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Prologue
Masen Cooper
Ten years ago
“C’mon, Ava. Dad willkillyou.”
Amelia crosses her arms inside the Edwards’ den while warning her sister with an ignited stare. The emerald-colored eyes the Edwards family is known for shine brightly, almost illuminating the room like they hold power to change the energy in just one look.
Ava continues to half hang her body across the couch, passing her phone to show me a video of some guy puking after drinking beer from a boot. We both laugh, ignoring Amelia until she clears her throat, demanding attention.
“He won’t find out,” Ava drags, uninterested in her older sister’s worry. “It’s just a party, and I promise I won’t come back drunk like last time. Vodka isn’t my friend.”
“Neither is tequila,” I snicker.
Amelia continues to grind her teeth in frustration. “Last time, I had to make up some elaborate lie which almost landed me in trouble. You know I hate lying to Dad, and this time, I won’t cover for you.”
Jensen Alcott throws the most wicked parties. Since he’s an only child and his parents are always traveling, the parties are always unsupervised. At the last one, the cops were called to his Bel Air property and arrived when I was fucking Harlow Alcott, Jensen’s cousin. Even though we heard the yelling, I still managed to finish through the chaos with only seconds to pull my jeans back up and toss the condom to the corner. To add to the accomplishment, I wasthatgood even Harlow came.
Ava and I frequent the same scene because we go to the same school plus are close in age. Also, our parents are good friends, so I’ve known Amelia and Ava pretty much all of my life.
Tonight, the girls’ father, Lex, and my dad are drinking out on the patio celebrating some business deal. According to Ava, our moms are trashed too, which is why all of us kids ended up in the den, avoiding the drunken rants of our parents.
My brother, Cruz, is four years younger than me, and no surprises at all, he’s watching the football game on the large television screen. His obsession with the game continues to confound me. That’s coming from someone who can’t care less about sports. Not unless it’s two hot chicks wrestling in a mud pit.Fuck, maybe I should text Harlow and see if she’s going to be at the party tonight.
I quickly send a text, only for Ava to catch a glimpse of the message and my choice of dirty words. A smirk plays upon her lips, but then she goes back to texting on her phone.
“Okay, so Jensen’s bestie, Taylor, will pick us up in ten minutes behind the bush where the camera doesn’t point.”
Pressing my lips together, I hide my amusement. Ava has her security system memorized. This isn’t her first sneak-out, and it won’t be her last. It’ll only be a matter of time before her father finds out, then we’re all dead meat. But for now, who cares if we break the rules.
“Well, I’m informing you officially. I won’t lie to them,” Amelia tells her sternly.
A sigh escapes me. “Look, Amelia, if it makes you feel better, I’ll go with her.”
Amelia snorts. “Which girl’s pants are you trying to get into tonight?”
I glare at Ava. Only she knew who I slept with. Ava shrugs her shoulders as if she didn’t open her big fat mouth to her sister.
“Don’t look at me,” Ava is quick to call out. “Everyone knows you’re the school jerk. Act like you can’t stand them, then find yourself in a hate fuck.”
Sitting beside Cruz is Amelia and Ava’s younger sister—Addison. Their youngest sister, Alexa, is at some sleepover, and thank God because the little brat is annoying.
Addison Edwards rarely says a word. She’s an observer with her head constantly buried in a book. Only tonight, I noticed she’s changed and no longer a scrawny middle-school kid. She looks similar to Ava, the same shade of brown hair, unlike Millie, who has lighter hair like her mother.
Her face has thinned out, but her body makes her look older than someone in junior high. I’d overheard Ava earlier tonight teasing Addison about just how much attention she’ll get in senior year with her chest. I swear Ava is the sister you pray never to have.
Cruz rolls his eyes at the comment, barely paying attention since the score is a tiebreaker. He’s sitting at the edge of his seat in anticipation, his hand curled into a fist and pressed up against his mouth.
“See, Masen will come with me. I can’t get into any trouble. Besides, Addy can cover. Right, Addy?” Ava moves toward Addison, placing her arms around her affectionately. “What are sisters for?”
“Your harmful influence is referred to as manipulation,” Addison simply says without removing her eyes from the pages in the book.
Ava pulls back. “Okay, Dr. Edwards, we get it. You want to become a psychologist and fix everyone’s problems. My problem right now can easily be avoided if you simply tell Mom and Dad I have period cramps and fell asleep early.”
I cringe at theperiod cramps.Why do girls have to mention shit like that?
“Ava, she’s right. Stop pressuring her for your own selfish reasons,” Amelia scolds her.
