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“What the hell was that about?” I hiss, wiggling my hand from Alex’s grip.
“That was about me doing you a favor,” Alex mutters as we round the side of the house.
No one is in the backyard, except for two couples making out on lounge chairs. A fire is crackling in a firepit and smoke laces the air, along with the scent of weed.
“There’s more to it than that,” I mumble as we sneak toward the back deck. “And who the hell was that guy? And what the hell did you do to this Jay dude to get yourself banned from his parties?”
He shrugs as he starts up the stairs. “I hooked up with one of his girlfriends a couple of weeks ago.”
I shake my head. “You act like that’s not a big deal, but it is.”
He stops in front of the sliding glass door that leads into a kitchen. Through the glass, I can see people inside, laughing, doing shots, keg stands, and a couple of girls are dancing on the countertops.
“Jay has at least three girlfriends, so I don’t see what the big deal is if I hook up with one of them,” Alex replies with indifference. “Of course, Jay didn’t seem to agree with me.”
“He sounds like a sleazebag.” I move up beside him, still looking inside. Knowing Payton’s in there makes me super uneasy. “Do these girls know he’s cheating on them?”
“It’s not really cheating since they all know about each other.” He glances at me, measuring my reaction.
I crinkle my nose. “Well, that’s gross.”
His brow pops upward. “Why? If they know about each other?”
“I don’t know … Because …” I can’t think of a good reason, so I just end up shrugging.
“Because it’s unconventional? You don’t really seem like a conventional sort of girl. A little innocent, for sure. But definitely not conventional.” He turns to face me, resting his shoulder against the door. “Maybe I read you wrong.”
I roll my eyes. “You haven’t read me at all. No one has.”
Now he’s the one rolling his eyes. “And apparently, you’re a little naïve.”
“Oh, shut it. You don’t know me, so stop pretending like you do.”
“I don’t, do I?” he muses, rubbing his jawline then flinching when he touches the spot where I hit him. “I know you pretend to be tough when really, most of the time, you’re freaking out. I know you’re stressed out a lot but refuse to ask for help from anyone unless it’s to help your sisters. I know you handle more than most eighteen-year-olds do, because your dad’s a piece of shit and you’ve been forced to step up as the parent.” His gaze flicks to my wrist. “I also know that bandage is covering up a burn, not a cut.”
I instinctively start to tuck my hand behind my back but stop myself, realizing the move will make me look suspicious.
“You’re not even close to being right about me,” I lie then smirk. “Nice try, though.”
I’m as cool as can be on the outside. On the inside, though, I’m a mess. All the things he just said are true, which so isn’t a good thing. I mean, for starters, it ruins my whole mysterious vibe. Plus, the last thing I want is Alex knowing things about me.
His lips curl into a smirk. “You’re also a good liar.” He turns around and reaches out to open the door but then pauses and glances back at me. “If anyone asks, you need to say you’re dating Blaise.”
I promptly shake my head. “I’m not going to do that. It was annoying enough when you told that guy out front that I am.”
“I told him that to protect you,” he stresses. “And to keep you protected, you need to keep up the lie while we’re in here.”
“Why the hell would dating Blaise keep me protected?”
He gives a nervous glance at the backyard then steps closer to me and lowers his voice. “The people associated with my dad aren’t good people. They do sketchy shit all the time.” He slants back. “Trust me; you don’t want people like Jay or Jason paying attention to you.”
“Who the heck’s Jason?” I ask, confused again.
“The guy who tried to stop us from coming in here.”
“Oh.” I frown, imagining the idea of introducing myself as Blaise’s girlfriend to everyone. “Look, I appreciate you trying to help me not get checked out by sketchy dudes, but I can handle my own shit. In fact, I’m good at it.”
“You’re good at dealing with a bunch of guys who are above the law and basically do whatever they want?” he questions with a raise of his brow.
