AllFreeNovel
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Actually she looks stunning in the blue lace mini dress and red bottom heels. Did she skip Thanksgiving because she had a date? Certainly not with Neil.
Her lips twitch. “Who is it? Your daddy?”
“Hardy-ha, funny.” I lead the way. Truth is Rebel and I never met our sperm donor. There were a few years where Riot’s dad stuck around though. My memories of him aren’t so bad. It’s mostly the aroma of motorcycles and leather. He used to let us fuck around with his guitar. But mom was too much for him to handle, I guess.
It was a sore spot once upon a time, but Kelsey was a foster kid so she didn’t exactly have it easy either. Which is the only reason she grew up able to say shit like that to us and get away with it.
Although there was that one time Riot tackled her and he ended up with a black eye and a couple stitches near the corner. Still has the tiniest scar.
The conversation has moved onto music by the time we join the group.
“Hey, Kelsey,” Summer says.
“You showed up,” Rebel acknowledges. “Babysitting Neil?”
“You know it,” she says with all the attitude she can allocate in one eyeroll.
“Up to his usual shenanigans,” Riot says.
“Always,” Kelsey says like his behavior might actually be wearing thin.
Sometimes it amazes me that she’s stuck with this crew of troublemakers for so long.
“Come on, Riot. I really like it.” Bianca stretches across the table, reaching for Riot’s phone. “Let me put it on. Then you can put on whatever bit of screaming you’re into this week.”
“It’s not screaming.” His facial features gather like a threatening storm. “And I like other music too. Rap. Country. Classical. Clearly, I was born for rock.”
“What about pop?” Bianca pouts.
“Everything is pop these days,” he argues. “Considering pop is just shorthand for popular. Mainstream music has evolved into a hodge-podge of everything.”
“T-Swift?” I ask as I watch Ivy tapping away on her phone.
She lifts her head and our gazes lock.
“She’s talented and all that. Got a great head for business. But Tay Tay’s not really my style.” Riot pushes away from the table and surges to his feet. He holds his beer by the neck as he staggers to the dock for the outdoor sound system. He scrolls through the playlist on his phone as he turns on the sound and tunes in his device. “I didn’t think she was yours either.”
I ignore that. There really is no explanation for my current obsession that I’m willing to share. I’d sound like I’m paranoid. Or worse, jealous and insecure. Which I’m not. I just don’t want to share Ivy with anyone. Not even if it turned out to be actual pop royalty. Hell, it’s not even that. I bump my knuckles together a couple of times just for something to do with all this prickly irritation. Why won’t she open up to me?
“Probably the best thing about your keen need for seclusion is that we get to play our music as loud as we want to,” Riot tells Rebel.
Well, it’s that and the privacy.
“Which is great when you have a little brother who thinks he’s God’s gift to rock ‘n roll.” Rebel laughs and leans back in his chair.
“Yeah, but he’s good though.” I smile as I lace my fingers together behind my head and stretch. He has so much talent. His band is a phenomenon. But he doesn’t let it go to his head. “We raised him right.”
Yeah, we did.Rebel smirks at me.
“Any requests?” Riot asks. “Ro? Summer? Ivy?”
“How about “Sk8ter Boi,” Kelsey calls out.
Riot continues to spin through his lists. A moment later the song comes on.
“Seriously? Avril?” Bianca sticks out her bottom lip. “And you wouldn’t let me play Adele?”
“The lady gets what the lady wants.” Linc takes Bianca’s hand and squeezes it. “And B, you ain’t no lady. You’re a hot, wild, and beautiful mess. Let me get you to bed?”
