Wright Rival (Wright)

“Seriously?” Campbell asked with a laugh. “It’s your goddamn photo.”

“It sure is,” she said, biting her lip.

He shook his head, but he signed the pass. Blaire didn’t offer hers up, and he carefully avoided looking at her.

I took a seat across the room from Hollin with another Bombay and lime. I’d done shots with Campbell, and the alcohol was finally hitting me. I had a high tolerance from all the wine, but even I couldn’t compete with tequila shots. If I was honest, there was no one alive who could compete with tequila shots.

Santi leaned into Nora and was telling a story about the lot of them getting lost in Salt Lake City earlier that week. Everyone laughed as he regaled us with how they’d had to hike several miles through snow to find someone who finally recognized Campbell’s face.

Campbell held his hand out. “Hey, it’s not my fault that the car broke down.”

“No, it’s Yorke’s,” Viv said. “He should work better at a stick shift.”

Yorke shrugged and kicked his feet up. “Sure.”

“Why were you even driving around by yourself?” I asked.

All eyes shifted to Santi, who held his hands up. “Hey, hey, hey, I swore there was good Columbian food in that shopping center. Made by real Columbians.”

“The food was delicious,” Viv said with a sigh.

“Damn straight,” Santi said. “Right back to my roots.”

Santi winked at Nora, who flushed.

Campbell narrowed his eyes at Santi. “Hey, that’s my little sister, dipshit. I know what that look means. Keep your hands to yourself.”

Everyone cracked up, except Nora, who looked indignant.

“Nothing is happening, Campbell! I’m taken anyway.”

“Yeah. Hands off our little sister,” Hollin piped up.

Santi raised his hands and threw his arm over the other side of the couch, wrapping it around Blaire. “You taken, sexy?”

Blaire opened her mouth in shock. “I…”

Campbell jumped to his feet. Everyone stared at him, waiting to see what exactly he was going to say. I was the most eager to see how this was going to play out. There were enough slightly drunk, half-naked women in here, all vying for Campbell’s attention. Blaire shouldn’t have even been on his radar. Even in her mid-length designer dress and heels with her hair down straight as a board to her waist, her curtain bangs falling forward, nearly into her blue eyes. But she was on his radar. He looked ready to rip Santi’s hands off of her. And he hadn’t even been that upset about his own sister.

Blaire arched an eyebrow. “Got something to say?”

Campbell looked down at Blaire, who met his eyes defiantly. It was a what are you going to do look.

Finally, he sat back down, grinding his teeth together. “No. Nothing.”

Conversation was stilted for a few moments after that. Jennifer yawned and gestured for them to leave. I should probably want to leave. Everyone else seemed done. Blaire certainly was ready to escape. She hadn’t wanted to come in the first place. Nora even came to her feet to stand beside Jordan and Julian. Annie pouted a little about leaving so early…even though it was nearly midnight, but eventually, she relented when I caught Jordan squeeze her ass suggestively.

“Piper?” Blaire asked. “You coming?”

“No, come on,” Campbell complained. “Someone should hang out a little longer.”

“I think I’ll stay,” I said, which was a surprise, even to me.

“Me too,” Hollin said. “I can make sure she gets back safe.”

Blaire arched an eyebrow at me. “You sure?”

I was not. But this was fun. I was pleasantly drunk and not worrying about anything at all. I hadn’t thought about work in hours. That never happened. What would a few extra hours hurt?

“Yeah. I’m good. Love you.”

She squeezed me extra tight. “Have fun.”

Campbell slung an arm around my shoulders as we both watched my best friend head out. “Glad you’re staying.”

“You going to tell me what happened with you and Blaire?”

Campbell blinked down at me, donning the casual rocker vibe immediately. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you don’t.”

He laughed. “Why worry about the past when the future is so bright?”

“You tell me.”

Hollin interjected mid-conversation. “What are y’all whispering about?”

Campbell faced his brother with his arm still around my shoulders. “Your girl sure is blunt.”

“I am not his girl,” I said.

Hollin gestured to us. “The bluntest.”

“Who said they wanted a blunt?” Viv cried. “I’ve got one or two here. Mostly joints though.”

Campbell released me with a laugh. He took the joint she’d offered and took a puff. He passed it back to his bandmate and lounged on one of the couches. Girls crawled under his arms. Both looked ready to do whatever he asked right then and there. This was a side of Campbell I wasn’t used to. Of course, there had been thousands of girls out there tonight who would have been just as happy to be in their position. It still wasn’t how I saw him. This was showman Campbell. Not back home in Lubbock Campbell.