My eyes snap to my inked up, liar of a boyfriend. “You lied to Mumma bear? You’re in deep shit now.”
Noah laughs, not terrified of his mother’s beastly roar in the slightest. In fact, I’m sure he probably thinks it’s cute. “Please,” he scoffs. “I’ll get out of this still being her shining star.”
“Suck up,” Tully murmurs.
“Brat,” he shoots back.
Violet huffs, storming forward after the shock of seeing us tapped to the pole wears off. “Both of you morons shut up,” she demands before turning on Rivers, clearly knowing he was in on this too. “Get that damn knife out of your pocket and finally put it to use. I want my girls free in less than thirty seconds, got it?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Rivers grins with a mischievous glint in his eyes, letting us all know he’ll do it in no less than thirty-one seconds.
Rivers steps forward and pulls out a pocket knife, and even though Violet had just said it was there, I still find myself in a little shock. I hadn’t realized he carried a knife around, and while I shouldn’t be surprised about it, I sort of am.
Rivers gets to work freeing us and I don’t miss how damn careful he is cutting the tape and removing it off Tully’s skin. Noah steps forward and gets busy helping to free me while a strange smile pulls across Violet’s face. “What?” Noah questions, eyeing her warily as he pulls the tape from my skin, practically waxing my arms in the process. “You only look like that when you want something.”
Violet cringes before letting out a breath, finding some kind of resolve within herself. “Your grandfather called,” she starts, making both Noah and Tully groan, though Violet ignores them and continues. “He’s not doing so well and would like to see you both for dinner.”
“What?” Tully sulks. “When? Not tonight?”
“Yes, tonight.”
“No way,” Noah says. “I have a race tonight.”
“Don’t start me on your racing,” Violet warns. “You’ll have to cancel because I told him you’ll both be there. Your father and I will be going too, so it’s up to you if you’re going to come with a smile on your face or a bad attitude. Either way, both of your frustrating little selves will be there, whether you like it or not.”
“Mom,” Noah and Tully groan in unison.
Violet shakes her head, not giving in to their guilt trips. She turns to Rivers and then to me. “You’re both welcome to come if you’d like,” she looks to Rivers. “Let’s be honest, you probably don’t have much going on,” she flicks her eyes back to me. “and your dad needs to bond with Aria. So, the invitation is all yours.”
I look across to Noah who violently shakes his head, looking horrified. “Don’t do it, babe. Save yourself the pain and agony.”
“He couldn’t be that bad?” I question, referring to his grandfather.
“He’s worse,” Tully grumbles.
I look to Violet who simply smiles, not once denying their claims. “I, um…I’ll have to pass. Thanks for inviting me though.”
“My pleasure, sweetheart,” she tells me, looking up at Rivers. “What about you, big shot?”
“I’m with Henley,” he grumbles. “No way in hell I’ll be sitting through another dinner with your dad,” he tells her, then adds as an afterthought. “No offense.”
Violet laughs as she gives Rivers a fond smile. “None taken,” she tells him. “Believe me, if I could get out of it too, then I would. I’m just glad that now I have these two idiots to take the focus off me. Watching them squirm under his scrutiny is always so fulfilling for some reason.”
I can’t help but laugh as she turns on Noah. “Make sure you shower first,” she tells him, indicating towards the grease on his hands. “How is it you always get so dirty?”
With that, she disappears back inside, leaving the boys to help Tully and I get out of these damn sweatpants. “So, what are you going to do?” Tully questions as she places a hand on the lamp post to steady herself so we can manage it without any fatalities.
Rivers shrugs. “I don’t know. I heard some junior is having a party that some of the Broken Hill kids are planning on crashing. I might head over there and check it out.”
I get smacked with the memory of my phone call with Kaylah over the weekend and wonder if it’s the same party she was planning on going to. I mean, now that I’m apparently not going to the races and Noah and Tully are out for the count, I guess I could tag along. I haven’t seen Kaylah in a little while and it’s great partying with her again, you know, as long as I don’t get myself high this time. “You mind if I come with you?” I ask Rivers, finally freeing my legs from the confines of the sweatpants.