Mom’s eyes bug out of her head. “You will do no such thing,” she demands. “I can’t have you sneaking in and getting in trouble. The whole drama with the school hasn’t even started blowing over yet. You need to lie low, however, if Charles or Colton speak to you about the party and offer you an invite then I’d be happy to see you there and enjoying yourself, but under no circumstances will you be sneaking in or embarrassing us by trying to win yourself an invite.” She looks around at the group of boys. “That goes for all of you. Ocean and I need me to keep this job. It’s the only thing keeping us clothed, bathed, and fed at the moment. We can’t be screwing it up. Not to mention, Ocean is currently receiving an education from some of the most sought out teachers in the country.”
I nod, completely understanding where she’s coming from. “Alright, mom. I’ll behave,” I tell her, feeling a slight pang of disappointment at the idea of not being able to attend the party, but then I guess I can always watch through the window and pretend there isn’t glass sitting between me and the most expensive champagne I’ll ever taste. “I promise. You don’t need to worry about me.”
Mom smiles up at me with love shining brightly through her big, blue eyes. “I know, love. I trust you,” she murmurs, just for me despite the room full of boys listening in.
She gets busy eating her dinner and soon enough, the boys are crowded around her, catching her up on all the gossip that’s been going on in Breakers Flats over the last few days. Spoiler alert, it’s not much.
I get up and start cleaning up after dinner and smile up at Kairo when he silently gets up and starts helping me out. He’s such a moody, quiet guy with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He looks like a hardened criminal yet deep down, he’s a big softy with the sweetest heart. Apart from our boys and me, he’d never let anyone know.
“Alright, guys,” mom says a little while later as a yawn comes up and surprises her. She gets to her feet. “I’m going to head off to bed. It was great seeing you all. Don’t be strangers, okay?”
Nic stands with her. “You know we won’t,” he says, giving her a brief hug. “We’ll chill out by the pool so you’re not disturbed.”
Mom gives him a warm smile and then says a quick goodbye to each of the guys before disappearing deeper into the pool house. Just as Nic had promised, the five of us get up and make our way out to the pool. The guys drop down into the sunbeds while I’m pulled down onto Nic’s lap. Music is turned on, beers are found, and suddenly it’s like any other night I’ve spent with these guys just with a different backdrop.
“How are you?” Nic murmurs in my ear, threading his arms around my waist as we watch Sebastian slip onto one of those massive blow-up pool floaties in the water. With a beer in one hand, he crosses his legs and props the other hand behind his head as though he belongs there.
“Better now,” I tell him, leaning back against his wide chest and feeling more normal than I have in days.
“How are you really?” he questions, prodding for more information.
I let out a sigh and scrunch my face. “Kinda hungry, kinda tired, kinda horny, and kinda want another tattoo.”
He sucks in a breath, knowing I only have the guts to get a tattoo when things are really fucking up for me. “That bad, huh?”
I shrug my shoulders. “It’ll get better,” I tell him. “As soon as Colton gets off my back, it’ll be fine. The guys at school have eased up now that they see I’m not some pushover who’s just going to accept their bullshit.”
“Good,” he murmurs. “You know I’d be here every day kicking those dickheads’ asses but it’s sounding more like a full-time job. As for the kinda hungry, tired, and horny part, you know I can help with that too, right?”
I roll my eyes and nudge my elbow back into his stomach, grinning as the soft ‘Oomph’ sails from between his lips. “Behave,” I warn him.
Nic laughs and pushes a strand of hair back out of my face. The air is chilly but with Nic’s warmth at my back, I hardly feel it.
The guys and I fuck around by the pool, all sense of time leaving us. Before I know it, we have a drunk Sebastian and Elijah on our hands, and I can’t help but laugh when Eli gives Sebastian’s pool floaty a push and he goes toppling into the water with a high-pitched squeal. Hell, it even manages to pull a smile out of Kairo.