were you talking about the party when I came out? Is he going to be there?”
“Of course. Everybody will be there.”
There goes my stomach, sinking further. He’s swimming laps and ignoring us or pretending to. “Promise me something?”
“Sure.”
“Stick around me tonight? I don’t mean you have to babysit me or anything like that, but don’t be surprised if I shadow you.”
“Okay, weirdo.” She giggles. “I don’t know what the guys told you, but it’s not that bad. Don’t worry, though. I’ll have your back.” She checks her phone before wincing. “I better get home, but I’ll come over later to get ready, yeah?”
“Yeah, that would be great.” All I can think about is how much better it will be having Salem around so Hayes will behave himself. I can’t even think about having fun. I only want to survive him.
She walks off around the side of the house to where she parked, leaving me standing by the pool while Hayes swims. I have my back to him, but I can tell when the rhythmic sound of his strokes ends that he stopped.
“If I were you, I’d stay home tonight. There’s no place for you there.”
“Maybe you should talk to your friend Franky about that since he invited me personally.” I look over my shoulder and find him glaring at me. “Why does that bother you so much?”
“Just watch your back—and stay out of my way,” he warns.
“Maybe you need to stay out of mine.” It was a stupid thing to say, and I regret it the second it’s out of my mouth, but it might be worth it just to see the surprise wash over his face before I go back inside the house.
This time, I’ll lock my bedroom door in case he gets any ideas. I’m not playing his games today.
12
Franky’s house is a lot like mine—rather, the one I’m living in. It’s not as big, but it has the same basic layout. That’s helpful. I don’t feel so much like an outsider sneaking in where she doesn’t belong.
Dozens of kids are already hanging around inside and out on the lawn.
“We should go in,” Salem decides, and I shrug and follow along. It doesn’t matter to me. She would know better than I would.
The crowd gets thicker the closer we get to the kitchen, and once we’re there, I understand why. This is where the drinks are, and there are plenty of them. Bottles are lined up along the island in the middle of the room. There’s a row of kegs just beyond the open door leading outside. Everybody is hanging out, sitting around on the counters, or wandering from group to group, saying hi. I recognize some of the jocks right away. They’re hard to miss bigger and more muscular than the other guys.
