KYLE

“Party’s over.” I jumped up on the table and clapped my hands. “Time to go, fuckers.”

A chorus of boos rumbled around the yard, but it was past midnight and I was tired. So. Fucking. Tired. Laurie and Lo had disappeared hours ago. I’d wanted to go find them, but Rick insisted he knew exactly where they were hiding out. So, for the last three hours, I’d put on my show face and partied like it was nineteen-ninety-nine. It never bothered me before: talking, joking, accepting Trey’s shot challenge, but I wasn’t feeling it tonight. I couldn’t wait for the place to empty, to find my girl, and call it a night.

Rick pulled me down off the table and narrowed his cool gaze at me. “Someone threw up in Mom’s flowers, deal with it.”

“Me? You deal with it. I’ll collect the empties.”

“I’ll handle the empties, you’re on puke duty. Get the hose and water it off or something.”

“Rick, man, come on. Can’t we ask Loretta to do it in the morning?”

“Mom gave her the day off.”

“Of course she did.” I grumbled under my breath. “Fine, I’ll do it. But you owe me.”

“Want us to stick around and help?” Matty and Trent came over and I grinned. “Grab the hose and follow me.”

It took some persuading, but my friends took puke-duty while I helped Rick tidy up the littered bottles. Luke, Rick’s best friend, also stuck around to help, and between the five of us, the yard almost looked as good as new.

“Thanks, guys,” Rick said, fist-bumping Luke. “We can finish up the rest in the morning.”

“Think your parents will find out?”

“They’ll know, they always do,” I said, remembering the time Rick turned seventeen, and we invited a few kids from school over. Some seniors found out and crashed the party. We were both grounded for a month. “But so long as nothing is damaged, and the neighbors don’t complain, we’re good.”

We said goodnight, and the guys disappeared out the back gate. Maverick was already stalking toward the pool house.

“They’ve been in there the whole time?” I asked jogging up beside him.

“Yeah, I came to check on them a couple of hours ago, but they looked... busy.”

“Busy? What the fuck does that mean?” My brows quirked up.

“I don’t know. It looked like things were getting kind of heavy. I didn’t go inside, and they didn’t hear me.”

As we drew nearer, the sound of girly laughter filtered out from an open window. “That doesn’t sound good.”

Maverick stiffened. “No, it doesn’t.” He slipped a thin rope chain out of his jersey and plucked the key dangling on the end in front of him. It slid into the lock and he pushed open the door.

“Kyle, you’re here.” Laurie shrieked, and I paused, a groan building in my throat.

“She’s wasted.” Rick glanced back at me looking like a smug bastard.

“Rick, baby, where have you been?” Lo slurred, and I howled with laughter. “Looks like I’m not the only one with my hands full tonight.

“Shit.” He stormed inside and went straight over to the girls, taking in the empty bottles littering the room. “How much did you two drink?”

“Well,” Lo hiccupped. “A lot. We dranked a lot. Tooooo much.”

“Is there something I should know?” He narrowed his eyes at her. Lo didn’t get drunk. And, if she did, there was a usually a pretty good reason.

“Lighten up, Prince,” she flashed him a sloppy grin. “It’s a party. And at parties peoples are supposed to get drunked.”

“Jesus. Stone, a little help over here,” he barked as he tried to help Lo up from the couch.

“Hmm, kind of got my own hands full.” I eyed Laurie who grinned up at me from the chair. Her eyes were glassy, and her head seemed to roll on her shoulders.

“Let me put Lo to bed and then I’ll help you take her to the house.”

“Nah,” I said hooking my arms around Laurie’s body. “I’ve got her.” She slid her hands around my neck and sighed.

“Missed you, babe.”

I chuckled. “I don’t think you’ll be saying that in the morning when the hangover hits.”

“Oh... oh,” she grumbled.

“Come on, let’s get you to bed.” I guided her out of the pool house and across the yard. The back door was still open, but I kicked it shut as we entered the kitchen.

