“And if she doesn’t? If she comes back to get her?”
“Then we fight like hell to make sure that never happens.”
Chapter 13
I crash down into Tully’s bed on Friday afternoon. The boys have disappeared for the afternoon, dad is spending quality time with Aria, and I have no idea what the rest of the world is doing, so it’s just me and Tully left to our own devices…which could never be good.
She rips off her clothes which ended up dirty after Rivers crash tackled her into the mud during lunch. Naturally, she didn’t skip a beat and sought payback in the shape of grabbing a handful of mud and slamming it into his face.
The two have been running in complete opposite directions of each other all afternoon, terrified of what could happen. Rivers started a dangerous game when he threw her down in the mud, a dangerous game that is going to be damn funny to watch.
Tully dives through her clean washing which she hasn’t bothered to put away and pulls out a pair of sweatpants, but the second she holds them up, it’s clear these don’t belong to her. “Are these Noah’s?” she grunts.
“Sure are,” I tell her as she holds them up against herself, laughing as they reach nearly to her shoulders and deciding to pull them on anyway. “What the hell are you doing?” I laugh. “You could fit two of you in them.”
She steps into the pants with a grin and laughs as she pulls them up as high as they can reach. They sit under her armpits and before I know it, she’s burying her arms inside the pants and wobbling around, laughing like a hyena. “Shit, I have a massive cameltoe,” she snorts as tears of laughter start pouring from both our eyes. “You really think two people could fit in these?”
I look over the pants again. “Yeah, actually. I do.”
Tully wriggles her arms free and lets the pants drop before stepping one leg out and squeezing it down into the same hole as her other leg. “Well, come on, then. Let’s test your theory.”
“Are you kidding, right now?”
Her head snaps up with a wicked grin. “Do I look like I’m kidding?” she questions. “Get your ass over here and shove yourself into the other side.”
I shake my head. “No way. If this is going to work, you’re going to have to get your ass over here so we don’t fall and snap our necks.”
Tully presses her lips together. “Good point.”
Another round of booming laughter rips out of us as Tully tries her best to jump with both feet, across her room and over to her bed where she can hold on for dear life. She stands next to the bed and I shake my head. “I can’t believe you actually convinced me to do this,” I say, holding onto her as I slip one leg into the pants and then the other.
I get my legs in, but now comes the challenge of standing up without pulling Tully over. She grabs my arms and hauls me up off the bed, making us both tip forward but somehow we manage to stay on our feet.
“Fuck, yeah,” Tully cheers, pulling the bottom part of the pants up to where it sits under both our boobs.
“Holy shit,” I laugh. “I can’t believe we actually fit.”
“Yep, just goes to show what a fat ass Noahsaurus is.”
I roll my eyes as we stand in the pants, completely unable to move. “Now what? How do we get around?”
“Umm,” she looks down at our restricted legs. “You jump, then I jump.”
“Wait. Wouldn’t it be better if we jump together?”
“I don’t fucking know,” she laughs as we give it a try.
“What the hell are you two idiots doing?” a familiar voice questions with nothing but an intense amusement in her tone.
Tully and I whip our heads around to find her mom, as let’s face it, it’s not like we can turn around right now. Violet watches us with concern, probably wondering if we’ve finally gone insane. “We’re testing a theory,” Tully explains.
“Oh, yeah. I’d like to hear this,” Violet grumbles under her breath. “Please, do share.”
“The theory is that Noah is a fat ass, and what do you know, we were right?”
“Who’s calling me a fat ass?” comes Noah’s deep rumbly voice from somewhere in the house, making my stomach swirl with butterflies, just as it does every time he’s near. I didn’t realize he was back from doing…well, who the hell knows what he was doing.
I hear not only his footfalls in the hallway, but someone else’s and realize he must be with Rivers, and the fact they’re making their way down here has both me and Tully scrambling to get out of these damn sweatpants.
To be honest, with four legs in the one pair of pants, getting out of them is not as easy as it sounds.
