“That’s no one’s fucking business.” Zeke chose not to answer so instead drank his entire bottle down and picked up a fresh one.
Everyone else looked at Ethan. Ethan drank, then Miles, and Asher. Then, finally, I took a drink. Hoots went up from the twins, while Zeke and Asher sat frozen with their mouths partway open.
“Red! You’re not lily white!” Isaac teased, making me smile.
“Don’t fucking tell me it was Dylan.” Ethan looked ready to kill.
“God, no!” I threw a bottle cap at him but it was way off the mark. “It was an old boyfriend down in San Diego.”
“When did you live in San Diego?” Miles frowned as he turned to me.
As I was about to answer Asher turned to Miles. “That’s the question you want to ask?”
I snorted.
“I want to hear about this.” Tara leaned forward eagerly.
“What? My mom was on the back end of a bender. I was going through a really hard time and he was there for me like no one else. At least, I thought so at the time.” I took another drink and continued, “A couple of weeks later I was in L.A.”
“Were you in love with him?” Danielle propped her chin on her hand.
Very aware that the boys I was in love with were listening, I chose my words carefully. “I wanted to think I was, but I knew deep down I wasn’t. I was just… lonely, I guess.”
“Okay, now I feel bad,” Tara announced.
I raised an eyebrow at her. “Why?”
“Because you regret it,” Danielle answered for Tara.
Oh, shit… I was going to have to explain. “I don’t regret it.” Knowing everyone’s eyes were on me, I focused on Tara. “I mean, yeah, I didn’t love the guy, but at least he knew what he was doing.” I refused to be embarrassed. My past was mine and I didn’t regret a minute of it.
“Lexie.” Miles’ ears turned red, his eyes widening.
I shrugged and sent him a smile.
“But no one since?” Danielle asked.
For fucks sake! “No, I haven’t been in a relationship with anyone. Well, no one that I would have trusted that much.”
“Aw, Beautiful is having a girly moment.” Ethan pointed out in a cutesy voice.
I burped.
“And the moment is gone.” Isaac winked at me. Everyone laughed.
“Never have I ever had sex in a car,” Dean announced. All the guys drank except for Miles, Isaac and Zeke. Even I had to take a sip.
Miles grinned. “Never have I ever gotten caught by a parent or sibling while I was fooling around.”
“Define fooling around,” Isaac said.
“Anything past a kiss.” Miles shrugged. Isaac and Ethan drank.
“You two are entirely too close to each other for comfort sometimes.” I grinned as everyone laughed.
“Never have I ever lied,” Zeke offered as if he couldn’t quite think straight. I groaned and drank. So did everyone else.
“Never have I ever gotten into a fist fight at a party. That I started.” Ethan leaned over and got in Isaac’s face. Isaac snorted and drank along with Zeke.
“Never have I ever gotten up on stage and performed.” Isaac leaned over and got in Ethan’s face. Ethan chuckled as we both drank.
Asher blinked and shook his head. “Um, never have I ever thrown Ally over my shoulder or smacked her on the butt.” Zeke, Isaac, and Ethan drank.
“Never have I ever….” I couldn’t come up with anything. “Oh! Never have I ever worn a cheerleading uniform!”
Tara giggled as she drank. So did Isaac.
“It was a dare!” Isaac shouted after drinking.
I snickered. “Tell me there’re pictures!”
Ethan shook his head as everyone sobered.
Danielle watched me out of the corner of her eye. “Never have I ever had a stalker.”
My smile disappeared. The circle was dead silent. To keep the game going I drank.
“You’re up, Tara.” Miles shifted in his seat.
“Never have I ever had a super romantic moment, you know, like in the movies.” Tara tried to save the game.
“Like what? Kissing in the rain? Dancing? You’ve got to be a bit more specific.” I barely resisted the urge to squirm.
“If you’ve seen it in a romantic comedy or drama it counts,” Tara answered.
