Rivers makes his way over to me and sits down beside me before placing the candies between us. We dive straight in. “Shit, that’s good,” Rivers says, pulling his phone out and tapping away on it for a minute.
“Tell me about it,” I mumble around the yumminess. “It’s even better knowing it’s Noah’s.”
Rivers laughs and leans back against the top step before stretching his long legs out. “I know, he’d fucking kill me if he knew I stole this shit, but I’m safe because you’re eating them too.”
I roll my eyes, knowing he’s right as I pop another candy in my mouth. “So, what’s going on, Henley? Jumped any bitches lately?”
I let out a groan. I’ve been wanting to get Monica and Candice back for what they did to me a few weeks ago, but so far, it hasn’t happened and I have a feeling that’s because Noah has been trying to keep me away from them. If they show up at parties, we end up somewhere else. If they’re in the cafeteria at lunch, we eat outside.
Noah knows I can take them both easily, but I have a feeling he’s trying to avoid me getting in trouble and stirring shit. It will eventually happen and when it does, it will be magical.
“No,” I tell Rivers. “I’m going to get them when they least expect, and when I do, Monica is going to go down like a sack of shit. Look,” I say, holding out my hand, “I’ve been growing out my nails in case I need to gouge any eyes out.”
“Jesus,” he laughs, looking down at my blood red nails. “They look like fucking claws.”
“I know,” I laugh. “But they’re kind of sexy.”
“Damn straight, girl,” he agrees before falling silent. Uncertainty flashes in his eyes and he scrunches up his face with a cringe “Can I be honest?”
“I’d have the shits if you weren’t.”
He looks across at me with the late afternoon sun shining upon his dark hair and dark eyes, startling me with just how attractive he really is. I’ve been so caught up with Noah that I’ve never taken a second to look. No wonder Tully is crazy about him. If I didn’t have Noah, I probably would be too. “I don’t think you should beat the crap out of the girls.”
My mouth falls open. He’s got to be kidding, right?
“What?” I blanch. “Are you insane? Do you not remember what they did to-”
“No, no, no, no,” he rushes out. “You’ve got me wrong. Those bitches definitely deserve a smackdown, but I think you need to give a little thought to how you deliver it. They’re expecting you to try to jump them. I see it every time you walk into a room, they brace themselves. You need to get them in a way they’re not expecting.”
My brows furrow as I consider him. “Like what?” I question, really only knowing one way to hand out my smackdowns and it generally comes in the form of a good ass whooping.
Rivers shrugs. “Don’t know,” he grins. “That’s for you to figure out. Do the dirty work yourself.”
I watch him for a moment and I can’t help but think of all the times he’s disappeared with Noah. I’m struck with the feeling that things like getting even and revenge isn’t something that’s new to him. “You’re a real shady bastard, aren’t you?”
Rivers winks. “It’s not always a bad thing.”
I can’t help but feel there’s a hidden meaning in there somewhere but I just can’t work it out. I don’t get a chance to think on it more as a car pulls up right behind Noah’s Camaro. I stare at it in confusion, wondering who the hell it could be when a little man in a black shirt gets out with three boxes of pizza. “I guess Tully won,” I murmur beside Rivers as he gets up to meet the pizza guy, pulling his wallet out on his way.
Rivers scoffs. “You really think Noah would cave?” he throws over his shoulder.
He’s right. There’s no way in hell Noah would cave to Tully that easily. “Then… how the hell did we end up with pizza?”
“Tully wanted it,” he states with a shrug. “So, I ordered it.”
I smother a smile. That’s so damn sweet, but when the hell did he call for pizza?
River’s takes in my confusion and chuckles to himself as he pays the pizza guy and hands me the three boxes. “There’s an app for everything,” Rivers explains.
Hmm. I should have known.
As we walk back up the front steps of the twins’ home, I consider Rivers for a moment as my heart warms with the gesture he’s just made for her. Going out of his way to give her what she wants even though they’re in there now cooking dinner. “You’re so in love with her,” I murmur quietly as Rivers reaches for the door.