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“Here.” Scout motioned to the smoothie. “There’s healthy shit in there, but ignore it. Only focus on the coffee flavor.”
He was being sarcastic, but I smiled at him. “Thanks.”
He snorted, bending to grab a bag. He put it on the counter and began rifling through it.
He’d changed too, now wearing gray gym shorts. The kind that were old, faded, and had holes in them. He looked delicious. He wore a muscle tank, but it was barely there. He was basically shirtless. I had a feeling that shirt would get ripped off at the gym because, what was the point?
“You wear those shirts?”
He shook his head, not looking at me. “I give two fucks about what I’m wearing when I work out. This was the first thing I grabbed.” He looked up. “Why? Wrong fashion choice?”
I frowned, sipping my smoothie. “Why are you pissed at me?”
“Because I’m late for training, and I have to take you back to school, don’t I?”
“I could go to the gym with you.”
“You want to work out?”
“No. I’d tan.”
He snorted, rolling his eyes. “You’re not coming to the gym with me.” He began heading for the garage, his bag in hand.
I took another sip of the smoothie and followed him.
He hit the button, and the garage door started to raise.
“Why not?”
He walked to his truck. “Because I don’t want my uncle to know you’re the girl I’m fucking.” He got in.
I got in on my side. I took another sip. “Why not? The two of you seem very casual about your sex life.”
He started the engine. “Because I know my uncle. I don’t fuck girls at the house, so he’d want to know who you are, and knowing him, he’d probably reach out to your mom. And your mom is hot. My uncle would try to sleep with her.”
I waved my hands. “I don’t want to hear any more. Please, stop. No, no, no to your uncle and my mom.” I had a flash of that tote filled with toothbrushes. “Especially if he has that many one-night stands.”
Scout chuckled, backing out of the driveway.
“Just take me home,” I told him. “I don’t need anything from school.”
44
RAMSAY
“You’re a dick.”
I was in the kitchen, making spaghetti because, for once, my mom wasn’t working, and I was happy. And I was leaning into that happiness because everything else, I’d deal with later. Mom and daughter night tonight, hell yes.
Clint had declared that, coming in from the back door. Trenton and Alex followed. All had scowls, but when my mom came out from the bathroom, the scowls disappeared.
“Hey, you guys. Are you coming over for dinner?” She greeted each with a kiss to their cheeks, one by one. They rotated around for her.
“Uh . . .” Clint gave me a meaningful look. “We are now.”
I didn’t respond, but reached out and grabbed another huge handful of noodles for the pot. We’d also need a second sauce jar. “I’ll grab the sauce.”
“No, no.” My mom came over, patting me on the arm. “I’ll grab it.”
I noticed how she grabbed her phone on the way. She was probably calling my aunt to see what was up. The guys had come in with attitude.
Alex watched her go down the hallway. “She’s in her room,” he announced after a moment.
“She’s calling Mom,” Trenton added.
“Who cares.” Clint hadn’t stopped scowling at me. “Thanks to Kira, we know what’s going on with our own cousin. What the fuck, Rams?”
“You’re mad at me about the article he wrote?”
“We’re mad we didn’t hear it from you. Why didn’t you tell us?”
I was aware of a peculiar look Alex was giving me, but one thing at a time here. Ducking my head, stirring the still-hard noodles, I shrugged. “It’s—wait a minute.” I remembered why I hadn’t told them and whirled around, the spoon in hand. “A lot happened today.” I shot Alex a peculiar look right back because Scout informed me of their come-to-Jesus moment. “I fully intended to air everything out with you, but then I came home and forgot my mom had tonight off. It’s a mom/daughter night.”
“Yeah. Well.” Alex leaned forward, grabbing my spoon and nudging me out of the way. “We’re not leaving.”
I measured him with a look. “Do we need to talk?”
He growled but ignored me, still holding my spoon. “No. Scout and I had it out. I do not like it—”
“None of us fucking like it,” Clint corrected.
Alex kept going as if his brother hadn’t spoken, “But also aware you do your own shit. Trust and believe, though, that I made him promise that the second any emotions start acting up, he cuts it off.” His face got all serious. “I mean that, Rams. We’ve each picked you up, and I will not let my best friend be another reason we’re picking you up from the floor.”
