"No," I sigh. "Kode might have claimed that to your face, but Jerry Conlin started that. Not Kode. You turned down Jerry and went out with that Schuster kid from public school. He had pride, and you messed with it, so he punished you."
She wipes a tear from her eye while looking away. "Well, Kode was the one to shove that snake in my locker, steal my real clothes while I was dressed out for gym, and more than once he stole my homework, which meant I had to stay in detention and redo the assignment. Maverick hid my car every day for a solid year—I still don't know how he did that—and Corbin had most of the guys terrified to date me because I supposedly had some rare disease that could leave their balls shriveled up."
I stifle a laugh on that last part. That shit was funny. That rumor stuck for a while, too.
I cough to cover the laughter when it tries to slip out, and her eyes narrow accusingly at me. "All I'm asking is that you keep them under control. Any time Rain and I would have a normal dispute—like sisters often do—they would find a new way to torment me. If someone intervened every time you and Kode argued, and then you were relentlessly tortured for upsetting him, how would you feel?"
Shit. She knows how to bring out a blanket of regret. I want to kick my own ass at this point.
"I'll make sure no one fucks with you. Are you in or out?" I ask impatiently, trying not to show her all the guilt I feel.
I get what she's saying. There was even one time when we had her car towed for parking in a "no parking" zone. Thing is, we pushed it into the no parking zone first. Again, probably not something I should bring up right now.
"If you promise they'll leave me alone, and if you promise you'll help me find a way to get Rain to tolerate me, then I'm in."
"Then we have a deal."
She tilts her head, curiosity in her eyes. "So, no offense, but you and Rain obviously had some sort o
f falling out, since she talks to you even less than she talks to me. How did you even get her to agree to come here tonight? And why did you want her to come? And why do you care if she and I find a way to get along?"
It's not like I can tell her what's going on. But a small smile graces my lips. "She and I share my cousins and brother. She's living in Sterling Shore again, so we have to find a way to get along because we'll be around each other whether we like it or not. I care if you two find medium ground because Rain needs family. As for getting her here... The guys are here. They want her here. Maverick and Corbin have gone to make it happen because they want to get things back to the way they used to be."
She hesitates, possibly letting it all sink in, and rightfully being suspicious of my true intentions, and then she nods. "Fine then. Let's start the ruse."
A delighted grin crosses my lips as I usher her toward the house. Rain started this war, but I'm the better player.
As Tria and I work over the quick back-story of our friendship, Kode stumbles into the foyer.
"Damn. Stay away from the Jell-o shooters," he slurs, laughing after, and then his eyes fall on Tria. An angry gleam glistens, and he shakes his head in disgust. "You're an asshole. If Rain shows up, she'll hate you for this. Idiot."
Tria tenses beside me, and I take a deep breath. "Tria and I have been friends for a few months now, Kode. You should get all the facts before running your mouth. This is my house, my guest, and my rules apply. Watch how you talk to and about her."
He rolls his eyes while mocking a salute and stumbling out onto the balcony. Tria exhales heavily, and she visibly relaxes beside me. He really does scare the hell out of her. Why?
"Told you I'd handle him. Relax," I comfort.
"Rain isn't here yet. He'll be worse when she is. Not to mention, the others will be, too."
As long as the guys fall for this, they won't start anything.
After thirty minutes of explaining to everyone here about my friendship with Tria, I start wondering where the hell Rain is. Maverick can talk her into anything. I know damn well he hasn't lost his edge, because she flew all the way to Vegas just two months ago when he wanted her to watch some ridiculous circus show with him—something they'd always talked about watching when we were still in high school.
It didn't matter that she was in the middle of a book tour. He called and she came. Just like she does every time. I always thought he'd be the one to get her if I didn't. I'm surprised he hasn't made his move.
The biggest surprise has been last night. I was fully prepared to see her getting mauled by Mav. I wasn't prepared to see her and Kode as cozy as they were. Christ, it was almost unbearable. My fists clench just thinking about it.
Britt smiles over at me from the group of people she's trying to fit in with, and I slowly let go of my angry surge. It's hard to believe I have a sister. It's sickening to know what she has lived through.
She ran away more than once from abusive foster families. After two years on the streets, she struggles to communicate with people. One thing I love about her; her blatant honesty. Of course, it's also embarrassing from time to time. She doesn't understand boundaries or proper social interaction.
She doesn't see it as wrong to ask someone something that's incredibly personal, and she treats it as though she's asking about the weather. I thought I was going to die when she asked Dr. Macklin—her shrink—if he always had an erection while talking to his assistant. His face lit up four shades of red, and it took him a minute of stuttering before he could find a way to deflect the question.
She asked Maverick once if he always used a condom, because she worried about him possibly having a sexually transmitted disease, based on a limp he had one day. He had to explain to her about falling out of a car, and that being his cause for a limp, but she still proceeded to rattle off facts about condoms as a means of continuing a conversation.
Maverick walked away while shaking his head and laughing. Me? I told her for the hundredth time there are some things you don't ask or discuss. She's still learning. She's brilliant and clueless at the same time. Socially awkward—that's a gentle way of putting it.
She seems to be enjoying herself so far tonight, though. And as far as I know, she hasn't rattled off embarrassing factoids or asked prodding questions. This was a good idea, and she's comfortable at my place, since she lives here, too.