With my skirt in near tatters, I dare say I look like Katy Perry in that music video when she’s trying to survive a jungle. Well, minus the flawless makeup and anthemic self-empowerment tune blasting in the background.
After wiping under my puffy eyes with some toilet paper and dampening my hair so it doesn’t look like I got ravaged by Edward Scissorhands, I take a deep breath, straighten my glasses, and prepare to open the door to Rider’s bedroom.We had sex. This isn’t a big deal. He does this all the time. You can lose it at home if you need to. Not here.
He’s still sitting at the edge of his bed, but now he’s wearing jeans and a long-sleeved, dark Henley. His elbows rest on his knees, his hands templed under his chin.
His eyes turn up to me, and I straighten under his perusal.
“You ready to go?”
I nod slowly, even more confused when he gets up to walk me out.
Really, I just thought I’d make a run for it.
We take the back stairs that open up into the kitchen. Where all of his roommates meander about. Including my brother.
Knox, who everyone correctly calls Noxious, lets out a low whistle. “Someone had fun last night.” He eyeballs my skirt, which has a slit halfway up my thigh. “You two really went there, huh?”
“Don’t look at her that way. And shut the fuck up.” Rider places his palm on the small of my back.
Tank pushes Knox out of the way. “Ignore him. He hasn’t been properly house-trained. He still pees on the furniture.” He holds out a to-go cup to me and gives me a wide smile. “Coffee with extra cream, light sugar. Just the way you like it.”
“Thanks, buddy.” I grab it, grateful for a break in the horrid tension. And really, how thoughtful is Tank to know how I take my coffee?
My brother crosses his arms, pointedly looking away from us. It’s the last straw.
I glance at Rider’s other roommates. “Look, guys, we’re all still friends, right? What I do inmypersonal life shouldn’t change anything.”
Trevor winks at me. “You’ll always be golden in my book.”
One by one, the rest of the guys agree that we’re cool. Except my brother, who stares out the window.
“Really, Ben? How am I supposed to know you give a shit about me? At all. Much less care who I date?” My temples pound from drinking too much last night and from the fact I might need to punch my brother in the throat.
He scoffs and faces Rider, gritting out, “Date? Is that really what you think is going on here?”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Consider that a euphemism, okay? For your sake, not mine. What Rider and I do isnoneof your business. He’s my friend and has done nothing to gain your ire.”
Knox takes a big bite out of a bagel and talks around a mouthful of food as he slings an arm around Ben’s stiff shoulders. “Your sister uses some big words. Do we know what ‘ire’ means?”
Ben shrugs him off as Tank smirks. “It’s three letters. Figure it out with context clues.”
As I start to make my way toward the front door, my brother steps in front of me and says, “I know it doesn’t look like it at the moment, but I’m only looking out for you.”
“By humiliating me in front of your roommates?” I hiss.
Rider is back at my side, and he and Ben give each other the death stare.
Ben points an accusing finger at his roommate. “So this means when Miranda or some other chick comes around in the next few hours or days or weeks, you’re turning them away, right? Because my sister should know what she’s in for if she throws her hat in your ring. That she’s just one of many.”
“I hate you so much right now.” I push my way around him and race out the front door, ignoring Rider when he calls out my name.
38
RIDER
After nearly comingto blows with Ben, I bolt across the street, but that conversation took a good half-hour. I’m grateful I managed to calm his cranky ass without either of us getting our faces rearranged, but I’m still pissed he said what he did in front of Gabby.
That hole in the wall shouldn’t be too hard to patch up. For the record, Ben took that swing. Not me. Though I really fucking wanted to, I figured Gabby wouldn’t be too pleased if I planted my fist in her younger brother’s jaw. Forget the fact that I need to be able to take to the field with him tomorrow. As a general rule of thumb, I try not to beat up my teammates.