My eyes met Zeke's across the fire for a second before I looked up at the sky. I couldn’t meet Asher’s eyes either, or Miles, or the twins. So I took a drink. Everyone on our side drank.
“I want details.” Danielle announced looking around the group.
“No!” The six of us shouted at the same time. Our side chuckled at her wide-eyed expression.
“Okay, let’s play something else.” Dean suggested. “Truth or Dare?”
“That’s not a drinking game.” Isaac pointed out.
“You can have the option to finish your drink instead of doing the dare, or telling the truth,” Ethan suggested. Everyone agreed.
Dean turned to me. “Lexie, truth or dare?”
“Truth, I guess.” I didn’t really want to get out of my chair.
“Where did you get those scars?” Dean asked.
I smiled and drank the rest of my beer. I didn’t owe this guy anything.
“Aw, come on.” Dean watched as the guys passed me down another beer.
“Miles, truth or dare?” I asked. Miles took a deep breath before answering.
“Truth, I guess.” His shoulders were tense. I couldn’t embarrass Miles.
“How did you really do at that gaming tournament this winter?” I asked smiling. Miles chuckled in relief.
“It was awful, my best cards were in my suitcase that got left on the tarmac.” Miles shook his head. “I was out in the first round.”
Most of us at least smiled.
“Asher, truth or dare?” Miles leaned forward.
“Truth.” Asher stretched his legs out in front of him.
Miles pushed his glasses back up his nose. “Do you want to play football our last year of high school?”
Oh, that was a good one…
Asher thought about it. “Yes and no. A part of me doesn’t want to because it’s not as fun as it used to be. And the other part of me doesn’t want to let down the team that I’ve been playing with since peewee football.”
“That makes sense.” Miles leaned back in his chair.
Asher turned to the blank faced Zeke. “Zeke. Truth or dare?”
“Truth, I’m too drunk for a dare.” Zeke lifted his head off the back of the chair.
“You’re drunk?” I couldn’t believe it, he didn’t seem any different.
Zeke glazed eyes met mine. “Completely wasted.”
“Who do you like the least here?” Asher asked. I chuckled. This should be good.
Tara shifted, as if bracing herself for his answer.
“Danielle.” Zeke said without hesitation.
“What? Why?” Dean scowled at Zeke.
Zeke turned to him with a stone face. “She brought up stalkers and made Lexie’s smile go away.”
My face burned. Okay, he was drunk. “It might be time to put Zeke to bed.” Before he said something he’d regret.
Ethan got to his feet. “Come on, fat ass.”
Zeke eyed him. “I don’t wanna go to bed with you. You’re not pretty enough.”
Everyone cracked up.
Miles turned to me. “Lexie, could you assist?”
I was still smiling as I got to my feet. The world wobbled a bit. “Whoa.”
“Does the assister need an assist?” Isaac chuckled.
“Not if I don’t have to hold him up.” I started around the outside of the circle.
“Can you stand on your own?” Miles turned back to Zeke.
He nodded and got to his feet. He blinked several times but kept on his feet.
“Come on, Zeke.” I grinned up at him.
Zeke rubbed his hand down his face before stepping out from between the
chairs toward me. He seemed fine as he walked beside me across the campsite. It was still hard to believe he was drunk.
Asher
Ally guided Zeke into the trees toward his tent. Miles pulled out a couple of water bottles then followed. Now that Zeke was gone…
I turned to Danielle. “Why did you bring up stalkers?”
Danielle’s smile faded a bit around the corners. “It was just something that popped into my head.”
I shook my head.
“Bullshit.” Isaac leaned forward in his chair.
Tara shifted in her seat, making a point not to look toward us.
“Tara?” My voice was hard.
“What does it matter?” Dean slipped his arm around the back of Tara’s chair.
Ethan scoffed. “It matters.”
“They asked me how Lexie got her scars.” Tara cringed as she lifted one shoulder. “I told them it was when she was kidnapped by her stalker.”
“Then why did you ask?” I turned to Dean.
