I look at her, eyes wide.
Alaina kicks her softly with her foot. “He’s hurting. It’s how he deals.”
I tilt my head and look to both of them. “He’s fucking around?”
They all look to each other before Vicky stands and sits next to me. “He’s hurting. He loves you, but you have to understand that this is how Ade deals with his emotions. He kills or fucks.” She shrugs.
Carter’s eyes shoot up. “Are you serious?”
Vicky looks to Alaina whose eyes widen as if she needs to cover what she’s just let slip.
“No, I’m just using that as a figure of speech.” She attempts to laugh it off.
I narrow my eyes at her. “I don’t give a fuck who he kills. But who he fucks? Yeah. We have a problem.” I stand from my seat and I’m one hundred percent aware that I’m being a total hypocrite, but I didn’t have sex with anyone.
“Kal, you’re thinking too much into this. One of the last girls he fucked ended up buried in the forest. Trust me, sex means nothing to him.”
“Not helping…not helping at all.”
I begin pacing around the living room. I spare a glance at Carter and he looks like he might be sick. I’ve never felt jealousy like this before. Oh no, this is a dangerous feeling. I’ve felt jealousy like, she has nice shoes and I want them. But this jealousy? This jealousy makes me feel like ripping his balls off and licking them, all at the same time.
“Okay, I’m going to be okay. I just need to forget about him. I think. Is that what I need to do? Oh my God, what the fuck do I do? I don’t know how to cope with this knot of hate and jealousy I feel deep in my chest. This fucking sucks.”
I slump back to the sofa, a bead of sweat dripping off me.
It’s silent, I notice no one has said anything. I look up at all the sets of eyes looking at me in shock. “Wow,” Vicky blows out. “Who knew you had that in you.”
I look to the side before thinking about my actions and smile. “Let’s just forget it. I need food.” I stand from the sofa and make my way to the door, and when I feel no one is following I stop and turn around. “Are you guys not hungry?”
They all stand at once and follow me out the door.
We’re all sitting at a new café we decided to try downtown, and I’m sipping on the fattiest, chocolate milkshake I could find. Everyone’s voices die out. I think Carter and Vicky are having another debate about politics when I take my phone out of my handbag and send a text to Dominic.
Me: Can we talk?
Dominic: Two pm? I can meet you at yours?
Me: Sounds good.
I huff out and throw my phone back into my bag. This is going to suck. Why did I have to meet Ade Nixon, he’s toxic.
“I need to start heading back soon. Dom is coming up at two,” I say to all of them.
Vicky pats my knee. “Be nice, please. He’s my big brother. You’re doing the right thing, though. I wish you two could be together, but I can see it in your eyes, we all can. You’re already claimed by Ade, you just don’t know it yet.”
I laugh. “Oh, I know it. However, the slutting around thing is making it difficult for me to decide whether I want to love him or kill him. Jesus, how could he just…You know what? Don’t care.”
That was a blatant lie and we all know it.
I care too much.
“Are you girls heading back to Westbeach?” I ask them all.
“Nah, we’ve decided to stay. I heard about this new club downtown. Care to check out?” Alaina asks over her coffee. I smile at her with a mischievous glint in my eye.
“I accept. Give me an hour with Dom, then you guys can come up.” I kiss them all on their head and walk out of the café, making my way back to my apartment.
Walking in and throwing my crap down onto the floor, I look at my watch and see I have ten minutes before he arrives. I begin giving myself a mental pep talk. Just when I finish pouring my wine, I hear a knock on the door. I run over and swing it open to Dominic in ripped, cut off jean shorts that hang to his knees and a white singlet. I’m so extremely disappointed in myself right now because I want to lick him.
“Hey, come in,” I say stepping aside and gesturing to the open space beside me. He kisses me on the head and makes his way in. I shut the door and sit beside him on the couch.
“Do you want anything to drink?” He shakes his head then smiles.
