The Consequence of Loving Colton (Consequence 1)

“So.” Ignoring him, I pulled out the instructions. “Three red roses go in the middle and then we’re supposed to fill the rest of the vases with this . . .” I lifted the white tulle into the air.

“What is that?”

“Err . . . decorations?”

Colton picked a piece up and held it as far away from his body as humanly possible, like he was afraid if it got close to his man parts it would wrap around and squeeze his balls off. His lips curled in disgust as he rolled his eyes and set it on the table.

“Fine.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Stick the pointy things in the green foam thing that looks like SpongeBob and then stuff the white crap into the glass thingy and make sure it’s full.”

Colton’s smile was blinding. “Got it. Why didn’t you just say so?”

We worked in relative silence for the next half hour. I did every single thing Max suggested. I dropped at least ten roses, and bent over trying to pick them up so Colton would notice, but the man was a machine. It was like he couldn’t wait to leave!

With a flourish I dropped another rose and went to retrieve it only to have Colton grab my hand so hard that I winced in pain.

“Leave it.”

“But—”

“I said . . .” He was so close my exhalation tangled with his inhalation. “Leave it.”

His jaw flexed as he pulled my hand closer to his body and then released it as if I’d hurt him.

“I think we’re done.” He cleared his throat. “Yeah?”

“Sure.”

“Jason!” A high-pitched scream broke the cloud of confusion. “Baby! I need you!”

“Speak of the devil,” Colton muttered under his breath.

I hadn’t seen Jayne Harrison in years. But I still hadn’t forgiven her for telling me my Barbie lunchbox was stupid in the first grade. She also said I smelled like tuna.

Sometimes during school I imagined her getting eaten by a giant octopus or falling off the swing set and bruising her perfect little face.

Peering around Colton, I noticed nothing had changed since high school. She had a blonde A-line bob and wore enough makeup on to open up her own Sephora.

Her tight, black leather dress looked more appropriate for a dance club than for during the day—maybe she was one of those daylight vampires or something.

“Where are you?” she wailed, looking around the yard, her eyes finally settling on Colton.

He grabbed me and pushed me in front of him.

“Brave,” I muttered under my breath.

“Self-preservation,” he snapped back. “I’m not sorry. My balls actually retreat back into my body when I hear her voice.”

“Milo!” Jayne’s heavily mascaraed eyes grew wide. “Is that you? Oh, look at you! How cute! You’re still wearing your brother’s clothes!”

I clenched my fist at my side and nearly decked her, but Colton’s light touch on my shoulders calmed me down—enough for me to know that it would be a mistake to give her a black eye to match my brother’s.

“Oh, you know me. I just love boy clothes,” I said through clenched teeth.

“Yes.” She eyed me up and down. “Well.” With a bored look she glanced behind me. “Colton, looking great.”

“There they go,” he whispered, then said louder, “Thanks, J, you too.”

“Where is he?” she demanded loudly enough to make me jump.

“Baby!” Jason limped toward us, followed by Max. “How are you?”

“Jason!” She covered her face. “What happened to your eye? And your leg! Are you okay?”

“Fine.” He grinned. “You know how things get when Milo comes home.”

“I know.” She sent me a glare and then pinched my brother’s cheeks with her talons. “We’ll get you all better.”

Colton started coughing wildly behind me.

All eyes shifted to him.

“Bug,” he wheezed, giving his chest a few strong pats. “Sorry.”

“Hey, what’s going on over here?” Max ran up to the group and then froze, all color draining from his face.

“Max?”

“Jayne?”

“Oh, no,” I muttered, my heart sinking at Max’s wounded expression.

“I thought you were finishing up school.” In a gesture of shyness, she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. The woman didn’t have a shy bone in her body.

Max blushed. He blushed! “Yeah, well, I’m here with Milo.”

“Oh.” Jayne nodded, her voice icy. “Are you like one of her Big Brothers? You know that program for kids?”

“What the—” I lunged for her, but was stopped by Colton’s arms. He was shaking. From laughter. Awesome.

“Actually . . .” Max eyed me. Oh, no, he was going to do something bad, really, really bad, and I was going to want to punch him in the throat.

“I’m here with Milo because . . .”

Here it comes.

“They’re dating,” Colton interjected smoothly, releasing me so I could run into Max’s arms.

He chuckled and whispered in my ear, “Broke my heart, broke my heart, make it better.”

Damn it.

“Small world, huh?” I kissed Max on the cheek, and then the mouth, latching on to him like he was the only man in the world. He responded with a growl low in his throat as he pulled my hair and then lifted me into the air. Okay, now he was getting a bit carried away.