He shrugged. “I wondered how they happened.”
Warmth that had nothing to do with the alcohol washed through me as Isaac cursed.
“Did it not occur to either of you that it might have been bad and she wouldn’t want to talk about it?” Isaac scowled at the three of them.
“What’s the big deal, it was, like, in January?” Danielle’s question had the heat spreading from my stomach to my chest.
There obviously had been a whole lot more talking than just one question. That was clear. I got to my feet. “I think you two need to leave.”
Dean shook his head while he got to his feet. “No problem.” He turned to Tara. “Let’s go to the lake by our camp.”
Tara nodded, still not looking at anyone she got to her feet.
“Sit your ass back down, Tara.” My growl had her freeze.
Tara sat back down, her eyes wide. Hades got to his feet and moved in front of her knees.
“You can’t boss her around like that.” Dean took a step toward me.
Something moved inside me, something I’d never felt before. Back and forth in my chest, waiting to strike out. Hades’ fur rose, a low warning growl emanating from him.
“I’d leave before you leave with broken bones.” My voice was deeper than ever as it rumbled in my chest.
Dean took a step back, then another. “Come on, Dani. I’ll call you, Tara.”
“Sorry.” Danielle winced as she passed me and went to her brother. They hurried down the shore of the lake.
My fists clenched as I turned to Tara. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Her head snapped up, she opened her mouth to answer.
“What happened to Ally is none of their fucking business.” I barely kept my voice down but it was a struggle. An odd hot chill ran down my spine, I began to pace back and forth to work off the feeling.
“I only told them so they wouldn’t ask her directly about her scars.” She held her hands up. “I was trying to help.”
“Help?” I pointed at her, the veins in my forearm bulging. “It’s not your history! You don’t fucking tell strangers one of the most traumatic events in someone else’s life! It’s their life, their story and they decide who the fuck they share it with!” My voice echoed through the trees. I snapped my jaw closed as my stomach rolled. Red tinged my vision. The urge to tear the little bitch into pieces ripped through me out of nowhere. Hades’ growl grew louder.
Ethan got to his feet and moved between the two of us. I hadn’t even realized I had moved. “Easy, Asher. It was a mistake-”
“A mistake?” My face began to ache, my eyes stung. “She’s always been jealous of Ally. She keeps trying to tear her down and I’m fucking sick of it.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed on my face as he dropped into a stronger defensive stance. “I am too, but this time I think she actually wasn’t trying to.”
“I didn’t think they’d ask her or mention it,” Tara squeaked from behind Ethan. “Why would someone do that? That’s just fucking mean.”
The tremble in Tara’s voice hit me, sending another wave of rage through me. I met her gaze over Ethan’s shoulder. “Your jealousy over Ally stops now. She didn’t steal me from you, I never fucking liked you to begin with. I was only being polite. And Zeke? You’ve got to be kidding, anyone with fucking eyes can see he’s hung up on Ally. Stop blaming everyone else because people don’t like you!”
Ethan pushed on my chest, getting my attention. When did I move forward? Ethan’s drew down as his eyes met mine. “Are you on something?”
“What’s going on?” Miles jogged back into the campsite.
“Uh, Asher’s gone off at Tara in a big way.” Isaac moved behind Ethan but in front of Tara. “And he keeps getting closer to her.”
It was like a bucket of ice water was dumped over my head. My friends were standing between me and a girl I was growling at. What the fuck was I doing? I took a step back, then another. The anger pulled back, letting me think again. “What the hell…?”
“That’s what I was about to ask.” Isaac moved beside Ethan. Hades stopped growling but didn’t move a muscle.
“I just…” I couldn’t even begin to figure out what happened.
“Go for a run.” Miles’ eyes were glacial.
I nodded. A run. A run would be good. I didn’t say anything as I walked around the fire and out toward the road. What the fuck was wrong with me?
Lexie
We were halfway to Zeke’s tent when he leaned against a tree. “Hold on.”
“Need to take a leak?” Assuming so, I was already turning around.