“You sit right there.” Depositing Laurie on one of the chairs, I fetched her a glass of water. “Drink.”

“I don’t wanna.” Her head rolled back as she tried to bat the glass away. I snagged her wrist, helping her find her balance again and then crouched down, bringing the glass to her mouth.

“You’ll thank me tomorrow. Drink.”

“You’re so bossy.”

“But you love me.”

“I love you.” Flashing me a toothy smile she parted her lips and gulped down the water. When she was done, I pulled her back up and helped her upstairs.

“Kyle?” A voice came from the hallway.

“It’s just me, Sum, go back to bed.” Nick had dropped her home a couple of hours ago and Rick marched her straight up to her room, ordering her not to come out unless absolutely necessary. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Summer, he just didn’t trust anyone else.

“Mom’s going to lose it tomorrow,” she called, and I smiled to myself.

“Mom doesn’t need to know.”

My hold on Laurie slipped, and she went flying into my bedroom door. “Shit, babe.”

“Ow, the room’s spinning.”

“Come on.” I picked her up and carried her newlywed-style to the bed. She buried her face in my chest and emotion swelled inside of me.

When I tried to lay her on the bed, she snuggled closer and we landed in a tangle of limbs. “Laurie, babe, let me undress you.”

“Don’t leave, Kyle. Promise me you’ll never leave me,” she said but her eyes were closed, her body a dead weight, as if she was teetering on the edge between consciousness and drunken oblivion.

“Leave you?” I brushed the hair from her face. “How could I? You own my heart, Laurie Davison. Without you, I couldn’t survive.”

My girl rolled onto her side and sighed again, and I realized she was asleep... that she hadn’t known what she was saying. But she’d said the words all the same.

Don’t leave me.

Is that what she thought? That one day, I’d walk away?

Fuck.

I clambered off the bed, removed Laurie’s shoes and managed to wiggle her skirt off her hips. Pulling back the covers, I slid in her legs and tucked the covers up around her. She looked like a sleeping angel, and there was something so staggering about that moment, that I felt all choked up.

She thought I was going to leave her.

I couldn’t wrap my head around that. All I’d ever done was love her. I’d given her no reason to doubt me, or us. If anything, I still came on too strong at times. I knew that and made no apologies for it. It was just the way I was wired.

All or nothing.

And I’d given Laurie my all. Or, at least, I thought I had. So if she was still doubting me and my motivations, what else did I have to do to prove to her I meant everything I said?

~

“I THINK SOMETHING DIED in my mouth. And my stomach,” Laurie groaned beside me. “Definitely my stomach. Ugh.”

“I’d like to say, I told you so, but since you snuck off to the pool house and had a little party for two, don’t come looking to me for sympathy.”

“Kyle,” she groaned again, flinging her hand out behind her. “Not helping.”

I pulled her closer, pressing my morning wood against her ass. “I do have something which might help.”

“I think I’m going to puke.” She tore out of the bed and ran into my small bathroom.

Feeling part-dejected, part-amused, I rolled over and checked my cell phone. Nine am. There was still time to get showered, have breakfast, and make the house look Loretta-standard tidy.

A few minutes later, the toilet flushed, and Laurie came back into the room clutching her stomach, looking pale. “I hate beer.”

“Famous last words. What happened with the two of you, anyway? When you said you were going to enjoy the party, I didn’t expect not to see you again.”

“Sorry.” She perched on the edge of the bed. “We went to get drinks, and some guy got handsy with Lo and—”

“What? Does Rick know?”

“What do you think? She handled it. But then some girls realized who we were, and we didn’t want to spend all night being scrutinized, so we went to the pool house.”

“And got ass-drunk.”

“Yeah, that wasn’t part of the plan.”

I gave her a pointed look. “There was enough booze in there to sink a ship.”

“I don’t know what happened. We were chatting and drinking, and then the room started to spin, so I drank more to make it stop.”

