“Supplies?” Zane balked. “We’re not taking a fucking picnic.”
“I didn’t say a picnic, asshole.” But it was B. She was here, and I wanted to make it nice for her.
Fuck, Zane was right. I was turning into a pussy. But Harleigh was important to me—the most important thing in my whole wretched life. I wanted to be the kind of guy who surprised her, who made her feel special. If that meant grabbing a couple of blankets and some of Ms. Carter’s home-baked cookies, then so be it.
An idea sprang into my head and I grinned at the guys.
“Oh no,” Zane grumbled. “I know that look.”
“What do you say to a little barbecue?”
“Barbecue? Where the fuck are we going to get supplies for a barbecue?”
“I’ve got an idea.”
“This should be interesting.” He rolled his eyes.
Interesting, maybe.
Reckless and guaranteed to end up with me and my old man going at it again, most definitely.
But Harleigh was worth it.
She was worth every damn thing.
“You little fucking shit,” my old man bellowed after us as we hightailed it toward my car, arms full of supplies.
Once a month, my old man usually brought home a ton of meat to grill out. Burgers, steak, ribs… it was one of the few days I saw Jessa happy. She used to make me eat with them. Play happy family. She’d ask me about school, about football, and my friends, and I’d end up saying something to piss my old man off and it would be ruined. So over the years, I’d started making myself scarce.
“I left you and Jessa enough,” I shouted through the window, laughter rumbling in my chest.
“You’ll pay for this,” Zane grumbled.
“Worth it though.” I fired up the engine and watched the blood vessels in my old man’s forehead fizzle and pop as I drove off, leaving nothing but dust in our wake.
Kye whooped, Chloe giggling beside him. “Seriously, who eats all of this?” she asked, eyeing the bag of bloody meat.
“Don’t let my old man’s physique fool you, Clo. The guy is an animal.”
“Last night was fun.” She caught my eye in the rearview mirror and smiled.
“Yeah.” A lick of heat went through me.
It hadn’t been fun, it had been… the best night of my fucking life. Feeling Harleigh naked and wanting beneath me. The way her body hugged mine, the way we fit together, so perfect, so right.
Part of me was pissed that I hadn’t waited. That I’d tainted myself with all the girls before her. Because what I’d felt with Harleigh was like nothing I’d ever felt before.
“Are Miles and Nate coming?” she asked innocently enough, but it didn’t stop Kye from pinning her with a sharp look. “What?” A knowing smirk played on her lips.
“I’m serious Clo, Miller is off-limits.”
“You’re being a dick.”
“You think I didn’t see you draped over him last night like a cheap fucking throw?”
“I was not.” She huffed indignantly.
“Yeah, whatever. And no, Miles and Nate aren’t coming. Right?” He looked to me for confirmation.