“Yup,” I agreed, staring at the almost-empty bar.
“Yet kind of impressive,” Ray said, grinning.
“Don’t let them hear you say that,” I groaned, filling the last of the salt shakers.
A crooked grin touched Zeke’s lips. “I had a feeling about you.”
Ray stuck a stack of bills into a zipper pouch. “Do I have to remind you she has a boyfriend? One that will kick your ass across the country, I might add.”
“When has getting my ass kicked ever deterred me from anything?” Zeke retorted as if it was something to boast about.
“Good point. It just shows how dumb you are.” Twisting the barstool around, Ray faced me. “See you tomorrow, Spunky.” She handed me a stack of bills, and I lifted my brow. “Your tips for the night.”
Blinking, I took the money. There were a lot of singles and fives, but it looked like more than I expected to make in a single night. “I feel like a stripper who didn’t get naked.”
She laughed. “Best gig.”
With my pocket full of more money than I’d had in a long time, I waved goodbye to Ray and Zeke, stepping outside into the brisk late night. I thought it would just be Brock and the Elite waiting in the parking lot, not half the damn school. Internally I groaned, seeing all the people that gathered, sitting on their cars, lounging against the faded and distressed red brick building. Well, it had once been red. It was more white and creamy now. Someone played music from their car, the bass carrying off in the wind.
I found Brock and the Elite at the far end of the lot, under a streetlight. Mads sat on the hood of her car, a cigarette between her lips. Micah and Grayson sat inside the topless Jeep, the car in which I had driven here. It was too damn cold to be driving around in the Jeep without the roof and doors. Brock leaned against his SUV with Fynn, Kenna between them. She had her hand on Brock’s arm, laughing. I told myself it was no big deal how close they were, that it was ridiculous to be jealous.
But telling myself such things didn’t make the emotions disappear, no matter how much I willed it. And they were extraordinarily difficult to control when I was bone-tired.
The second Brock noticed me, his eyes tracked me as I crossed the parking lot. It was impossible for my body to not be affected by those eyes. There was something in the way he looked at me. It was as if he saw me in a way no one else did, saw the pieces of me no one took the time to see. Brock, he noticed everything about me. Despite being irritated with the parking-lot party and Kenna flirting with my boyfriend, or perhaps it was because of those reasons, I lifted on my toes when I reached him and pressed my lips to his in a kiss for no reason other than I wanted to.
And I could, because Brock fucking Taylor was mine.
His hands moved to my hips, keeping me close. “Don’t think you’re going to get away with just one kiss. Not after making me wait all night, Firefly.”
I rolled my eyes. “Please don’t tell me you brought the fucking party to my job.”
Brock shrugged. “I can’t help what they do.”
“Yes, you can,” I insisted.
He gave me a knowing grin. ”You want to get out of here?”
“Fuck yes.” I was too damn exhausted to deal with all these people. I longed for quiet.
“You can’t leave,” Kenna moped. “The party is just starting.” She turned that innocent doe expression on Brock, and his body flinched against mine.
This time Brock didn’t succumb to those pouting eyes that were so used to getting her way. “I’ll drive you home.”
A small flower of victory bloomed inside me. It felt like lately, he’d been putting Kenna first. And although I understood that her safety was important, that what Carter had done to her was pure evil and intolerable, I wanted to be first in his life. I already had to compete with the Elite for his attention, which I didn’t mind, because it never really felt like a competition. They included me. They made me one of them.
My expression brightened as I took a step back and tossed the Jeep’s keys to Grayson.
“You taking off?” Grayson asked, who had been busy arguing with Micah and Mads about some play during tonight’s game. I could tell from the devilish twinkle in Micah’s light blue eyes, he was intentionally riling Grayson up, and Mads had joined in for the fun. I don’t know if it was a good thing, having Micah and Mads team up.
Brock nodded, lacing his fingers with mine. “I’ll take her home,” he told Grayson.
“Let me guess, the parentals left. Where to now?” Micah inquired, jumping out of the Jeep and leaning beside Mads against her car.
“Dubai,” Brock replied flatly. Brock’s parents owned a chain of hotels all over the world. Dubai was their newest location, and his parents were overseeing the construction and opening of the hotel.
“Fancy,” Mads commented.
“Then why don’t we take this party to your house?” Kenna suggested, peering hopefully at the group.
“Kenna,” Grayson said sternly, a warning conveyed in his eyes.
For someone who had been drugged and raped at one of the Elite’s parties, I didn’t quite understand Kenna’s desire to constantly want to go to these gatherings. Was she trying to relive the past? Did she just want to keep hanging out? Or did she honestly like to party? She wasn’t a big drinker, not that I’d seen. She liked to keep one in hand, more for show. I couldn’t figure out her motives. Maybe she just missed her friends.
The music in the parking lot died down as a cop car rolled up to the stoplight across the street. It looked like this party was about to be shut down anyway. “Not tonight,” Brock said, fishing out his key from his pocket. He hit the unlock button, and the Land Rover made a funny clicking noise, not the usual beep-beep.
Brock’s brows immediately drew together as his gaze met Fynn’s. They must have had the same thought, because their eyes went wide seconds before both of them moved. The next thing I knew, Brock slammed into me, his arms winding tight around me as we crashed to the ground.