Connor sits beside Rose, and he kisses her forehead. She seems at ease.
Everyone does.
How could that break the tension in our group? Strain that I accidentally built from a dare.
And then Connor’s deep blue eyes meet mine, and he smiles at me, a genuine one that he only reserves for friends.
He can slice through arguments, lower boiling points and keep our friendship intact, not even remotely awkward after we just kissed.
And he’s a part of my life.
Thank God.
Or rather, thank him. Yeah, I smile, he’d want me to rephrase that.
{ 19 }
LILY CALLOWAY
After the nightclub, we amble along the sidewalk, heading towards the dock so we can return to the yacht. “Spill,” Rose says to Daisy, who is being supported mostly by me and Poppy, our arms around our little sister’s waist.
Rose wants details about the sexual escapade that the guys knew before us. I kinda want more info too. All things involving blow jobs interest me, maybe a little too much.
Instead of answering, Daisy dodges Rose’s request and inhales like she’s breathing in tonight’s full moon and glittering stars. She raises her fists sloppily into the air and shouts, “HELLO, MEXICO!”
The four guys, sauntering twenty feet ahead of us, all turn their heads in unison. Damn. That was sexy. I can admit that without flushing, right?
I check my arms.
Nope. Still red.
Ryke is the only one who remains spun around. He rotates fully, walking backwards with an aluminum-foiled taco in hand. Most of the guys are eating them after we passed a food stand. I chose to go with dessert and eat a churro as a late-night snack.
Daisy focuses on her boyfriend and almost trips over her feet.
“Watch it, Calloway,” he tells her.
“You watch it,” she says, her retort not as good with her drunken state. Poppy and I hold her firmly to our sides.
“I am watching it,” Ryke says, his eyes right on hers, “and she looks like a hot fucking mess.”
“What are you going to do about it?” Daisy says in a smooth voice. Her smile radiates, but her eyelids droop.
Rose points an accusatory finger from Daisy to Ryke. “No flirting. We’re having girl time.”
Ryke ignores her and says, “I’ll show you later, sweetheart.” And then he spins around, walking with the guys. Ryke places a hand on Lo’s shoulder, and they talk amongst themselves. Laughter emanates from their huddle, and Lo’s is the loudest, the most full-bellied and jam-packed with true happiness.
My eyes sting with emotion.
Loren Hale is laughing.
It shouldn’t be a rare phrase. But it is.
I am most happy when he is happy. The same, I know, applies to him.
Poppy stares off into space before saying, “He has good lines.”
Daisy’s brows furrow. “Ryke?”
Poppy nods. “It was a cute one.” She smiles kindly at her.
“It wasn’t a line,” Daisy refutes with a deep frown. I sway, slightly shocked that she actually spoke her mind. I like this Daisy more than the one keeping the peace. It’s easier to tell when she’s having a good time and when she’s just appearing to for our sake.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Poppy says, giving her a side squeeze that unsteadies me. I gain my balance, thankfully. If I fall, so does my baby. It’s a thought that tickles my brain like a nervous spasm.
With only one free hand, I bite into my street-side churro that melts in my mouth. The long fried donut is a little phallic looking, but I try to employ the Ryke Meadows attitude of “not caring what other people think.” An audible moan even leaves my lips. I don’t care.
My cheeks and elbows do though, burning with disgrace.
I chew slowly to prolong the next bite. Even though I crave it. I swallow way too soon.
“He came on your face,” Rose says bluntly.
Back to this. I join in. “And you didn’t even tell us.”
Poppy adds, “It’s obviously an embarrassing moment for her.”
Rose adjusts her handbag on her arm. “And if she told me when it happened, I would’ve bought her jewelry and a ‘fuck you’ dress.”
Daisy smiles. “What do those look like?”
Rose waves a finger at her. “No, no, you’re not going to distract me. I need more details than Connor.”
Daisy scrunches her nose. “That’s not possible. He was there.”
My eyes bug at all of this. I’ve encountered some pretty awkward moments in my life, but nothing like this. “Did you like it?” I ask the least important question, probably. I’m just curious if that’s a fantasy she’d repeat again.