Badly Behaved

Jules and her man are tucked away, pretending none of us realize they’re secretly grinding under the stone waterfall when everyone knows the truth.

Cali and I look to each other and she giggles.

“What a travesty that would be.” She rolls her eyes. “Speaking of travesty, why are you not capitalizing on the open seat on Gentry’s lap?”

“Which Gentry would you be referring to?” I glance her way.

Cali bounces in the water. “I told Jules his brother was checking you out the other night! So, spill.” Her face lights up. “Did you bite?”

My nose scrunches slightly. “He’s a little extra for my taste.”

“Yeah, killing the music and gathering everyone into the gym for a dead-lift challenge in the middle of a party was pretty narcissistic of them.”

“You think?”

She laughs. “Still, the youngest Gentry wouldn’t be a bad way to pass the time. Gives you someone to fall back on for school events.”

I press my lips together, tipping my glass toward her, entertaining the idea. “You might be right.”

“Of course, I’m right.” She downs her drink and looks at me expectantly. I don’t inhale mine like she did, but I do follow her out of the water.

We slip our robes over our bodies and step into the pool house so she can get her refill, but as we approach the long table, her skinny fingers latch on to my forearm, squeezing.

“Holy shit, they’re back. And here.” Her brows furrow. “When did they get here?”

I spin to look, but her hands shoot up, catching my face and holding it still.

“Just scream we’re talking about them, why don’t you!” she hisses.

Humor tugs at my lips as I pull her hands away. “How am I supposed to offer an answer if I can’t see who you’re talking about?”

“You don’t know them. They’ve been gone all summer.” She subconsciously begins adjusting her stance—a little taller, a tad straighter, more staged than real.

“Maybe I do. I did live here all through elementary school.”

“And they moved here in seventh grade, or at least two of them did. I think the other was here for sixth, but he was homeschooled or something.” She swipes her hand in the air, deeming the details insignificant.

Her voice lowers even more. “Remember those guys I told you about, the ones who—” When I shift, she cuts off her words with a panicked frown. “What are you doing?”

I step around the long, tall table so that I’m now facing her and able to snap my eyes around the room when I’m good and ready to do so.

Cali flicks her eyes to the ceiling.

“You were saying?”

“Stealth, girl. Stealth.” She pushes her hair over her shoulder and keeps going. “So, the story I told you about the guys who stole Ken Garretts parents’ safe at the end-of-the-year party—”

“Says you.”

“They were the only ones who showed up uninvited. Everyone else that was there had been there before, minus them, and one even screwed Ken’s girlfriend earlier that week.” She sips her drink with sass. “Ken kept her sorry ass, but still. It happened.”

“That’s hardly motive to lift a safe.”

“Ugh.” Cali sets her drink down beside her. “You are such a lawyer’s daughter.”

I roll my eyes. “If you’re worried about them stealing, tell them to kick rocks.”

“And then those rocks end up through the side of the pool and over the fucking cliff everyone in it goes.”

Her dramatic spat has me pinching my lips as not to laugh at her.

She leans forward, speaking in an unexpectedly serious tone. “The safe issue was the last thing that happened, not the only. It’s always something with them. They’re psychotic. Unpredictable. Someone always gets fucked when they’re around, figuratively and, well, literally.” She takes a long drink.

I find myself trying to get closer, the need for some examples suddenly high, but before I can ask, or stop myself, my eyes snap over her shoulder, landing directly on the unfamiliar view not ten feet away.

Minus my mandatory ‘hook the hunk’ exploits, I’ve spent the last two and a half months with the same group of people. Every couple of nights, there were a solid five to ten newcomers, but it’s at the point now where those who were gone for the summer have returned, so I’ve seen every face at least twice now.

Had Cali not pointed out the strangers’ appearance tonight, I’d have spotted them eventually, and been fully aware this was the first party they graced with their presence.

And goddamn, is grace not meant to be given.

All freaking hail the trifecta of trouble straight ahead.

I start with the one on the end and slowly—very slowly—make my way along the others.

Hot, hot, and yep. Hotter.

No matter your flavor of choice, one is bound to hit your tastebuds just right. Probably linger along your tongue in favor of more.

I wonder if they’re too high in demand for ‘more’?