“No. The world is tilting around. It’s like I’m on a ride I can’t get off of.” He shook his head. “I fucking hate this feeling.”
“You didn’t have to drink this much.” Hell, I don’t think I’d ever seen Zeke drunk before.
“You guys wanted to play the game.” His voice slurred. “You guys were having fun. I didn’t want to be the one to say no for once….”
Miles made his way over to us to stand behind Zeke. His face was somber. What was he worried about?
I stepped closer to Zeke and took his hand. He looked down at me with warm eyes.
“Come on, Tough Guy.” I gave his fingers a squeeze. “Let’s get you to bed.”
He shoved himself off the tree and started moving again.
“Do you feel sick?” I made a point to keep him going.
“No. It’s just… it’s just noisy.”
Noisy? We couldn’t even hear the others from here. “What do you mean?”
Miles’ brows drew down, his mouth a tight line. It was his worried face.
Zeke tapped his temple. “In here.”
Oh, that I understood.
Voices echoed from around the fire. Miles turned to look then turned back to me.
“Go. I’ve got him.” I sent him a smile.
Miles nodded, handed me a couple of water bottles then headed back toward the campsite.
When we reached the tent, Zeke moved around to the side facing the woods. It was a large green dome two-person tent with a small overhang. His beat up black duffle bag was under the overhang outside.
“Why’s your stuff outside?” I stopped at the overhang.
“’Cause I can’t stand up and get dressed inside,” he said as if it were obvious.
He crouched down to go under the overhang and immediately fell on his ass. I chuckled.
“That didn’t work.” He sat back up while I smiled. I wish I had that on camera.
I bent down, slipped in under the overhang and unzipped the flap. “Come on, your bed is waiting.”
Zeke shook his head and blinked hard several times. He lay down where he was in the grass. “World is spinning, I’ll just sleep here.”
I bit back a laugh before I crawled out and moved to his side. “Zeke, you can’t sleep out here.”
He closed his eyes. “Why not? Its comfy.”
I couldn’t help the snicker
that slipped out. “Zeke, please?”
He shook his head.
I knew how to get him moving. Smiling, I stretched out on the grass beside him and made myself comfy.
“What are you doing?” He didn’t even bother opening his eyes.
“Well, I can’t exactly leave you alone out here all night.” I shifted as if trying to find a comfortable spot. “So, I’m going to sleep.”
He looked over at me. “Go to your tent.”
I smiled. “Nope.”
“Go use my tent.” He tried again.
I shook my head.
“The world is moving.”
“Then crawl into your tent and I’ll go back to mine.” My voice grew soft.
Zeke cursed and forced himself to sit up. I don’t know how but he managed to get to his feet again, crouch and get into his tent. “There. Happy?”
“Ecstatic.” I moved to the doorway and found him half curled across his bed. I started on his boot laces. When I pulled them off I set them just inside the door. I reached over and patted him on his firm yet soft ass. “Lie on your bed the right way.”
He grumbled and cursed under his breath as he moved until he was lying parallel to the door on his back. “I shouldn’t have drank.”
I set the water inside next to his boots. “There’s a bottle of water here if you want before you go to sleep.”
He pressed his palms to his forehead and cursed. “It’s too close. I shouldn’t have drank…”
I pulled one of his hands down so I could meet his eyes. “What’s too close?”
He closed his eyes and dropped his other hand. “I know better than that. Thirty-eight days away… Shouldn’t have been drinking.”
Worry pushed away even the thought of smiling. I set my hand on his chest. “Zeke, what’s wrong?”
He opened his eyes and held my hand to his chest. A note in my voice seemed to clear the glazed look from his eyes. “Just bad memories, Baby. It’s fine.”
My fingers curled around his. “Do you want me to stay with you tonight?”
His other hand came up and held my face carefully, the tip of his thumb stroking my lower lip. “More than almost anything. But it’s probably not a good idea.”
When the Dead Have It Easy Page 14