KYLE

“This totally sucks, babe,” I said, rolling onto my back and staring up at the ceiling.

“I know,” Laurie sighed. “But after the other day, I had to extend an olive branch. The gala is important to my mom. If I go, it’ll earn back some of their trust and maybe they’ll let you come over again.”

“Sometime in the next millennia,” I muttered under my breath.

“Kyle, please. I know it isn’t ideal, but we knew how they’d react. I’ve told them I’m applying to USC. They know my plans involve you. They know I choose you.”

Choose you.

After everything, Laurie chose me. I was a lucky sonofabitch. Selfish too. The right thing to do would have been to save her from the drama and gossip and parental disapproval. But I loved her too much, and I couldn’t do USC without her.

I didn’t want to.

“I know, I’m just bummed that I can’t be the one to chaperone you. It should be me, Laurie.”

The idea of another guy so much as looking in Laurie’s direction was like a match to my fuse. But she was right. If we fought her parents on every little thing, they would just use it as ammunition against us. And a year was already long enough to wait for college without Mr. and Mrs. Davison breathing down my neck at every turn.

“Nate is harmless, I promise. Besides, we’ll be with my parents the whole time.”

“That’s what worries me.”

“I’m sorry. I wish it could be different.” Her voice was thick with regret and it was the slap upside the head I needed.

“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be making you feel guilty.” I rubbed my jaw. “Go to the gala and try to have fun. Just make sure you tell Teason if he likes his hands, to keep them to himself.”

Soft laughter drifted over the line and I soaked up the sound.

“On second thought, maybe I should send Rick and Lo to keep an—”

“Kyle, I’ll be fine. It’s a few hours. What the worst that can happen?”

Said no one ever! It was like giving bad karma a free invitation to bite you in the ass. “Laurie, what the—”

“My mom’s calling me.” She cut me dead. “I should go. It’ll be fine. Everything will fine, I promise.”

“Text me when you get there, okay? I love you.”

“Yes, Dad,” She snickered. “I’ll speak to you later. Love you.” Laurie hung up, and I clamped my eyes shut. I hated this. It was supposed to be me by her side.

Me.

Not Nate Teason and his parent-approved life.

Shit. This was precisely the kind of thing I wanted to protect her from. But now I was the thing she needed protecting from, or at least, that’s how her parents saw it.

And it cut deep.

“Seriously, man, put on pants.” Rick glowered down at me. “This is my space. My. Space. It’s bad enough Lo left because you’re here.”

I pushed up and swung my legs around. “She didn’t leave because I’m here, she left because she hasn’t been home in days. She doesn’t live here, Prince.” I gave him a pointed look.

“She should.”

“Have you told her yet?”

It was his turn to level me with a ‘fuck-off’ glare.

“Okay, I’ll reword that. When are you going to tell her?”

“Uncle Rob promised he’d do it. It should come from him.”

“Haven’t you gotten the memo yet? The adults in our life struggle with doing the right thing. I think they’ve proved that time and time again.”

Rick raked a hand through his hair and let out a frustrated breath. “We’re finally in a good place, I don’t want to ruin that. Not right before I leave for SU.”

“And you think keeping this from her is the way to stop that? Look, Lo is strong. She can handle this. I know I agreed we should let Uncle Rob be the one to do it but maybe it’d be better coming from you.”

“You think?” He rubbed his jaw.

“Hey, what do I know? My mom’s an addict and my dad’s a liar. I’m doomed.” Rick’s brows pinched tight, and I barked a wry laugh. “Too soon?”

“Not everything can be the punchline to a joke.” He deadpanned.

“Joking is good for the soul. Besides, if I don’t make light of it, there’s every chance I’ll cry like a girl. And somehow I don’t think you’re ready for that.” My brows quirked up.

“Joke away.”

“Thought so.”

He came to sit down on the chair opposite me. “But in all seriousness, how are you holding up?”

“I’m okay, I think. I mean I still want to punch the shit out of something, but I’ve moved on from wanting to trash the house.”

“Well, that’s good.” Rick sounded less than convinced. “Things with Laurie seem better though?”

“She’s great. We’re great. Or, at least, I hope we are. Something’s shifted. I just wish I’d have told her sooner. I don’t want that to bite me in the ass.” Like when the storm settled, and Laurie realized what a selfish dick I had been, what with the lying and secrets and general assholery.

“You’ll figure it out. She loves you.”

“Yeah, she does. We’re lucky sons of bitches, you know that, right?”

He kicked out his legs and sank back into the chair. “Damn straight. Lo is it for me. I never thought I’d be saying that anytime soon, but she’s my future.”

“Same. I mean, Laurie. Obviously.” I flashed him an amused smirk. “Laurie’s it. Her parents are going to make it difficult, but I’ll wear them down eventually with my endless charm and wit.”

