Chapter Twenty-One
Cash
Crue was parked right next to me, our trucks identical except for the color. Mine was black and his was white. My first car was a Jeep, but after driving Crue’s vehicle so often when I was pretending to be him, I got used to being in something larger. I climbed out, and then walked around the hood to help Katie down. I was a little surprised when Crue did the same for Avory. He typically did his best to make sure no one saw him doing anything chivalrous when it came to her, at least not at parties like this.
Eyes were always on us. Always.
“Hey, y’all.” Benson sauntered up, a tray of plastic cups in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other. “Who’s ready for a drink?”
I took two of the cups, and gave one to Katie. I looped my arm around her neck and pulled her close. “One beer and we’re gone?” She nodded her head and I kissed her temple. I wanted her alone. I wanted her all to myself. If I had only a few more days with her, I sure as hell wasn’t going to share her with everyone else.
I dropped my tailgate and set my beer on the edge. When Katie made like she was going to sit, Avory grabbed her hand. “Oh no, ma’am. We’re going to dance.” Avory put her fingers under Katie’s beer, moving it up to her lips. “Drink. Then dance.”
Katie rolled her eyes, but she downed most of her beer and then followed Avory to the designated dance area. I’d been right earlier—all male eyes were on her. Not only was she gorgeous, she was new and mysterious. Everyone at this party saw her how I saw her. Wild, sexy, and happy.
“You keep staring at her like that and her clothes are gonna catch fire.” Benson winked at me and then sauntered off, playing the host part well and handing out more alcohol.
I leaned against my tailgate and Crue joined me. “What are you going to do when she’s gone?”
Leave it to my twin to bring my mood down. “I don’t know. We haven’t talked about it.” I knew we needed to. And if I was being honest, I wanted to. I wanted to know how she felt; it was important to me.
“You guys hooked up yet?”
I glanced over at Crue. He wasn’t smiling, and he wasn’t smirking. In that moment he was simply a concerned brother. And that was the only reason I answered him. “We messed around at the pool house after everyone left, but that’s about it.” He didn’t need details, and I wouldn’t have given them to him even if he’d asked.
“I’m assuming she’s a virgin.” When I sent him a what-the-hell look he held his hands up. “I’m not trying to be a dick, man, I’m trying to figure out where you’re at.” He took a sip of his beer. “It’s obvious that you’re into her, we can all see it. But she’s leaving and she’s…her. You’ve been so damn happy the last few days, and I don’t want to see you crash the second she’s gone.”
I didn’t want to crash the second she was gone either. I didn’t want her to ever be gone. I wanted her with me, always. I had no idea how I was supposed to make that happen though. She wanted to see the world this summer, and we were both starting school in the fall. Hell, she didn’t even know what college she was going to yet. “We’ll figure it out.”
“I really hope you do, C.”
Me fucking too. I drank my beer, watching Katie dance with my cousin. She was laughing and twirling Avory around in circles. They were both singing along to an old Garth Brooks tune. I was pretty sure Benson didn’t know any music made after 2015. After the song ended the girls headed back to us. I took Katie in my arms, kissing her loudly before letting her go.
“Gimme a boost?” She had her palms flat on the tailgate and a sexy little smile on her face. I put my hands on her hips, helping her up. “Thanks.”
“My pleasure.” I winked and handed over her forgotten beer. I glanced down at my watch. We were staying for thirty more minutes. Tops. I leaned back against the tailgate, this time with my body positioned between Katie’s thighs.
“I need another beer.” Avory turned her cup upside down, a frown on her face. I rolled my eyes and handed her mine. It was mostly still full and I didn’t want it anyway. She took it, blowing me a kiss.
Crue was sitting on the tailgate next to Katie, and he shocked me when he reached out and grabbed Avory’s hand. Crue and Avory rarely touched in public. He drew her toward him and gave her a little twirl. “One more drink and then let’s go.” It seemed like none of us were in the party mood tonight. Why the hell did we even come? We should have done dinner and then gone home.