“Oh, shit,” Tully squeaks, realizing just as well as I do that in this position, we’re sitting ducks. “Hurry up.”
The boys appear in the doorway and wicked grins instantly plaster across their faces. They don’t even need to look at each other to know what the other is thinking. The opportunity is just too good.
They storm through the door, practically barging Violet out of the way as Tully squeals, terrified for her life.
“Nooooo,” I laugh, trying to swat Noah away while Tully becomes so overcome by laughter, she ends up tipping us both over. Rivers catches the two of us and it’s by sheer luck that I don’t end up smacking my head against the foot of the bed.
Noah swoops in like my knight in shining ink and slips his hands under my back and legs while Rivers does the same with Tully.
The boys walk us out of Tully’s room and towards the front door where Tully immediately starts flopping around like a fish out of water in Rivers’ arms. “Don’t you dare take us outside,” she warns, but the devilish smirk on both their faces tells me we’re in for an afternoon of embarrassment. Though, right now I’d probably endure just about any type of embarrassment if it meant staying in Noah’s arms just a little longer, despite the fact that I’m wedged in a pair of sweatpants and looking like Tully’s Siamese twin.
The boys march us out the front of the house and if reading each other’s minds, they head straight for the lamp post out near the curb.
They put us down and wriggle us around until we're practically back to back with the lamp post between us. Rivers spreads his big arms out, wrapping them around the two of us and holding us still while Noah hurries away, probably so we can’t escape. Though, I don’t know where he thinks we could possibly go. Moving right now seems damn impossible.
“Oh, no, no, no,” I squawk as I see Noah emerge from the garage with a shit eating grin spreading so far across his face, I fear it will split it in two. He holds up a roll of duct tape and just like that, I realize my afternoon is going to be spent right here in this very spot.
“What?” Tully demands, trying to crane her neck around to see Noah but from the opposite side of the post and Rivers massive body squished into our sides, she’s doesn’t see Noah until it’s already too late.
The duct tape gets curled around us. Around and around until we are literally covered from our shoulders down to our toes. “How the hell are we supposed to get out of this?” Tully groans as the boys stand back and admire their handiwork.
Noah shrugs his shoulders and flashes that proud, irritating smirk that he reserves only for his sister. “Not my problem, is it?”
With that, Noah leans in, presses a kiss to my less than impressed cheek, and they disappear into the house, probably to eat the fruit salad that Violet would have been making for me and Tully. “I could kill them,” Tully grumbles.
“Don’t worry. Noah can leave you out here all night, but he doesn’t have the heart to leave me here,” I tell her.
“Yeah,” she laughs to herself as cars zoom past on the street, “that little pussy whipped bastard.”
The boys don’t show their pretty faces again and luckily for them, we have more than enough to chat about while the cars zoom past us on the street. We make our revenge plan and only stop going over the finer details of our payback when Noah strides into the garage as though he doesn’t hav
e a care in the world.
I clear my throat loudly, demanding his attention from out near the street. “Can I help you?” he questions, not looking up from the engine of his car while he desperately fights a smile pulling at the corners of his delectable lips.
“No,” I smile sweetly. “But I can help you.”
He looks up with mischief in his eyes. “Trust me, with your hands taped somewhere around your ass, I highly doubt you could give me anything I want right now.”
“Ewwwww,” Tully groans. “I don’t want to hear that shit.”
I ignore her behind me and give Noah my best man-eating smile. “You sure about that?”
He scoffs, looking at me as though I haven’t got a clue. “Uhhh…yeah.”
“Why don’t you come over here then?”
Noah narrows his eyes on me, but the intrigue is too much for him to bear and has his feet sailing through the garage door and across the yard towards me. He walks right up to the lamp post and stands directly in front of me, bringing his forearm up and resting it above my head so he can lean into me. “You know,” he murmurs, brushing his lips across mine, “I think I like you like this.”
“Like what?” I question. “Reliant on you?”
“No,” he smiles. “Unable to run away.”