“Just say what you need to say, Kal. It’s okay.”
I nibble on my lip, placing my hands on my lap. “It’s not fair, Dom. I’m not ready to see someone right now because I have too many issues I need to deal with inside. And, I still hold strong feelings for Ade. I don’t want to lead you on, you deserve better.”
He leans his elbows on his knees and looks up to me. “I know. I’m sorry, I sort of pushed this on to you. It was a dick move.”
“You didn’t force anything on me, Dom. I wanted to try it.”
He smiles, pulling me under his arm. “I hope I meet someone just like you one day, Kal.”
I wipe the stray tear that has slipped from my eye. “I don’t. I hope you find someone better.”
He stands from the couch, pulling me up and under his embrace.
“If you say we can’t be friends anymore I will understand, but I will also probably stalk you in your sleep until you decide that you have no other option than to be my friend,” I say in a muffled tone in his arms. He laughs and pulls back from me.
“There’s no way in hell I’d stop being your friend, Kal. That’s crazy talk.”
I smile up at him and he kisses me again softly on the lips. “You’re a fucking special girl, Kalie. Always remember that,” he tells me before walking out of my apartment.
An empty feeling creeps into my stomach, but I also feel lighter. I couldn’t keep doing that to him, I should have never explored the idea to begin with, but it’s Dominic.
That took quicker than I’d planned, so I decide to call my mom and check in with her. She picks up on the third ring.
“Hey mom, how are you doing?”
“He sweetie, I’m good. When are you coming to see us?”
“Real soon, I promise.” I really should go to see my mom; it’s exactly what I need.
“Dad bought a new pool, so you’ll have to come and try it out.”
I laugh. “Dad’s always buying new things.”
“I better go, Mom. I’ll be back soon, I promise.”
“I love you, darling.”
“I love you too, Mom.”
Hearing her voice is exactly what I need. Moms are angels sent from God, I don’t know what I’d do without mine. I walk into the kitchen and pull out a bottle of wine. I’m eager to start this night with a bang. I feel free but slightly nauseated with the thought of Ade going balls deep into one of his skanks. I don’t understand men. The saying is right, ‘Men are from Mars and women are from Venus.’
I’m pouring my third glass when the door opens and in walks my life.
“Sorry, I sort of started without you,” I say smiling up at them all.
“Well, fuck. I’ll need shots to catch up then,” Vicky states casually.
You would think becoming a mother calmed her, nope, not at all. She’s just more discreet now, doesn’t drink around Pipper at all.
“Shots! Yes,” I say. Opening up the top cupboard in our kitchen, I unleash my friend.
“Absinthe?” Alaina says, looking at me in shock.
I nod my head. “Yes, I received it from…I can’t remember who it was. But he gave it to me after I danced for him.”
Vicky raises her eyebrows and laughs. “Girl, Ade has really worked one on you.”
I shake my head in innocence. “I don’t know what it is that you speak, child.”
She snatches the clear liquid bottle of goodness out of my hand. “I thought Absinthe was green?”
I shrug. “He said this one is the ‘real shit.’ Whatever that means.”
She pops it open, taking the first swig. “M
mm, that’s good. It tastes, different.”
I snatch it out of her hands and swallow some down. “It tastes like my next mistake.”
They all start laughing and Alaina comes up behind me while everyone takes their drinks, making their way to the living room.
“Are you okay? I never got around to asking you. Zane and I, we’ve been dealing with it little bits at a time,” she whispers.
I swallow my drink and wipe my mouth. “I’ve been seeing someone, she’s been really helpful. I’ve been getting memory flashes during my sleep too,” I say looking at her sympathetically.
She shakes her head and smiles a fake smile at me. “I’m okay. We’re dealing with it.”
I nod my head and pull her in for a hug. “I love you, you know that?”
She squeezes me back. “I love you, too.”
Vicky comes walking in. “That shit is amazing if I’m already getting to see some girl on girl action,” she says smirking at us. I shove her shoulders and Alaina flips her off.
