Chapter 3
Angsty Teenage Poetry For The Win
Islid down onto the couch next to my best chick friend on the planet. Dayna was bubbly as always and sported a bright blue bow in her hair.
“So, have you told her yet?”
I snapped my gaze to Dayna’s dark green eyes, realizing she was laughing at me. “Wh-What?”
She pointed over at Leilani, who was hand in hand with Jackson. My blood was already boiling. “Come on, Mav, I think I know that look.”
“Check yourself, Rotshtyn.”
“You better watch yourself, Steele—you know how I feel about my last name.” Dayna punched me in the shoulder, giggling. I was the only one who could even come close to getting away with calling her by her last name. “Now, let’s get back to the fucking point, dickwad.” Dayna pointed back over to Leilani as Jax brushed her hair back behind her ear. I was ready to walk up to him and let my right fist connect with his perfectly chiseled jaw.
I shrugged, taking a long sip from the plastic red cup I was nearly crushing in my hand. I tried to stay as cool as a cucumber but failed completely. “She’s just a chick, and she’s Dane’s little sister.”
Dayna giggled even more. “Sure, Maverick Steele is going to play by the rules. I can now die and go to heaven.” Her eye roll was not lost on me, and the sarcasm dripping from her words was on point. I could always count on that chick to tell me how it was, and that was why she was one of my best friends.
“Why do you care?” I was starting to get pissy.
“Look, you two have had crushes on each other since before either of you hit puberty. It’s damn time someone called ya out on it.”
“What does it matter? She’s making doe eyes at the hottest dude in the goddamn school. I can’t compete with those muscles and that perfect smile. Who wouldn’t want to be on the arm of our school’s MVP?”
“Do you know how much like a chick you just sounded? Did you make a deal with the Devil—trading in your balls for a shot with Leilani?”
“Fuck, dude. I don’t know why I am getting roasted right now.” I chugged the rest of the Natty Ice in my cup.
“I’m just tired of watching my best friend pine for a chick he has a shot with. Don’t think I don’t know that you sleep around just to fill the void of who you really want to be with.”
Dane took a seat next to me, following my gaze to his sister being groped right in front of us. “I don’t know what she sees in that fucking jock.”
Dayna held her hand up in the air. “Amen. We were just talking about that.”
“Why do you let her hang out with guys like that?” I barked.
He shrugged. “You try telling Leilani what to do. She sure as shit does not listen to me.”
“They should have never ridden here with him.” I was about to freak out. I couldn’t watch it anymore. “To the keg. Who needs a refill?”
Dayna and Dane followed me into the kitchen. We waited our turn and I pumped fresh beer into our plastic cups.
Right as we were about to head back into the living room, Leilani rushed into Dane’s arms, crying hysterically.
“Sis, what’s wrong?” Dane dropped his beer onto the tile floor, pulling his sister in tighter.
“We need to leave—now,” she sobbed, grabbing for me. “Please, take me home.”
I dug my keys out of my pocket as fast as humanly possible. “Dayna, tell the rest of them we left. Can you give them all a ride later?”
She nodded. “Of course. Just take care of her.”
We rushed for the front door with Jules hot on our trail.
“What’s going on?” my sister whispered in my ear as Dane helped Leilani into the back seat.
“Fuck if I know. I’ll kill the rat bastard if it’s what I think it is.” I didn’t want to think the worst, but my gut was telling me Jackson was going to get an ass beating in the very near future.