I catch his lips in mine, loving their softness as it’s such a contrast to the rest of his tight body. “I’m not going anywhere,” I say in a whisper, knowing Tully probably doesn’t want to be hearing our lovey dovey crap.
Noah’s lips smile against mine. “You mean, you’re not going anywhere until I manage to fuck it all up.”
I laugh into him. “I don’t think you have the ability to fuck this up.”
Tully scoffs, forcing a grin out of me and a groan from Noah. “Knock it off,” he tells her.
“I’ll knock it off when you cut us free,” she shoots back. “And you better do it fast cause I need to pee.”
“Tough luck,” he chuckles with an evil little smirk, making me thankful that I didn’t grow up with him. I mean, living with Noah as a kid would have been torture. Poor Tully, she probably deserves a medal for all the pranks and stupid shit he would have done to her. It’s a miracle they’re so close.
I nod towards the garage to where his car still sits with the hood wide open, wondering if he’s preparing his car for another race or if there’s something else he’s up to. After all, he still hasn’t let me in on the big secret and it’s really starting to grate on my nerves. Maybe he’s just trying to protect me from the truth, knowing I’m not going to like it, or maybe there’s a different reason altogether. Who knows? “Are you racing again tonight?” I ask, fighting a cringe and hoping for a straight forward answer.
“Yeah, maybe. Haven’t really decided yet.”
Red flags start popping up everywhere and my eyes flick up to meet his. “Why not?” I question, way too on edge.
“Because I’d rather bury myself in you.”
“Ohhh,” I laugh as a wave of relief washes over me. Maybe I jumped the gun by freaking out just now. You know, just a little…or maybe a lot.
“Come on,” Tully gags. “Give me a fucking break.”
I let out a heavy sigh, once again ignoring the girl at my back. “Sounds great, but I doubt that would be happening when I’m taped to a lamp post. I mean, you’re talented, but you’re not that talented.”
Noah’s eyes travel down my body as though he’s deep in thought. “I could cut a hole in the tape. I’ll make it work.”
“You’re gross.”
“And you’re fucking beautiful, but you don’t see me complaining.”
The sound of the front door opening has everyone whipping their heads around to find the twins’ mom, gawking at us from the front porch while Rivers chuckles to himself behind her. “Noah Anthony,” Violet demands, pulling out her ‘mom’ voice which manages to tear a wide-eyed, terror induced gasp out of me despite the fact I’m not the one being yelled at. But then, I guess having Noah as a kid, that’s the kind of thing she’d need to be a pro at. “You told me the girls had gone out.”
My eyes snap to my inked up, liar of a boyfriend. “You lied to Mumma bear? You’re in deep shit now.”
Noah laughs, not terrified of his mother’s beastly roar in the slightest. In fact, I’m sure he probably thinks it’s cute. “Please,” he scoffs. “I’ll get out of this still being her shining star.”
“Suck up,” Tully murmurs.
“Brat,” he shoots back.
Violet huffs, storming forward after the shock of seeing us tapped to the pole wears off. “Both of you morons shut up,” she demands before turning on Rivers, clearly knowing he was in on this too. “Get that damn knife out of your pocket and finally put it to use. I want my girls free in less than thirty seconds, got it?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Rivers grins with a mischievous glint in his eyes, letting us all know he’ll do it in no less than thirty-one seconds.
Rivers steps forward and pulls out a pocket knife, and even though Violet had just said it was there, I still find myself in a little shock. I hadn’t realized he carried a knife around, and while I shouldn’t be surprised about it, I sort of am.
Rivers gets to work freeing us and I don’t miss how damn careful he is cutting the tape and removing it off Tully’s skin. Noah steps forward and gets busy helping to free me while a strange smile pulls across Violet's face. "What?” Noah questions, eyeing her warily as he pulls the tape from my skin, practically waxing my arms in the process. “You only look like that when you want something.”
