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He stares at me blankly, as if I didn’t say a fucking word.
“Are you completely ignoring me?” I snap.
He leans back an inch, giving me more room to breathe. “Yeah, I really fucking am.”
I bring my hands to his chest, shoving him. “You’re a dick. You know that, right? I’m going to do whatever I want, and I’m going to let the girls know the same. From this moment forward, we’re going to see who we want, talk to who we want, and honestly, fuck whoever we want.”
He quirks his lips. “Then they’ll end up just like Zane did, Lakyn.”
My hands go up again, and I shove him even harder, just as the front door opens, and Posie stands there, with Eloise and Vienna right behind her.
“Are you guys fighting already? She just got back, Archer, can you not be an asshole for even a second?”
Footsteps sound as Creed comes down the hall. “What’s going on?”
Archer smiles. “Lake wants us to back off so they can start seeing people.”
Creed barks out a laugh, like Archer’s words were hilarious.
I glare at Posie. “And he threatened death on anyone we bring around.”
Posie glares at Creed. “I’m done with your bullshit. All of you guys. Once we go back to school after break, if I want to date, I’m going to date.”
Kyler smirks as he rounds the corner, Reign right behind him. “Well, you better hide the boy toy good, because if we find him, all bets are off.”
Reign stares at me, his eyes dark.
“You would think you all would’ve learned your lesson after the last time,” Archer snaps, his eyes turning toward mine. “You wanna fuck who you want? Fine, but at the end of the day, you know who you’re coming home to.”
I pin my eyes on him, so they don’t roll right out of my sockets. “And who would that be, you?”
“All of us. Every one of us who stands in this house right now. We’re not solo, baby. We’re all fucking one. We’ve got each other’s backs, and there’s no turning on that shit.” He turns to Reign, and there’s only respect in his eyes. The history between the guys is long and deep. They’re best bros, and even after all this time, Reign settled back in like he never left. “You know the rules. You’ve always known the rules. These girls belong to us, not just one of us, but all of us. That includes Lakyn. You guys have history, and we understand that. But you left, and she was fucking hurt, bro, and I’m not allowing it to happen again.”
Reign says nothing, his jaw clenching.
I watch Archer with irritation, hating that he’s talking about me like I’m not even here. Like I don’t make my own decisions, my own mistakes.
Yet, I know why they’re so possessive. Protective of not just me, but all the girls. We’ve been one since the beginning. We’ve gone through a hell of a lot more shit than we did just last year. We’ve been there for each other through literal blood, sweat, and tears. These guys might be possessive, and ornery, and fucking angry, but they’d also bleed for me, kill for me, and die for me. You don’t find that with many people, but I found that with an entire group.
“I’m done fighting about this shit,” I sigh, turning toward Archer. “We’re adults, Archer. If any of us want to see someone, that’s up to us to decide, not you.”
His jaw tics, and then he gives me his back as he storms down the hall. “I’m not talking about this shit with you, Lakyn. You go pick up some horse shit for a few months and come back thinking you call the fucking shots. I’ll tell you what, baby girl, you can try, but I’ll lay you on your ass any day of the week!” he shouts from down the hall.
Kyler stares at me. “You just got back, baby, and you’re already lighting a fire.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “I’m only trying to warn you. If I want to hook up with someone, I’m done having you guys in the back of my mind the entire time.”
He steps toward me, and I think he’s about to fucking rinse out my mouth, when Eloise snaps forward, gripping Kyler’s arm. “Back off, Kyler. And, Lakyn, maybe not try and jump right into the deep end. I agree with you, but baby steps, yeah? You know how they are,” she says as she watches me with wide eyes.
My bare toes curl around the wood floor, and I turn toward Posie, irritated with everyone and no one. “I was going to have Archer show me around, but I might slap him across the face. So, will you?”
She nods, appreciation in her eyes as she watches me. She steps forward, her arm curling through mine as we head down the hall. We enter the large kitchen, with tall white cabinets and granite countertops. It flows into the dining area and into the living room. The living room is filled with an oversized leather sectional, and a massive entertainment center filled with just about every gaming system imaginable.
A dark, nearly black shag rug takes up the living room floor, giving the room a dark, ominous feel as it leads to the floor-to-ceiling windows, which show off the backyard.
And the pool.
A diving board sits off on one end, and a basketball hoop is hooked up to the other. Just over the fence are tall trees, and through the dense branches, I can see the ocean lapping in the distance.