“Good luck with that.”

“They’ll come around,” I said. “They have to. I look into my future and see two things. Laurie, football, and USC.”

“Dude, that’s three. You might want to consider extra tuition in math if you have trouble adding your ones and twos.”

“Lo’s changed you, Prince. I’m not sure I like it. I feel like if you get any funnier, I’ll be challenging you to a joke-off.”

“Did you just say joke-off?”

“It could be a thing,” I mused.

“Have you talked to your dad yet? Mom is worried about the two of you.”

“It’s been three days. He can stew a while longer.”

“But you’ll move back into the main house eventually, right?”

“So eager to get rid of me.” I tsked. “Where is the love, bro?”

“I have two weeks left with Lo before I leave for SU. I need to—”

“La la la.” I jammed my fingers in my ears. “I do not need to be hearing that shit. It’s bad enough sleeping out here.”

“So go. Home.”

“I can’t, not yet. Not until I’ve figured out what to do.”

“Well, figure it out soon. You’re starting to stink.”

He got up and went to the refrigerator as I called, “Am not. I’m a fresh as a daisy.” I sniffed my t-shirt for good measure. Okay, so it didn’t smell laundry-fresh, but it still had at least another day’s wear in it. But he was right. I couldn’t stay out here forever.

“Got any snacks in there?”

“This isn’t a hotel, Stone.” Rick appeared around the door and threw an apple at my head. I caught it and bit into it.

“Thanks,” I mumbled.

“Hmm,” he groaned, positioning himself against the counter. “So where’s Laurie today?”

“She has that gala with her parents.”

“And you let her go?”

“I didn’t let her go anywhere. She’s not my prisoner, Prince. And I have to earn back her trust.”

“No way I’d let Lo go anywhere with another guy.”

“Like you didn’t take another girl to prom?”

His eyes hardened, and I chuckled. “Easy tiger. I’m just yanking your chain. I hope you have a plan for the long-distance thing you’ll be working when you leave because this,”—I jabbed my finger at him—“is not a good look on you.”

Rick’s jaw clenched, right along with one of his fists. “Shit. Fuck.”

“Everything okay over there?”

“What the hell am I going to do?” He dropped his head, the quick rise and fall of his chest a sign of how much the idea of being away from Lo affected him.

“She’ll be fine. She has me, and Laurie and Summer. And it’s not like any guy in their right mind would try to step on your toes. They know the deal. Lo’s yours. Nothing will change that.”

But it would. He’d be there and Lo would be here.

When he didn’t answer, I continued, “It’s only a few months. You’ll be home on the weekend and at holidays. It’ll be like you never left. Besides, what’s that saying 'absence makes the dick wander?'”

“Stone!” It was a low growl in his throat—one that would have had most kids at school pissing their pants. But I wasn’t most kids and despite our banter, I kind of loved the guy.

“Joke. It was a joke. Lighten up. Lo isn’t going anywhere. She’s batshit crazy about you. And we all know you’re a one-woman kind of guy. The two of you make me want to puke on a daily basis.”

He dragged a hand over his face and his grim expression lifted a little. “When did life get so fucking complicated?”

When indeed.

Rick’s cell phone started blaring Imagine Dragons’ 'Thunder', and he snatched it up. “Hey.”

“It’s Lo,” he mouthed stalking off toward his bedroom. I contemplated texting Laurie, but I didn’t want to crowd her.

Okay, that was a lie. I wanted to crowd her. I wanted to know what she was wearing. Who was there. If that asshole Nate Teason had tried anything. But I was trying to be the new improved Kyle. The Kyle who could give his girl space to do her thing.

Even if it killed me.

The second Rick reappeared I knew something was wrong.

“Bad news?”

He grimaced, anger and frustration radiating from him like a force-field. “She found out.”

“Uncle Rob finally told...” Rick's jaw tensed, and I made out the unspoken words. “He didn’t tell her, did he?”

“She overheard him on the phone to Stella.”

“Shit... what did she say?”

“What do you think?” He narrowed his eyes, dragging a hand over his head.

“Did you tell her you knew?”

Rick swallowed, and I had my answer.

“She’s going to—”

“Not helping, Stone!”

“Is she coming over here?”

“Yeah, she’s on her way.”

I leaped up. “Okay then, good luck with that. I think I’ll head over to Matty’s and hang out.”

“You’re bailing? Just like that? So much for having my back.”

“I have your back, man. I just don’t want to become an accessory to murder.”

“You knew too.” He shot back.

“But she’s not my girl. I’ll run damage control though, when she’s calmed down.” I moved for the door. “If she needs help cleaning up the body parts, tell her to give me a call.” I winked at him as I ducked out of the pool house.

I felt bad for the guy, I did. But this was his fight. And Lo would forgive him eventually. She loved him too much not to.