“Katie, what brings you here unexpectedly?”
“Where’s your phone?” I ask.
His smile falls, and he grimaces. “I went out for a ride earlier to clear my head, and I lost it somewhere. Why are you asking?”
“I tried to call and text you all day long,” I admit.
“You really wanted to get to a hold of me, huh?” He chuckles before growing serious, his brow furrowing. “Did something happen? Did you need me?”
“I wanted to see about coming over tonight.”
“Well, here you are, and our door is always open to you.” He opens the door as wide as it can go.
“Even your friends will agree to that?” I ask as I enter, ducking beneath his arm that holds the door open for me.
“I would think so,” he says, taking me by the hand and leading me over to the living room. The other guys are here, drinking from red cups.
Ace hands me his. “You look like you could use a drink.”
I eye him skeptically. “Why do you say that?”
He shrugs. “I think just about everyone could use a drink to help loosen up some.”
I glance at Rob.
“My mom does drugs. She’s not an alcoholic,” he says. “I drink. I don’t usually get drunk, though.”
“Why not?”
“He doesn’t like to be hung over,” Gabe says.
“He also doesn’t like to feel out of control,” Zac says, lifting his cup toward me as if in toast.
I lift my cup—Ace’s cup—and drink. It’s some kind of fruity drink that doesn’t taste like alcohol at all. “What is this?” I ask him.
Jungle Juice,” Ace says. “God shit, isn’t it?”
“This could fuck someone up quickly.”
“Very true,” Gabe says. “I bet you’re a lightweight. Only one cup for you.”
I snort. “Actually, one cup is probably a good idea.”
Rob sits on the couch and pats beside him. I wish I had the nerve to sit on his lap, but I won’t do that, not in front of his friends. Our friends? I don’t’ know if I’m quite ready to go there or not yet.
“I think it’s amazing that you broke Joey’s nose,” Rob murmurs. “I hate that fucker.”
“What is it that he said that made you break his nose the first time?” I ask.
Rob flares his nostrils. “I was hoping you wouldn’t ever hear about that.”
“Robyn knows everything about everyone, but she wouldn’t tell me what he said.”
“Something stupid,” Rob hedges.
“I figured that much.”
“He made a comment about how you were fucking all four of us and that he couldn’t wait for his turn,” Zac says.