“What the fuck!” Ice-cold, sticky orange juice dripped down my torso, running onto the floor underneath my chair.
“You’re such an asshole sometimes, you know.” Weston glared at me, throwing me the roll of paper towels. “You deserved that, and more.”
“What have I done?” I wiped as much of the orange juice away as I could, then climbed off my chair to mop the worst of it from the floor. Good thing the cleaner was due today.
Ignoring the smirk Z was giving me, and the fact I was still covered in juice, I bit into my omelette and groaned in appreciation. I may loathe the girl, even more so after that stunt she’d just pulled, but this omelette was the best I’d ever eaten.
“Didn’t you see her face when you insulted her? I couldn’t decide if she wanted to punch you or cry!” West wouldn’t let it drop.
“Yeah, and did you notice the marks on her face look worse today? The marks you inflicted on her?” Cassius interjected.
An unwelcome sensation of guilt settled in my stomach, but I chose to ignore it. The room fell silent as we finished eating, tension in the air.
Weston stood, carrying his plate to the dishwasher. “At least offer to give her a lift back to uni.”
Cassius nodded, speaking around a mouthful of food. “I agree. I’ll take her bike in my car.”
“Can I get a lift, Cass?” Weston closed the dishwasher with a loud bang.
“Yeah, mate. Go on, then, Cade, ask her. She’s not coming in my car, so you’ll have to take her if you want to make sure she’s gone. Unless you want her hanging around the house…”
I slammed my fork down and looked between them all, Cass and West staring at me expectantly and Zayde’s eyes flicking between us, amusement clear on his face.
“For fuck’s sake.” I left them to it and headed up to shower the juice off me, before I threw on clean jeans and a T-shirt and made my way to the guest room where Winter had been sleeping. Not bothering to knock, I walked in, and my eyes went straight to the bed where Winter was sitting against the headboard, her head in her arms.
What the fuck was I meant to do? I stopped just inside the doorway, jaw clenched. Why did she have to come here and fuck everything up? My brother and Cassius were already half on her side. As for Z? Who knew what the fuck he thought.
I cleared my throat, and her head shot up, her eyes flying to mine. “Get out of here,” she hissed.
“No can do, Snowflake. I’m here to tell you to get your ass showered and ready in the next five minutes, and you’re riding to uni in my car.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No!”
“Stop being so fucking stubborn. Look, I don’t want you in my car, but the boys insist, and I want you out of my house. If none of them are prepared to take you, I’m going to make sure you’re gone.”
Her mouth twisted miserably as she stared at me, and then her face brightened, as if something had occurred to her. “Your car. As in, the pretty R8?”
“For the last fucking time, my car is not pretty.” I gritted my teeth. “Get your ass in the shower, now, or I will put you in there myself. You’re not making me late for my classes.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” Her eyes narrowed at me.
“Try me.” I took a threatening step towards her, and she squealed, jumping off the bed and rushing straight into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. I waited until I heard the shower go on, then made my way to my own room to get ready.
Sixteen minutes later we were finally outside the house, after Winter had taken her sweet time getting out of the front door. By the time she’d finished saying goodbye and stashing the piece-of-shit bike in Cassius’ SUV, my patience had run out. I stood by the open door of my car, my jaw clenched as I watched her fucking around wasting time.
“Winter, get in my fucking car, now. You’re going to make me late.”
“I’m saying goodbye,” she shouted back, then threw up her middle finger at me and wrapped her arms around Cassius. He smirked at me over her shoulder and put his arms around her waist, leaning down to kiss the top of her head.
That. Was. It.