“Well if it isn’t the wonder twins.” Melanie Wilcox. Yep, her last name had the word cox in it. “How’s it hanging, Crue?” She used the straw in her cup to take a sip from her drink. And then she bit down on it, like she was trying to flirt. Fortunately I’d never had to hook up with her for my brother. Unfortunately he’d done it himself our sophomore year.
Crue’s tone was flat and bored when he answered her. “Same shit, different day.” Girls came up to Crue all the time at parties, looking for a good time. Sometimes we blew them off completely, sometimes we traded shirts and I took them home.
“Oh yeah?” She narrowed her eyes. “Because it looks to me like you four are on a double date, not typically part of your MO.” She pointed her finger at Avory. “Which one of you is here with your cousin though?”
I cleared my throat, making sure to add the same amount of bored to my voice as Crue had. “Is there something we can do for you?” Melanie had always been a bit of a bitch. She liked drama, and she liked to cause trouble. But she’d never seemed all that interested in going another round with my twin before.
She put a hand on her hip, jutting it out to the side. “As a matter of a fact, I need a little favor from the infamous Crue Matthews.” Her skirt was so short that if she moved the wrong way we’d all be able to tell if she was wearing panties.
“And why the fuck would I do a favor for you?” Crue griped the edge of the tailgate, and leaned forward. He was trying to intimidate her, trying to make her lose her nerve and go the hell away.
“I need you to take me to this dinner party my dad is throwing for all his big clients.” Apparently it wasn’t working. “He’s trying to set me up with a stuffy Harvard pre-law carbon copy. And I need the ultimate player on my arm to prove a point.” She cocked her head to the side, studying Crue like he was a piece of meat.
Crue snorted, like she was a moron and he was amused by her ignorance. “And again, why would I do you a favor?” He held his hand up. “You know what, never mind.” He shook his head. “The answer is no. Now, leave.” He shooed her away.
And she stood her ground with an evil smile on her face. “If you don’t help me out, I’ll tell the world you’re fucking your cousin.”
Crue’s grip on my tailgate tightened. I could see his knuckles turning white. Crue had been accused of being with Avory before and he never let it get to him. But right now, I could tell he was about to lose his shit. I sighed loudly, standing up straight. “Look, Melody.”
“We both know you know its Melanie.”
“Doesn’t matter.” I crossed my arms over my chest and stepped closer to her. “All that matters is that you’re ruining a perfectly good party. My brother told you to leave, so you need to leave.”
“Your brother will give me what I want or his dirty little secret will be public knowledge.” She walked away, but with her smile firmly intact.
I turned to Crue. “She have anything on you? Why are you acting like you’re about to Hulk out?”
Avory looked at him too, her frown concerned. “Crue?”
He shook his head. “Nah, she’s bluffing.” He hopped down from the tailgate. “You’ll take Avory home? I’ve got plans.”
“Yeah, I’ll get the girls home.” Katie opened her mouth, and I put my hand against it. “No questions until we get in the truck, yeah?” She nodded and I helped her down. We all loaded into mine and Crue got in his alone. When we got to the entrance of the ranch, he took a left and I took a right.
“What’s happening?” Katie looked from me to Avory. “What was with that skanky chick? Is that why we’re leaving?”
“No one can see Crue and I leave the party together,” Avory explained. “It’s another way we keep people in the dark.” She drained the beer she’d brought with her and shoved the cup under the seat. I needed to remember to throw that away when I got home. “We’ll meet up with him down this road and then you guys can be alone.”
I shot her a look in the rearview mirror and she wagged her eyebrows. Leave it to Avory to act like nothing had fucking happened. A nasty skank ho acted like she wanted to blackmail my brother, and his girlfriend was making jokes in the backseat. They didn’t have me to fall back on anymore. They’d have to figure out a different way to deal with Melanie.
And as much as I loved them, I refused to make their mess, my mess.
I had three more days with Katie and I sure as hell wasn’t going to spend it doing anything but having fun with her.