Violet cringes before letting out a breath, finding some kind of resolve within herself. “Your grandfather called,” she starts, making both Noah and Tully groan, though Violet ignores them and continues. “He’s not doing so well and would like to see you both for dinner.”
“What?” Tully sulks. “When? Not tonight?”
“Yes, tonight.”
“No way,” Noah says. “I have a race tonight.”
“Don’t start me on your racing,” Violet warns. “You’ll have to cancel because I told him you’ll both be there. Your father and I will be going too, so it’s up to you if you’re going to come with a smile on your face or a bad attitude. Either way, both of your frustrating little selves will be there, whether you like it or not.”
“Mom,” Noah and Tully groan in unison.
Violet shakes her head, not giving in to their guilt trips. She turns to Rivers and then to me. “You’re both welcome to come if you’d like,” she looks to Rivers. “Let’s be honest, you probably don’t have much going on,” she flicks her eyes back to me. “and your dad needs to bond with Aria. So, the invitation is all yours.”
I look across to Noah who violently shakes his head, looking horrified. "Don't do it, babe. Save yourself the pain and agony.”
“He couldn’t be that bad?” I question, referring to his grandfather.
“He’s worse,” Tully grumbles.
I look to Violet who simply smiles, not once denying their claims. “I, um…I’ll have to pass. Thanks for inviting me though.”
“My pleasure, sweetheart,” she tells me, looking up at Rivers. “What about you, big shot?”
“I’m with Henley,” he grumbles. “No way in hell I’ll be sitting through another dinner with your dad,” he tells her, then adds as an afterthought. “No offense.”
Violet laughs as she gives Rivers a fond smile. “None taken,” she tells him. “Believe me, if I could get out of it too, then I would. I’m just glad that now I have these two idiots to take the focus off me. Watching them squirm under his scrutiny is always so fulfilling for some reason.”
I can’t help but laugh as she turns on Noah. “Make sure you shower first,” she tells him, indicating towards the grease on his hands. “How is it you always get so dirty?”
With that, she disappears back inside, leaving the boys to help Tully and I get out of these damn sweatpants. “So, what are you going to do?” Tully questions
as she places a hand on the lamp post to steady herself so we can manage it without any fatalities.
Rivers shrugs. “I don’t know. I heard some junior is having a party that some of the Broken Hill kids are planning on crashing. I might head over there and check it out.”
I get smacked with the memory of my phone call with Kaylah over the weekend and wonder if it’s the same party she was planning on going to. I mean, now that I’m apparently not going to the races and Noah and Tully are out for the count, I guess I could tag along. I haven’t seen Kaylah in a little while and it’s great partying with her again, you know, as long as I don’t get myself high this time. “You mind if I come with you?” I ask Rivers, finally freeing my legs from the confines of the sweatpants.
Noah’s eyes bug out of his head as Rivers shrugs his shoulders, not giving a shit who tags along with him. “What? You’re not going to a party without me,” Noah all but roars.
I turn on my overprotective boyfriend. “You bet your sweet ass I am,” I tell him with a grin. “Do I need to remind you that I can handle myself?”
“Do I need to remind you that only a few weeks ago you were jumped by a bunch of bitches?”
“Not fair,” I argue. “I was blindsided. You know perfectly well that I can handle my own.”
He watches me for a long, drawn out second and I wonder if the pissed off vibe shooting from him is aimed at me or if it’s because he’s just missed his chance to race and has been dragged into dinner with his grandfather.
“Fine,” Noah breathes, “but don’t drink. I don’t like the idea of you vulnerable and drunk at a party with guys we don’t know.”
“Do we need to revisit the whole ‘I can handle myself’ thing?”
“Do we need to revisit the whole ‘you accepted a joint from Spencer and got high at the last party’ thing?” he shoots back at me, mimicking my tone.
Damn it, I hate it when he’s right, but I hate the cocky grin that spread across his face when he knows he’s won more. I roll my eyes, not wanting to get into this again. “Fine, you have yourself a deal. I won’t drink.”
Unbelievable: Haven Falls (Book 2) Page 13