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My mind and body instantly recoiled, a sick feeling twisting inside me at the thought of anyone putting their hands on me. Anyone but Win. “I don’t want anyone to touch me.” I didn’t mean to put a voice to those feelings, but they spilled out nonetheless, my panic evident.
Max nodded. “Then they won’t. You’re the one with the power.”
Just like that, the panic trying to choke me slid back down into my stomach, not gone but not in control anymore. Max’s simple reminder that I was in control of myself was exactly what I needed.
I guess he really did understand.
Even though we were a distance from the old gym, the music was loud and filled the night air with vibrations. As we drew closer, a nondescript black car pulled up near the building, and the back door opened.
Rush appeared, two girls sliding out of the back behind him. He disappeared for a moment when he leaned into the passenger window, and then the car was driving off, leaving him and his dates to the party.
“Bro, did you just Uber here?” Jamie called.
The girls with Rush turned in our direction, their eyes and body language speculative.
“I don’t drink and drive.Bro,” Rush said.
“Bro is not a four-letter word, so don’t use it like one,” Jamie warned.
“Unlike some people,” Rush said, staring at Ryan and acting as though Jamie hadn’t even spoken.
“You think I’d drink at a party I brought my girl to?” Ryan mused. “Like hell I would.”
One of the girls with Rush sighed. “That’s so romantic.”
“Barnacle,” Rory muttered.
Ryan reached around to pat her back. “Baby, we’ve talked about your jealousy.”
“Maybe you should get a girlfriend who doesn’t mind if you talk to other people,” a blond-haired girl said sweetly to Ryan.
Using Ryan’s shoulders, Rory levered herself up, popping around his dark head to look at Rush. “You might want to find some new dates,” she told him. “These two are barnacles to Elite.”
“What does that mean?” I wondered.
“It means they’re sticky little crustaceans that like to attach themselves to things in the water, and once they’ve latched on, they’re crusty and hard to remove,” Madison explained. “The barnacles of Elite.”
One of the girls actually lunged at Rory who was still on Ryan’s back.
Before Ryan could do anything, Rush had a hold of her shirt, pulling her back, then setting her away. “Girl, bye.”
She gasped. “But, Rush.”
“Bye,” he repeated.
She gave a huff and stomped toward the door to get inside. When she was gone, he turned his eyes to the other girl standing there. “You can go too.”
“She’s lying,” the girl said, flicking a stare at Rory.
“But she’s Elite, and you aren’t,” Ryan deadpanned.
Rush waved.
“Bro, you just dropkicked two ladies to the curb,” Kruger told him.
Rush shrugged. “They’re replaceable.”
Then he offered his fist to Rory. “Good looking out.”