“Right,” I say walking into the living room with every alcoholic beverage I can find, and a deck of cards. “We are playing thirty-one. Everyone know how to play?” I ask around the circle of Vicky, Alaina, Phoebe, and Carter. Carter and Phoebe shake their heads while Alaina and Vicky know how. Surprise, surprise.
“Okay, so it’s sort of like Black Jack. Aces are eleven, all face cards are ten points, and all other cards are face value. The object of the game is to get as close to thirty-one points in your hand without going over. Each player is dealt three cards—one face-up and two face-down. Like in Blackjack, the play rotates for additional cards. At any point in the game, when you think your hand is high enough, say twenty-eight points or so, you can knock, which means everyone else has one last draw to add to their hand. All the hands are then laid down, and the person with the lowest point total has to drink a shot of Absinthe. If the person who knocked has the lowest point total, that player must also drink an additional penalty shot for poor play. At any time a player has a total of thirty-one in their hand, they immediately place their cards down and everyone else has a shot of Absinthe. Kapesh?” I look around at everyone and they all laugh.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were trying to get me drunk,” Vicky laughs.
I look back at her and narrow my eyes. “Yeah, been there, done that.”
I go to shuffle the cards before pausing, realizing what I’ve just said. I stop and look up at everyone who look shocked, except Vicky of course, she finds my verbal diarrhea amusing.
“Okay, fuck,” I say, trying to think of a way to cover what I’ve just said. Instead, I pour a shot of Absinthe and shoot it back. “Let’s just play the damn game, all right? Yes, Vicky and I had a semi-threesome with Blake. Done! Now let’s continue.”
Carter stands from the floor with an enormous smile on his face. “Oh hell, no! You’re not getting out of this without explaining.” I look to Vicky pleading for help.
She laughs. “It was a semi-threesome, the first night we meet Blake and the boys. Kalie was still a virgin and was only having a little play. However, it didn’t get far because then our door was kicked down by a fuming Ade, and the rest is well…the rest is history.”
I look at her. “Oh, but that’s not all, you see,” I begin, pouring another shot. I think I might not make it to town. “Vicky had another threesome that week.” I smile at her. Her eyes widen and she looks at Phoebe who’s smiling at her. I forgot about Phoebe and Ryder—the other man Vicky had a threesome with was Ryder Oakley. The lead singer and very, very, famous rock God from Twisted Transistor. He and Phoebe had a thing, but it was messy when they ended it. I don’t think she would care.
“Oh, please, don’t look at Phoebs. She wouldn’t care,” I mumble under my shot glass.
Vicky smiles at Phoebe and Alaina is looking anxious.
“Why the fuck do I not know what you two bitches are talking about?” Alaina asks pouring a shot. “Fuck, me. I’ll be needing one of these for this discussion, I think.” Carter takes the bottle from Aliana.
I shake my head at Vicky’s silence. “She had a threesome with Blake and Ryder Oakley.”
“What!” Alaina screams.
“Oh my God, it wasn’t a big deal,” she says looking nervously at Phoebe.
“Why are you looking at me?” Phoebe says turning red.
“It wouldn’t be the first time he was being a fucking whore. If I never see him again, it would be too early,” she spits, snatching the bottle off Carter and taking a drink.
“Well, at least you’ll be traveling around the world with some famous person soon, and will be too important to worry about Ryder Oakley,” I say to her and she smiles.
“Exactly.”
“Do you know who it is yet?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “Maree hasn’t given me the details yet. She will on Monday, or I’ll lock her in a room until she does.” I laugh and start dealing out the cards. “Here we go kids.” I pick up my dock remote and turn on Qwote ft Pitbull ‘Throw Your Hands Up’ while we begin our night. Vicky stands on top of the coffee table, pulling me up with her dropping it low to the blaring music. I laugh and drag Phoebe up with me while Carter stands from his seat and begins putting us all to shame with his ass shaking skills.
