“I’ll go with ya,” Mason finally breaks the tension and offers. “No backing that ass up on me, though.”
“Why you gotta be a mood killer?” I hear her asking him as they walk off.
Liam releases a breath, and the three of us take notice. “What?” he asks as if he doesn’t know.
“When you gonna stop pussyfooting around and just admit you like her?” Hunter’s words come out rugged as if they’ve had this conversation before, which takes me by surprise. I thought Soph and I were the only ones who knew.
“She’s way too much for a guy like Liam.” Sophie smirks, holding back a laugh.
Liam drops his eyes to her and shoots daggers. “When you gonna stop looking at Mason like you’re a lost puppy and ask him out?”
I nearly spit out my drink just as I take a sip of the Jack and Coke Hunter got me.
Sophie’s jaw drops, eyes widening. She smacks him on the chest, which has me laughing and Hunter follows.
“I do not look at him like that, you bastard.” Sophie narrows her eyes at Liam, scowling. “He doesn’t even acknowledge my existence.”
“Yeah, and it drives you insane,” he throws back with a chuckle, and I feel like I’m missing something.
“Someone wanna catch me up?” I ask, then finish the rest of my drink.
“They’ve been going on double non-dates,” Hunter fills in.
“What?” I gasp. “How come no one told me?”
Sophie tilts her head, and her silence is all I need to know. I haven’t exactly been the best company.
“We just ran into them a few times,” she finally explains. “Then hung out and whatever. Nothing really.”
Liam snorts. “It was mostly Sophie trying to talk to Mason who then talked to everyone except her.” He laughs.
“No, you mean it was mostly you trying to ignore Maddie anytime a guy hit on her. You’re such an ass.” She pushes his shoulder when he tries to sit closer. “Go away, jerk.”
“Soph, you don’t mean that,” he taunts, sticking out his lower lip.
When the hell did they grow so damn close?
Not that I’m remotely mad about it. I’m just sad she felt like she couldn’t tell me.
“So,” Hunter lingers, pointing his almost empty beer at the two of them across from us. “Sophie wants to bang Mason except he put her in the friend-zone, and Liam wants to deflower Maddie, but he’s afraid he’s not man enough for the job.”
I burst out laughing when Hunter shrugs and smiles at his own summary.
“Alright, I think I’m caught up now.” I can’t stop laughing.
“Both of you suck. No, all of you do.” Sophie frowns, taking her drink and chugging it.
“For the record,” Liam begins, looking at me, “I don’t think that. I’m plenty confident.”
I snort. “Trust me, Liam.” I pat him on his rock-hard shoulder. “We know.”
Mason and Maddie are dancing, and for a moment, I’m brought back to when Brandon and I used to dance together when we’d go out. We’d have so much damn fun. He’d spin me around and rock our hips together to the rhythm of the music, and we’d laugh the night away.
A numb feeling hits my gut knowing the last time we danced together was the final time. I always assumed there would be another time we’d go out and have fun. There’d always be more kisses and hugs, ass grabs, and we’d wake up next to each other every morning for the rest of our lives. Though we always exchanged I love yous like it was our last time, I knew we’d say it later. Never in my worst nightmares did I think I wouldn’t get to tell him again.
“Lennon, you okay?” Hunter’s voice has me blinking away the fog. I see the concern on his face. With pursed lips and brows pulled together, he studies me.
I swallow, shaking my head lightly. “Yeah, fine.” I force out a smile. “Anyone want a refill? Next rounds on me.”
“Yeah, I’ll go up with you!” Sophie offers. “Hulk, you need another drink?” she teases.
Liam groans, handing over his empty beer. “Better watch it, woman.”
“Or what? You’ll actually man up?” She chuckles, grabbing his bottle and walking with me to the bar.
I can’t deny how much I love hearing my sisters laughing and having a good time. I know they both work so hard, and it puts a small smile on my face when they can let loose.
“Should we cave and get Maddie a drink?” I ask, half-joking.
“We could get her a diet cherry Coke and tell her there’s alcohol in it, and she’d never know,” Sophie says, laughing. “Let’s do it and see if she notices or pretends to be tipsy.”
“We’re going to sister hell,” I quip, chuckling with her.
“It’s our obligatory duty to tease her.” Sophie shrugs, then orders.
While we wait, Sophie looks at me with an odd expression on her face. I give her a confused look in return.