AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“By giving my brothers shots at twelve o’clock in the afternoon?” Her smile is all teasing, but a drop of worry resides in her eyes.
“They’re only half shots,” he says. “And it wasn’t my idea. It was Jay’s.”
“Fair enough.” She hands me the shot glasses she just picked up. Then she stands on her tiptoes, leans across the counter, and snatches the half-empty bottle of tequila and two empty shot glasses.
Puzzlement etches across Hunter’s face. “What’re you up to?”
She unscrews the cap off the tequila. “If you guys get to celebrate, then so should Hadley and me.” She fills one glass half full of tequila then moves to fill up the other.
“Only put like a couple of drops in mine,” I tell her. “I have to be able to drive back to school in like a half an hour.”
She fills up the glass halfway. “We can always walk.”
Not happening, but I’ll play along and then only have a taste when it comes time to toast or whatever the hell it is they’re doing with the shots. Honestly, I’ve never been much of a drinker, partly because of my dad and partly because I’m a total lightweight.
After Scarlett is done pouring the shots, the three of us head toward a doorway located behind the counter.
“So, how’d you two meet?” he asks Scarlett as he steps through the doorway.
Scarlett trades an amused look with me. “Well, we were walking down the hallway, our gazes collided, and fireworks just sparked.”
“It was truly magical,” I agree. “Like the stars and moons aligned and brought us together.”
“And we just knew in that moment,” she says.
“That we were going to be together forever,” I finish for her as we step through the doorway and into the small room on the other side.
We bust up laughing while Hunter shakes his head, looking completely fucking lost.
“Well, at least you’re both weirdoes,” he mutters then takes off toward a table tucked in the back corner of the room. A table where Blaise, Rhyland, Jaxon, and Alex are sitting, along with an older man and woman.
The man looks around my dad’s age and has dark brown hair and a beard, both of which are greying. The woman’s long hair is all grey, nearly silver in the fluorescent lighting. The man must be saying something funny since all four of the guys are smiling. And not in a smirking way either. No, this is how the Portersons really look when their cocky, I’m-such-a-badass facades are down.
“You’re such a liar.” Alex grins at the man as he leans back in his chair and crosses his arms. “That didn’t happen.”
The man gasps, appalled. “Are you calling me a liar?”
“What if I was?” Alex challenges with amusement.
The man shrugs. “It’s better if you don’t find out.”
Alex rolls his eyes, but a smile dances at his lips. That smile falters however as his gaze zeroes in on me.
“What’s she doing here?” he sneers, straightening in his seat.
Everyone at the table turns to stare at me.
Awesome.
“She’s actually with me,” Scarlett smirks then grabs my arm and tugs me closer to her.
“Yeah, they locked eyes across the hallway and had a case of insta-love or some shit like that. And now they’re on a date.” Hunter sets the shot glasses down on the table. “Honestly, I’m not really sure what happened. Their recap of how they know each other sounded pretty shady to me.” He winks at Scarlett then flashes a smile at me.
“It wasn’t insta-love,” I correct, ignoring the burn of Blaise’s boring gaze. “Just insta-like.”
“Sorry, my bad.” Hunter lowers into an empty seat beside the older man and Alex.
Perplexity creases across the older man’s face. “Well, I’m a little confused about what insta-love and like are, but I’m glad you’re here,” he tells Scarlett, signaling for her to sit down. “It’s been too long since you’ve come around.”