This is going to be a long one.
“So you want us to pause the plans?” Blake asks down the phone.
“Yes, I need it bigger.”
“You don’t need a bigger house, Ade. If it’s just you…” he trails off in an asking tone.
“It’s just me, but I want big. The same ideas but with a couple extra rooms. I have the land to do it, so I may as well use it.”
“All right then, are you at the clubhouse?”
“Yeah, I just walked in. Call you back in a second.”
I walk in to find Zane on his laptop so I walk up behind him. “What are you doing on Fuckbook?” I ask, laughing at him.
He looks up at me, eyebrows raised. “Well, I’m personally not on Facebook, but Alaina left hers logged in. When I opened the laptop to go through some accounts, Facebook it was open.” He smiles pulling his lip into his mouth.
I narrow my eyes at him. “What? Spit it out Da Vinci.”
He turns the laptop around to face me, showing me photos of Kalie and Dominic all over each other, kissing, laughing, him holding her on his fucking lap.
“Fuck!” I yell. “When the fuck were these taken?”
Zane looks down to the laptop again. “A couple nights ago. Kalie ‘liked’ them too,” he teases.
“I swear to fucking God, Zane. Shut the fuck up. Let’s go.”
He stands from his seat. “Where?”
“Don’t play fucking dumb, we’re leaving. I’m claiming what’s mine. Now.” I storm out of there smashing the door open. “I’m going to get my fucking girl back.”
Zane laughs while following me out. “All right brother, I think they’re heading out tonight. I’ll text Alaina.”
I wish I could fucking scrape those images out from my head, his fucking hands and lips all over her. I want to fucking annihilate him. The fact that I love her outweighs the feeling of wanting to slit her throat. It helps balance my feelings out.
“What are you doing?” Zane asks as I walk over to my bike.
“Taking my fucking bike. She can just get the fuck on and she can scream all she wants. It’s nothing I haven’t heard come out of her mouth before.”
He laughs, shaking his head and taking hold of his helmet. “All right brother. Shit!”
The ride here was extra-long, long enough to work myself up. It’s late, so no doubt their night will be well and truly flying ahead at full speed. If there’s anything those girls know how to do, it’s party.
I get off my bike and take my helmet off.
“They’re not here,” Zane yells from his spot across the road. “They’re at Wired. It’s a new club that’s opened in town. And Ade? Alaina said that Kalie is wasted. B
y the sounds of it, they all are. Be fucking nice, brother. She’s been through a lot.”
She’s about to be put through a lot more—a lot more of my dick.
“Where’s this club?”
He points up the road. “Not far from here.”
I jump back onto my bike. “I’ll follow your lead.”
He gets back onto his bike and we roar them to life, riding off to this fucking bar. Kalie has always been sweet and innocent, but she also has this mischievous side to her that only comes out occasionally. That mischievous side is going to be the death of me.
We pull up to the bar and there’s a huge line out front, but the girls aren’t there. We get off and ignore the gawking. Walking up to the bouncer, I take my gloves off, shoving them in my pocket and fluff my hair up.
“Here to find our women. That going to be an issue?” I ask.
He looks between Zane and me a few times before shaking his head and popping open the gate. We both walk in, in our usual get up. White T-shirt with our cut over the top, jeans that hang loose, and combat boots. Walking into the deep bass sound of some song with girls screaming and dancing, the place is huge and it’s packed. Pushing through the crowd of people and ignoring the sultry stares coming from women all over the place, we attempt to find our little misfits. When I spot her, a fire lights in my chest and, holy fuck, I swear my whole world stops. The Weeknd ‘The Hills’ is pumping through the speakers, and I’m watching her body do fucking amazing things to the base of the song. The girl dances dirty, about as dirty as she plays between the sheets.
I stand there stock still when Zane looks at what I’m watching and smiles.
“Damn, the girl can fucking move.”