Playing Fate (Endgame Series Book 1) (3 page)

Her eyes fill with tears as she doubles over in laughter. “That was the most real I’ve seen you. Ass shaking, head bopping. The cussing is just adorable.”

I stare at her. What the hell is wrong with this girl? She almost gave me a heart attack, and she’s concerned with my dancing and swearing. I meet her laughing face and realize she’s right. I didn’t know she was there, so I hadn’t placed myself back in the box I’m trying to escape from. Quiet girl. Good grades. Behaved. Boring as hell. I smirk. “Sneak up on me again, and I’ll cut you.” She winks at me and sends me into a fit of my own giggles.

“Why you’d clean up?”

“It was nasty.” My voice is laced with annoyance. It was a stupid question.

“But you didn’t make the mess.”

“But I couldn’t leave it like this.” She looks me up and down.

“Where’re you going?”

“Book store and somewhere to find stuff to decorate my room. It’s kind of blah.”

“Give me twenty.” She spins and disappears before I can protest. I didn’t exactly invite her.

“Hey!” She turns. “Is Emberlee a heavy sleeper? I need to vacuum.”

“She’s not here. Her fuck buddy drug her to his cave last night.”

“Huh?”

“Mason. Girl, you need to pay attention.” She’s gone down the hall before I can comment. I think she forgot I didn’t grow up with them and was only in their presence for all of fifteen minutes yesterday. I suck at social situations and reading people. Opening closet doors coming up empty, finally the fourth try I hit pay dirt. Top of the line vacuum . . . the little things make me happy.

My playlist keeps going as I finish vacuuming and freshen up, waiting on Avery. “Come on. I’ll drive so you don’t get us lost.” I click off my music and follow her.

“I have GPS, smarty-pants.”

“Smarty-pants? Where the hell are you from?”

“Florida.”

“Backwoods.”

“Pretty much. Macclenny.”

“Never heard of it.” I climb in the passenger seat. She is the owner of the BMW, which leaves the Lexus to Emberlee.

“Yeah, blink and you miss it.” She starts the car and the air-conditioning blasts, cooling me down. Kansas heat isn’t as bad as Florida during the summer—but it’s hot as hell. As we’re pulling away, I see Emberlee leaving the house next door and Caden and Mason heading to the house next door to them.

“Weight training,” she answers without me asking a question. “Baseball players. They live for that shit. Well Mason and Caden do; Deacon loves it, but since Julie, he’s not set on going pro. That’s the reason Caden and Mason came to school instead of going minor leagues. Those three are tight. My boys of summer.” The wistfulness in her tone when she mentions Deacon makes my mind tick. I have a bad habit of analyzing other’s relationships so I don’t focus on the fact I have none. There’s a story here, and I’m chastising myself for being nosy, wanting to pry.

I take my phone and Google – boys of summer are baseball players. “So they do this every day?”

“Yep. Never take a break. Deacon has a home gym, so they hit the weights and strength train there. Deacon’s going to have to figure out a time to run before classes or after so it doesn’t interfere with his schedule for Julie.” I nod. Julie must be pretty damn important to alter his life. Again, Deacon is the one she mentions the most, and his schedule and demeanor seems to be the odd man out.

“Were you and Deacon an item?”

Her head whips to face me before facing the road. “No,” her amusement is apparent. “We’re just friends. Why, are you interested?” Her singsong voice is teasing but holds a hint of excitement.

“No, you mention him a lot. And point out all the changes he’s made because of Julie. Just seems you miss him, so I was wondering. Relationships aren’t on my radar. A diploma and career are the only things on my horizon.”

“A lot has changed since Julie. It’s expected, but he seems to think he’s on his own. It’s never been an us and him scenario, and that seems to be what he’s making it. I just miss him. I miss the dynamic we all had.” She shrugs, brushing it off. “I guess it’s expected. Lots of changes and we’re growing up.” Her curls bob as she shakes the melancholy off. I decide to change the subject.

“How far is campus?”

“We’re in Maize. Fifteen to twenty minutes. Our hometown is on the east side of Wichita about another fifteen minutes.”

“Why didn’t y’all stay at home?”

“I would have, but Lee Lee has some issues with her parents. The guys wanted to be dirt bags and fuck around, and their mommas would skin them alive. Deacon needed time for just him and Julie. I just followed the majority. That’s how we roll. If we can’t agree, it goes to a vote.” Again . . . a lot of change stems from Deacon and Julie. The few minutes I saw they seem to be a welcoming crew, so I’m confused with the separation from Julie . . .

“Umm, that’s odd. You can’t do your own thing?”

“Oh, we do, but we prefer big decisions be made together. We’ve been together since day one. Our moms went to high school together. Deacon and Emberlee’s dads met in the military. They all bought houses in Eastborough, and all of us were born within six months of each other. Except Adriane. She’s a year older than us. That’s a topic we don’t discuss. Her name is forbidden in our lives.” She dangles that tidbit like a carrot in front of a rabbit, and I’m dying to bite. I won’t – yet.

“That’s amazing.” To have that connection to not just one person but five others – and the history from previous generations is inspiring for me.

“No, it’s weird. But whatever, it works for us.”

“Are your parents still close?”

“God, yes. Deacon’s mom was the only one who worked, and she gave that up when we started elementary.”

