“Can you imagine a hot tub full of frat guys?” Daisy asks me, nudging my elbow with hers, a smile playing at her lips. It sounds like one of my fantasies. Before Loren Hale. But then again, Ryke would not be a participant in my fantasy hot tub.
I don’t answer her, but I do, however, catch Ryke’s muscles flexing at the sound of Daisy’s voice, surprised by her presence here.
Ryke steps around the couch to face us, and he gives Daisy a long once-over that seems friendly enough. “What are you doing here?”
“Lo asked you the same thing,” she deflects.
Ryke sinks down in the open chair, his harsh gaze still on Daisy. “You want to know why I left my friend’s fucking party?”
“Yeah,” Daisy says.
“I was sick of people asking me how Lily is in bed.”
Whaaa…My eyes pop out. I despise those rumors. “I hope you told them I never—”
“I told them to fuck off,” Ryke says before I get worked up. “They’re fucking assholes.”
“We’re assholes,” Lo says. “They’re dipshits.”
“Are you really schooling me on curse words, little brother?”
Lo lets out a short laugh and grips the armrests too tightly, like he longs to stand up and grab a drink. “No. I don’t run as fast as you. I’m not as smart as you. And I definitely don’t curse as well as you.” I hear what’s beneath his words: My life is pretty much a losing battle. Cold washes over me. I glance at Ryke—his arms have chill bumps. “I’m just saying,” Lo finishes, “that you’re an asshole.”
On instinct, I leave my seat beside Daisy, and I nestle on Lo’s lap, hugging his tense body. His shoulders begin to loosen as soon as my legs tangle with his, and his large hands slip around my waist, pulling me even closer to his chest.
Ryke drinks a swig of water and wipes his mouth with his arm. “At least we have something in common then.”
Lo lets out a laugh, his scowl completely vanished. He’s happy that Ryke didn’t convince him of things he knows are true. Lo spent his childhood running away from people. Ryke competed in track and field. I don’t think either of them believes that Lo will gain the strength to beat his brother in a race.
I do though.
Lo has the will to speed right past the person who lifted him to his feet. I think, sometimes, we have more faith in each other than we do in ourselves.
Daisy shifts on the couch for the third or fourth time, restless. She starts braiding the fringe of a purple throw blanket. “Are you spending the night too?” she asks Ryke.
“If it’s okay with my brother.” Ryke turns his head towards Lo. “I can drive back to Philly if it’s not.”
“It’s almost midnight, so you should stay,” Lo says. “We can crack open a bottle of champagne, toast to the New Year, then switch to whiskey.” He tops it off with that now literally famous dry smile. Celebrity Crush even ranked his bitter half-smiles from best to worst. My favorite was the one during Halloween （ranked only #6）。 I thought he’d want to stay at home for his twenty-second birthday, especially since last year’s Halloween was so apocalyptic, but he drove everyone to a haunted house in northern Pennsylvania.
He was a pirate.
A sarcastic pirate.
A girl dressed as Pippi Longstocking took the picture of his half-smile when he wasn’t looking and posted it to Instagram. I almost wish I could thank her.
It’s one of my favorite photos of him—maybe also because he’s carrying me on his back. I was a mouse. I thought it’d be ironic since I’ve been so quiet, but Ryke thought I was a rat so…maybe it wasn’t the best costume choice.
“That’s fucking hilarious,” Ryke says to Lo, unamused.
“Haven’t you heard? I haven’t had a sip of alcohol since rehab,” Lo says. “I’m cured.” I don’t think he even believes that.
“And Connor isn’t a genius. Lily’s not a sex addict. Daisy’s not a supermodel. And I have fucking fantastic college buddies who ask me about anything other than three-ways.”
“I don’t know what world you’re living in,” Lo banters, “but that one sounds fucking weird.”
Ryke laughs, his eyes lightening.
“You can stay here as long as you want,” Lo professes, his voice filled with sincerity.
“Just the night,” Ryke says. “I love you and Lily, but I just can’t be around Connor for that long.”