8
EASTON
“Wow, your brother sure seems determined to party hard,” Lewis says, as we stand at the corner of the room watching Bodhi knocking back beers like they’re water. A posse of girls from school surrounds him, fawning over him and vying for his attention. His bruised face and the shiner he’s sporting—thanks to yours truly—only seem to add to the appeal. Some girls are weird.
Otis, Mahlik, and the rest of that crew are lapping up the additional popularity Bodhi has brought to their door, looking like their shit doesn’t stink. I honestly couldn’t care less, except for they scene they have introduced my brother to. “I don’t like it. It’s not him. Bo has been strictly antidrug, and now it’s like he’s forgotten every single code he lived by.”
“It’s probably just a phase.”
Lewis slaps me on the back, oblivious to the turmoil churning in my gut. Although he’s my best buddy, I haven’t told him what’s going down at home. The only person who has a clue is Hollis, but she hasn’t pried since that day in the cafeteria, and I haven’t volunteered any more information. She didn’t need to ask me to know it was Bodhi I got in a fight with. I’m pretty sure the whole damn school knows just by looking at our faces.
“You should cut loose,” he adds. “No point in both of us drinking soda. You can leave your car here tonight, and I’ll pick you up tomorrow to come get it.”
Lewis is on the football team with me, and he takes it very seriously, rarely partying, even after a win. I like a few beers, as much as the next guy, but I try not to overdo it. I work hard to keep in shape so I’m at the top of my game, and being healthy is important to me. I had plans to go a little crazy tonight, but that was before Bodhi and I got in a fight and beat the crap out of one another.
Now, I can’t drink. Not when Bo is already smashed and showing no signs of slowing down. One of us has to remain sober. “Thanks for the offer, man, but I need to remain sober. I told Hollis’s dad I’d drive her home, and I promised my mom I would watch out for my brother.”
“Bodhi is lucky to have you because I gotta say it. He’s asking for trouble hanging around with those dudes. I hear they’re into all kinds of shit.”
“I don’t doubt it.” I just hope Bodhi has enough sense left not to get mixed up with worse shit. However, I’m not feeling overly confident as I watch him smoke a joint while a hot redhead grinds on his lap, practically dry humping him in front of everyone.
“Let’s go find the girls,” I say, needing a few minutes reprieve.
We move into the next room, and I find my girl in the middle of the dance floor, shaking her tempting booty and curling her fingers in my direction. Lewis’s current fuck buddy happens to be Hollis’s best friend and the girl hosting the party. Chelle is dancing in the same circle as Hollis, so we join them.
“Baby, you’re here at last,” she slurs, flinging her arms around my neck and pressing her tits up against me. “I thought you’d ditched me.”
“Never, babe.” My gaze roams over her gorgeous body, both loving and hating how much skin she’s showing. If it was all for me, no problem whatsoever. But the tight bra top shows way too much cleavage, and the little tutu skirt barely covers her ass. She has glittery white angel wings strapped to her back, and she went heavy on the makeup tonight. I prefer her when she wears less, but I can’t deny she looks hella hot. “You look gorgeous,” I whisper in her ear, swaying my hips and rocking against her.
“And you’re wearing far too many clothes.” She pouts, running the tip of her finger up over the red muscle top covering my chest and arms.
“You picked this, remember.” I circle my arm around her slim waist.
“We could always go to the bathroom and strip you of a few layers.” She waggles her brows in a flirtatious manner as she simultaneously stumbles on her feet, and I have to steady her to keep her upright. She is still slurring her words, and her eyes are a little blurry.
“How much did you have to drink, babe?” I ask, moving us in time to the beat.
“Just some wine coolers. Oh, and a few vodka shots.” She flips her fingers up. “Maybe four or five.” Her brow puckers as she continues flipping fingers up. She giggles. “Possibly it was more like six or seven.” She shrugs, like it’s no biggie.
“How the hell did you drink that much in a couple hours?”
“I have been here since four. I came over to help Chelle get everything ready.”
That makes more sense. She’s clearly drunk, and though I’d love to take her upstairs and fuck her, I’m not having sex when she’s not in a position to make any such decision.
She seems to have forgotten about it anyway, so we dance for a few songs, bumping and grinding against one another, kissing and making out, and I finally feel myself relaxing.
A while later, I head outside to the patio area to join my buddies. I pop my head into the main room on the way, checking to ensure Bo is okay. He has a girl draped on either side of him on the couch, and he’s taking turns kissing and groping them. Bo isn’t usually one for PDAs, and I have never known him to have a threesome. Sure, he’s hooked up with girls, but it’s always singular, and he’s never shown any interest in girls other than sex.
His eyes open as if I called him, and his head lifts, our gazes locking. A new, familiar snarl curves the corners of his lips as he flips me the bird. Pain dances across my chest as I push my way through the room and head outside. The fresh air is a welcome balm to my troubled soul, and I walk in the direction of my buddies, grateful to be away from the stifling atmosphere inside.
We leave our girls dancing inside as we sit around the pool, drinking beer and shooting the shit. Talk mostly centers around our next game, which is against our biggest rival. They beat us last year, and we are determined to nail their asses to the wall this time.
“What’s up with you and Bo?” Niall asks, blowing smoke circles in the air as he passes the spliff to the guy beside him. “I thought you two were close.” He gestures toward my face. “We all know you two got into it, but we don’t know why. What went down?”
“It’s none of your business,” Lewis says, taking a quick drag of the joint. “Just drop it.”
“Is it about Hollis?” Niall asks, arching a brow.