Shuffling to her side of the bed, I sat up and slid my legs either side of her body. “So I guess you can’t remember me carrying you to bed.”

“It’s a little blurry.”

My heart sank.

“I hope I didn’t say anything embarrassing.”

“Oh, you may have slipped out one or two things.” I dipped my head, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. She was still in her glittery tank top from the night before, but I didn’t care. Laurie could have worn a burlap sack and I would have still found her as sexy as hell.

She buried her face into her hands, but I snagged her wrists, tugging them free. “Never hide. Not from me, babe.”

“I’m so embarrassed. It’s not like me to do that.”

“We all need to let off a little steam now and again.” Pulling her closer, I dropped my chin to her shoulder. “Now go shower, you stink.”

“Kyle!”

I kissed her before nudging her up until we were both standing, my arms still tight around her waist. “Towels are in the bathroom. Help yourself to shower gel. I’ll go start breakfast.”

“You’re going to cook breakfast?” She turned in my arms, her brow raised in disbelief.

“What? I cook. Ask Rick, or Macey, or Summer. Loretta doesn’t come every day, you know.”

“Whatever you say, chef. But I like my pancakes golden, not chargrilled.” Laurie smirked, holding my gaze. Rolling my eyes, I pressed another kiss—to her head this time—before moving around her to find a clean t-shirt and some pants.

Once I was dressed, I made my way downstairs while Laurie got washed up.

“Mom’s going to kill you.” Macey didn’t bother lifting her head from her bowl of cereal.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I glanced around the kitchen. Everything was right where Rebecca—or more to the point, Loretta—left it.

“Oh, come on, do you really think she won't find out you guys had a party last night?”

“We had a gathering of friends. There’s a difference.”

“So, where’s her vase?”

“W- what?” I almost choked, and she finally lifted her head, her deadpan expression giving nothing away.

“Mom’s favorite vase. Where is it?” She repeated slowly, sounding out every letter as if I hadn’t been speaking English my entire life.

“Did you see Rick already this morning?” I rubbed my jaw. She was joking. This was a joke.

“What?” Her brows knitted together.

“Rick, did you see him?”

“Oh my God, you’re evil, the lot of you.” Lo breezed into the room looking far too fresh for a girl who had to be carried to bed less than eight hours ago.

“I knew it, bitch,” I shot at Macey who arched her brow with a dismissive shrug.

“Vase or no vase, she’s still going to kill you. I heard someone puked in her daisies.”

“No one is going to kill anyone.” Lo glanced between us before helping herself to juice from the refrigerator. “The house looks as good as new and despite some questionable looking stuff in the pool, I think we’re good.”

“Stuff in the pool?” My eyes almost bugged, and she cracked a wide grin as she reappeared.

“Gotcha!”

“Cous, seriously, don’t do that to me.” I clutched my chest. “I don’t want to end up grounded for the rest of the summer.”

“Like that’s ever stopped you,” Macey added.

“Geez, Mace, what crawled up your ass and died?”

“Bite me.”

“Did lover boy dump you already?”

“Kyle,” Lo warned from her position over by the counter. She shook her head discreetly, but Macey saw and threw her spoon into the bowl, the clink of metal on ceramic echoing through the room.

“I don’t need you coming to my rescue like we’re friends.” She slid off the stool and stopped just short of Lo, her eyes flat and hard as she added, “We’re not. Clear?”

“Crystal,” Lo said standing her ground, but I saw the flicker of hurt in her eyes.

Macey stormed out just as Rick appeared. “What was all that about?” He looked to Lo for answers, but I rushed out, “You know Macey, always a hoot.”

“Hey, you okay?” He brushed Lo’s face, and she forced a smile.

“Fine. Kyle’s making breakfast; this should be fun.” She craned around his shoulder and mouthed ‘thank you’ at me. And what did I do? In true Kyle Stone fashion, I grabbed a frying pan and declared, “Prepare to be wowed.”