Loving Violet (Rockers' Legacy Book 4)

When we got out to the driveway, however, it was to find Cannon’s car was gone. Shaw muttered a curse as she started her vehicle. “If he’s at this party, I’m going to kick his ass.”

Of course, his car was already parked in front of the house where the party was being held, and I seriously began to wish I hadn’t agreed to come to this damned thing. It was just after nine, so the party was only really getting started, but the place was packed with kids from our school.

And some who weren’t fellow students.

Like Jagger.

Who was making out with some blond girl I didn’t recognize on the couch in the living room.

It was hard to miss them since it was the first thing anyone saw when they walked into the room. I was in front of Shaw, but as soon as I saw Jagger and the girl, I turned to look at my friend and saw the emotions flit across her face one after another.

The shock. The hurt. Then…the anger.

I knew I should have stopped her, that it was the smart thing to do to keep the peace and the bloodshed to a minimum. But I didn’t make a move when she snatched someone’s red cup out of their hand and walked up behind the couch.

Without a word, she poured the contents of the cup over Jagger’s head. He jerked in surprise and ended up pushing the girl off his lap by accident. “Shit!” he said with a yell as he jumped to his feet and helped the girl stand. “Are you okay?”

“She’s fine,” Shaw snarled. “But you’re not going to be in a minute.”

Jagger turned at the sound of her voice, his face tensing when he realized she was the one who’d just doused him in stale beer. “Shaw—” He started but quickly broke off. His jaw clenched, and he balled his hands into fists at his sides. “Look—”

“No, you look, dickhead.” She moved between him and the girl he’d been kissing only moments before. Stabbing him in the chest with her index finger, she glared up at him. “You can’t kiss me one weekend, then avoid me like the fucking plague for days, only to set it up so I would find you like this. You were the only reason I even came to this damn thing tonight, and you knew it!”

He swallowed hard a few times before shaking his head. “Listen—”

“No, you listen,” she spat at him. “You know how I feel. You told me how you feel too. I thought we had a chance. That we could be the next Violet and Luca and have something amazing. But apparently you’re too much of a goddamn pussy to fight for us.”

Her voice cracked, and my heart hurt for her. I saw the way Jagger flinched at the sound of it, and I wanted to slap him for being so stupid. For not even giving them a chance to have something special. Instead, he just stood there, not saying a word or reaching for the girl who could have loved him with every fiber of her being if he’d only let her.

“I fucking knew you two kissed!” Cannon exploded as he pushed past me to get to his best friend and sister. Grabbing Jagger by the shoulder, Cannon swung him around and punched him dead in the face. Jagger fell on his ass but didn’t try to get up.

Cannon stood over him, seething with anger. “Stay the fuck away from my sister.” Then he turned to Shaw. “And I told you, keep your distance from my best friend. You’re acting like a fucking slut right now, Shaw.”

Shaw growled something I didn’t understand and drew back her left hand. When her fist connected with Cannon’s jaw, he stumbled and fell face first beside Jagger. “And you’re acting like a fucking prick, asshole.” She gave both guys a disgusted look. “You know what? You two deserve each other. You’re both pussified idiots.”

She stormed out of the room, and I stood there for a moment, taking the whole thing in. Part of me thought of taking pictures to send to Luca later so we could talk shit about the two dumbasses on the floor, but I changed my mind when the girl Jagger had been making out with hit him in the face with a pillow from the couch.

“You were only making out with me to hurt that girl?” she demanded.

He shrugged, still not saying a word.

“She’s right. You are a pussy. I’m out of here.” She threw another pillow at his face and then stepped over Cannon as she walked out of the house with her head held high.

Everyone who was in the room and witnessed the whole exchange went back to doing whatever they were doing before the incident happened. I shook my head at the two of them and went in search of Shaw.

I found her in the kitchen with a bottle of spiced rum in one hand and a can of Diet Coke in the other. She took a drink of the soda then poured a shot of rum directly into her mouth. I nearly groaned, wondering if I was going to have to drive her car home later. I had my license, but I didn’t like driving, which was why I’d told my parents I didn’t want my own vehicle yet.

I grabbed myself a Diet Coke and then leaned back against the counter beside my best friend. “So…you kissed Jagger last weekend?”

She exhaled slowly but, after a moment, nodded. “Yeah. Sorry I didn’t tell you. He spent last weekend at the house. Saturday night, after Cannon went to bed, we stayed up watching movies together. You know how it’s been with us. The flirting and everything. Then he kissed me and I…” She took another shot of rum from the bottle and chased it with a drink of soda. “I thought he was picking me over his friendship with Cannon. That he felt what I feel.”

I put my free arm around her. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” she whispered. “He wouldn’t talk to me all week. Wouldn’t return my messages or voice mails. I knew he was feeling guilty, but I thought he would get over it. Cannon wouldn’t be pissed for long, and even if he was, why did it matter if we were happy?” She snorted and took another shot. “Then when I talked to Mia yesterday, she asked if I was going to this party too since Jags was planning to come. But apparently he set this up so I would catch him kissing someone else.”

“I’m so sorry,” I told her as I hugged her side. “Guys can be total douchebags.”

“Yeah,” she muttered. After taking another shot, she dropped the bottle on the counter and tossed her now-empty can into the recycling. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out her keys. “I’m not leaving yet. If that asshole wants to show me we don’t belong together, I’ll show him exactly what he’s going to be missing. But you’re going to have to drive us home.”