“Cool.”
Ideal childhood
.

“I see you thinking. We’re all blessed and never want for anything, but don’t think it’s all sunshine and roses here. We all have issues.”

“Noted.”

“So you coming to the next party?”

“Is it at our house?”

“Yep.”

I inhale. “Then I’ll be there.” Exhale. Time to find yourself, Saylor. Live. Try new things.

“We’re here.” Luckily, a mall is a mall. There isn’t much difference in the stores except what sports paraphernalia they carry. They layout of Bradley Fair is unique with it being an open aired shopping center. I like not being in masses of people with two walkways. This place has everything you could want; a bunch of strip malls spread out in one large area. The rest of the day is easy. We laugh, get to know each other, and by the time we find the restaurant we’re eating, we are finishing each other’s sentences. Emberlee’s meeting us here, and I don’t know why she doesn’t like me. Guess I’ll take her one day at a time. God, I sound like a poster child for addiction. I take a seat and smile as she walks up, and hell has frozen over. She smiles back. Genuinely smiles. “She got laid. This is her post-coital bliss. Roll with it,” Avery whispers to me, and I may ask Mason to give it to her every night if it will keep her happy.

For a tiny thing, she has legs for miles. Shit! I’m staring as she climbs from Avery’s car, and when she laughs, her face transforms. The girl hides a personality begging to be let loose. I watch her body lean towards people and immediately draw back. I see her eyes studying, taking every aspect in, but she seems afraid to jump in the huddle and experience it. “DD, what’s up?” Caden is hollering from ten feet away. Dipshit.

“Unloading some groceries before heading to the parents for a bit. Gonna get a run in.”

Avery comes over, and Saylor is trailing behind her. “What time you heading home?”

“About an hour or so. Julie is asleep, so whenever she gets up.” My eyes gravitate to her, and she is staring at the ground. Didn’t know grass was so interesting.

“Let’s meet at Bonefish and eat. Lee Lee was summoned home while we were at lunch. I’ll call her and see if she’s game.”

Mason joins us. “She isn’t gonna be able to come. Just hung up and they are having family time.” He rolls his eyes, as we all know it’s a cover. That is one divided family.

“Sounds good,” I let them know.

Caden tosses his baseball in the air. “I’ll drive. I’ve got room for all four of us.” Saylor’s head snaps up.

“I’m not going.” Her cheeks are red, and her eyes are darting everywhere.

“Yeah you are, new girl.” His trademark smirk isn’t working with this girl. She’s chomping at the bit to put him in his place, but she won’t. “We need to do some hazing.”

Turning to Avery, “I don’t want to go. I’ve got stuff to do.” Her voice sounds panicked.

Caden won’t let her off the hook, “You bailed last night on the party.” Interesting. “Tonight, what’s your excuse?”

“I have some paperwork to turn in for my scholarship.” I didn’t know she was here on scholarship.

“Dinner’s on me,” I offer, wondering if money is a deterrent for her.

“Thanks but that isn’t needed.” She bristles, and it turns me on. The defiance in her eyes, the stance she’s taken. Hot as fuck.

“Saylor, it’ll be an early night. We can’t get wild in the town we grew up in. Our parents would kill us.” Avery is begging. She must be good people if Avery has taken to her.

Mason joins, “Come on. We all live next door to each other, you’re the newbie. We need to get to know you.”

“Don’t break my heart,” Caden flirts, and I want to punch my best friend in the face.

“Holy shit. Okay, but promise me we won’t be late. I really have to finish this paperwork.”

I flash Caden a warning look before promising her. “I promise Caden will have you home at a decent hour and won’t pressure you into staying out longer than you want.”

“Damn, DD. You’re breaking father mode out on me.”

“Shut up.” Avery slaps him.

“DD? Designated Driver?” All of us laugh, mine in embarrassment because I know what is coming.

“Nah, newbie,” Mason smiles. “DD. Deacon Douglas. Dirty Dawg. Delicious Dick. Take your pick.”

“Please tell me you’re joking. Delicious Dick? Mason, I didn’t know you swung that way. Emberlee not enough?” She just fucking put him in his place, and my cock is hard as a rock.

Avery is snorting, Caden razing Mason, Mason staring as Saylor is stupefied, and I just fell in love. Not real love, but deep lust. Real deep. “See y’all at six?” I back away. I need to make an escape before my cock begs me to let him go on an expedition.

“See ya,” everyone but her calls. She is looking down again, uncomfortable. Game on, Saylor. If I make her feel uneasy without trying, I can only imagine her blush and shyness when I turn on the charm—that’s something I’m looking forward to.

As she hurries to catch up, she stumbles and without thinking, I sprint to catch her. She wasn’t in any danger of falling, but the need to touch her overcomes me. My fingers wrap around her upper arm, she’s so tiny the tips overlap as my hand circles her. I place my other hand on her shoulder, acting like I’m steadying her when in reality I’m stabilizing myself. An inferno has spread up my arms, burning the skin, setting my body ablaze. Her gasp draws my attention to her; eyes wide, the green is vivid with flecks of gold. She’s staring where my hand is resting against her arm, mouth agape, breathing rapid. Clearing my throat, “You okay?”

“Fine.” Her tone is clipped, and she won’t look at me. That pisses me off.