Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 38804 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 194(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38804 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 194(@200wpm)___ 155(@250wpm)___ 129(@300wpm)
“Hey. Whoa.” The door to the front of the house opened and a bunch of guys rushed past me, running up and grabbing Cris. Two pulled him back while another stood in front of Jude. “What’s going on?”
A truck pulled up behind us, parking, and Ryan got out, joining the group. He scanned the group before focusing on Cris. “Dude.”
“I don’t know. We just pulled in and the assface was here.”
“Yeah!” Jude strained against the one guy holding him back, against his one hand. “I’m here because my girlfriend got me kicked out of my band. Mine.”
Cris went still, his eyes narrowing.
The way he was watching Jude, like he wanted to tear his head off.
“She’s not your girlfriend.” Cris started for him again, but his two roommates quickly converged together, blocking him.
Ryan moved to the middle, his head back, studying Cris, and Jude started yelling again. Rotating, moving so fast, just like Cris had, Ryan had Jude against the truck again.
One of the guys moaned. “Not my truck. Please. My baby there.”
Maybe hearing him, probably not, Ryan switched Jude, literally taking his shirt in two hands and throwing him down on the driveway. “You need to go. Now.”
He stalked after him, an entire storm on his face, and Jude saw it, his protest swallowed as he thought better of whatever he was going to say. He scrambled backwards, but he didn’t have enough time to get up. Ryan was there, on him again, and looking like he could commit any acts of violence on the guy. “I don’t give a fuck why you’re here. You will never come back here. You will never talk to anyone that’s here, including my girl. Including Maren. Are you hearing me?”
Another growl burst from the side, and I started to look back, but Cris was past me. He was going for Jude too, except Ryan caught him, standing in his way.
“I want you gone. Wrong day to pick a fight.” That was from Cris, snapping, and raking both of his hands through his hair. He pushed forward again, but Ryan turned all the way, shoving him back. “Stop.”
Cris thrust a hand in the air, in Jude’s direction. “I want him gone. Right the fuck now.”
Jude finally got to his feet, and he started toward them. Then stopped as both Cris and Ryan turned to him, warning scowls on their faces.
My heart was tight right now. Clenched.
That dynamic between the two of them. I loved hanging out with them last year. Loved it so much. I never had a group of friends in high school where I felt accepted. I’d been there on the party scene, but on the fringes. There were core groups, core friends. I’d never been included, until last year with Mackenzie, Ryan, and Cristiano.
I missed so many months, and I missed them with him. I refocused on Jude, seeing he was struggling. He liked to be the epitome of cool, but he wasn’t. Not among these guys. This group was on a different level, or at least Ryan and Cris were. The stakes were higher for them where they either buckled under them or they met the pressure and rose above. So far, they had risen above. Jude was seeing this, eyeing both Cris and Ryan with a look of surprise.
I shook my head, moving toward them. “What did you want to accomplish coming here?”
Cris tensed, while Ryan looked back at me slowly.
Jude’s eyes jerked to mine, and the same anger he had before rose over him. He stood as tall as he could, lifting his chin, his eyes burning. “I—you—they were my band! Mine, Maren. They kicked me out, and I know it was because of you.”
He started to take a step toward me, but at Cris’ one warning growl, he bounced in place, staying where he was. I came to stand on Cris’ other side, and he shifted, his arm pressing against mine. It wasn’t tension that left me, feeling his touch. Some of my same sadness was still there, but at his graze, some of it lifted. He was there to support me.
In one day, so much had changed.
I glanced up, sharing a look with him, before Jude yelled, “I want you to talk to them. Luis. Troy. Bannon. Make them take me back. They kicked me out because I was fucking Toya and that wasn’t fair. You and I were never exclusive.”
“You just called her your girlfriend.” Their other roommates had migrated down the driveway, one said that.
I shook my head. “We were never exclusive. We—just—” I glanced back at Cris for a second. “It was just a hook-up arrangement.” I said to Jude, “Troy’s not in the band.”
“Does it matter? He may as well be.”
True. He had a point. Luis did whatever Troy said. It’s how they worked. I nodded slightly. “Fair enough, but they were looking for a reason to kick you out.”