Love Song(91)

“Oh yeah. This girl is shameless,” Stella says, rolling her eyes.

I glance over. “Is she?”

I don’t know Tara well at all. She and AJ started dating freshman year at Briar, but this is her first time coming to Tahoe with him. He clearly adores her, though. He’s been doing things for her all day. Refilling her drinks, bringing her snacks, always asking if she needs anything.

“Shameless,” Stella confirms. “And AJ is such a simp for her, which she takes full advantage of. Ivy and I were talking about it the other day. Like, after two years, he still can’t figure out she’s using him.”

“Using him for what?”

Stella shrugs. “Clout, probably. His dad’s won two Stanley Cups.”

“Your dad won a cup too,” I point out. “She could’ve gone for Gray.”

“Nah, Tara isn’t stupid. Gray is a forever fuckboy,” Stella says of her brother. “Everyone knows that.”

I glance toward the fire at the dark-haired guy. With his bronzed skin, piercing eyes, and killer smile, Gray could get any girl he wants. And he does. Often. Stella’s right. Of the three Golden Boys, Gray’s the one I can never see settling down.

“If she’s angling for a ring on her finger and to marry into hockey royalty, she knows her best bet is AJ,” Stella says, cynic that she is. “Poor dumb Connelly. She’ll cheat on him first chance she gets.”

“I mean, she already has,” Ivy chimes in from the other end of our blanket. Beau’s sister is so sweet and unassuming, I sometimes forget she’s there. “Remember Christmas in Miami?”

“What happened in Miami?” Alex asks curiously.

“Oh shit, we never told you about that?” Stella grins. “So Ivy and her brother and AJ and Tara come to Miami with us over the holidays to spend a few days at my grandparents’ place. Tara says she has some sorority sisters down there and disappears for the entire day, supposedly to hang out with them.”

“But,” Ivy pipes up, “we already knew from stalking her IG page when she first got together with AJ that she has an ex who lives in Miami. We saw all their pictures before she deleted them.”

“So we’re all supposed to go out to dinner, but this bitch just disappears and then strolls into the restaurant forty-five minutes late—”

“After AJ’s been trying to text her for hours,” Ivy says.

“Smelling like cologne that definitely wasn’t AJ’s,” Stella finishes, “and thinking no one notices. Please.” She mimics a high voice. “Oh my God, you guys, traffic was crazy.”

Ivy giggles. “And Stella goes, traffic doesn’t leave bite marks, sweetie.”

Alex and I snicker. “You are such a bitch,” Alex informs Stella.

“Oh, I’m more than a bitch. I’m a total cunt,” Stella drawls, and we all howl with laughter. “Anyway, so she tells this insane story about her sorority’s sister’s dog getting too excited when it was greeting her, and that’s why she had a bite mark on her neck.”

“And AJ’s just sitting there, nodding along,” Ivy says, sighing.

“This dumbass believed every word.” Stella again. “She’s babbling, making up shit about exuberant dogs, and AJ’s like, oh man, some dogs really need obedience training, huh?”

I sigh too. Why are men so blind when it comes to toxic women?

“Best Christmas I’ve had in years,” Stella says, grinning wickedly.

Our attention is diverted when we hear AJ calling out to his girlfriend. “Hey, babe, get over here!”

Everyone but him notices how reluctant she seems to slide off the arm of Beau’s chair. When she joins AJ, he wraps both arms around her from behind and kisses her neck, and to Tara’s credit, she does tip her head back to meet his lips for a kiss. Then again, she just spent the last hour flirting with his best friend, so…her pity kisses mean nothing in my eyes.

I get up and brush a twig off my shorts, then make my way to the now-solo Beau. When I reach him, he tugs me into his lap and slings an arm over my shoulder. There’s nothing romantic about it, but considering I was having sex with Wyatt only a few nights ago, it sort of feels like I’m doing something wrong.

Beau flashes that beautiful smile of his, the one that never fails to make you take a second look. He truly is one of the best-looking people I’ve ever seen in my life, though I suppose it’s in the genes. His father is basically a male model. His mom is a gorgeous actress. His aunt could stop traffic. Both his sisters are stunning—Ivy is the ethereal fairy-princess ballerina who belongs in live-action Disney movies, and Kate, who’s only fifteen and should be going through her gangly teenage phase, could already sign an exclusive modeling contract.

“You’ve barely spoken to me all day,” Beau complains. “Should I be insulted?”

“I mean, it’s hard to speak when our parents are vowing to murder each other over badminton.”

“Yeah, that was intense.”

I feel my skin prickling as if someone is watching me, and sure enough, I find Wyatt’s gaze on me when I turn my head. He’s still talking to Ryder, but he’s got his phone in hand now, typing something.

Seconds later, mine buzzes in my back pocket.