by Coralee June
Hook. Line. and Sinker.
"Gavriel's the only one that calls me Sunshine," she said with an adorable giggle that made me want to wrap her up in a hug. It wasn't forced or one of those cheesy laughs girls that wanted attention threw at guys’ feet. It was genuine nervous laughter.
"How'd you get that nickname?" I asked, earning another territorial growl from Gavriel. He kept his gaze between us, eyeing me with concern.
At my question, she burst out into more laughter, going so far as to wipe a tear from the corner of her left eye. I liked the sound of it a little too much. I wanted to hear more of it. "When we first met, I insulted him. So he started calling me a ‘little fucking ray of sunshine,’ " she answered, eyeing Gavriel and elbowing him in the ribs. He rolled his eyes, but that smile was still there. I was too busy trying not to moan at the way her mouth looked as she said “fucking.”
Gorgeous and sassy? Count me in. I opened my mouth to ask what insult she threw Gav's way, but was interrupted by the asshole himself. "Let's go, Sunshine. You've gotta get home soon, right?"
She turned back to Gavriel and brightened at his voice. "Yeah, we better get going. Thanks again for walking me. Can't stand the bus," she said, her voice softer now. It didn't escape me how her eyes zeroed in on the sidewalk at her feet. What put that sad look on her face?
"Well, I'll join you. I'm new here. Could always use some more friends, you know," I added with a wink.
It was about a forty-five minute walk back to our street. When I learned that Sunshine—or Summer—lived next door to the Jamesons’ house, I started imagining what it would be like to crawl through her bedroom window. I flirted relentlessly with her, cracking jokes while Gavriel's scowl seemed to become permanently etched on his face.
"So what do you do for fun? I've been here a week, and it feels like there's nothing to do in this fucking town."
She tucked her dark hair behind her ear, as if wondering how to respond, and I waited patiently for her answer. She was shy—there was no denying that—but not in the conventional way. She still walked like someone that could take on the world if pushed to. She engaged in the conversation, and I recognized the fire beneath her cautious stare and the steel in her step. Her expressions were clear and undeniable. I'd always been good at reading a room, reading people. I could predict a person's actions long before they acted them out. But there was something almost transparent about the way she responded to Gavriel and me. "I don't really do much," she said with a shrug. "My extracurriculars keep me pretty busy."
"What extracurriculars are you involved in?" I asked. Please say cheerleading. I would give my left nut to see her in one of those tight little uniforms, prancing about.
"Uh, debate, ballet, chess club, track, and student council," she listed off, going so far as to tick off each hobby on her fingers, as if she was forgetting one. "I was in tennis but not anymore. Oh! And math club, but I hate it there."
My earlier assumptions were right. She was a chronic overachiever.
"Wow. So when do you have time for fun?" I asked, although what I really wanted to know was if she had time for dates.
"My walks home with Gavriel have been pretty fun," she said with a shy shrug. He looked at her from the corner of his eye but kept walking, neither confirming nor denying that he enjoyed his time with her too. Damn, he needed some lessons on wooing a woman.
We turned down the road towards our street, and I found myself feeling not quite ready to say goodbye. At the end of the street, a group of who I assumed to be our classmates were laughing loudly and shoving one another. One of them, a taller guy with lanky limbs, swatted a girl on the ass while chuckling. She gave him a scowl before stalking off, adjusting her too-short shorts as she walked. Beside me, Summer went rigid and slowed her steps. Did one of these assholes mess with her?
My eyes drifted to Gavriel. He was scowling, but for the first time since meeting him, it wasn't directed towards me. No, that anger was reserved for the asshole loitering down the street. I assumed that he came to the same conclusion as me: this asshole was the reason Summer didn’t like the bus.
We exchanged a glance then, one solidifying look that only those who'd been in foster care understood. It was the recognition that shit was about to go down, and even if I hadn't gotten the chance to know Gav, I knew that our shitty childhoods had bonded us. He'd have my back, and we'd have hers.
"Come on, Sunshine," I said with a smile, placing my hand on her lower back and pressing her forward. I'd also decided in that split moment that I wouldn't let Gavriel hoard the perfect nickname. In that moment, she needed to be strong. So I not so subtly reminded her that she was an unconventional ray of sunshine and sass.
We made our way towards the group, Gavriel and me puffing out our chests like the barbarians we were. They'd started congregating right in front of what I'd assumed was her house. Probably an intentional decision. I saw the intimidation tactic for what it was.
"Look! It's little Miss Perfect," the tallest called out as we walked closer. Was that supposed to be an insult? Or did he, too, realize that she was fucking perfect and completely too good for him? That nickname suited her well, and it didn't set right with me that he was tossing around the truth like it was something to be ashamed of. "You gonna tell your Daddy I'm harassing you again?" he asked, ignoring Gavriel and me as he stalked closer to her. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that she'd grabbed the strap of her backpack tighter, as if preparing to run.
Oh hell no.
I'd seen guys like this. Ma had a line of them outside our front door for more years than I could remember. It’s mostly why I’ve been in and out of the system. "Back the fuck off," Gavriel said, his voice low. I liked his style. Straight to the point.
"Oh, you got a bodyguard now?" the guy asked, laughing over his shoulder at his group of friends. The people around him smiled broadly, enjoying the show down. I didn't consider myself much of a fighter, I was a lover. But I could scrap with the best of them. And guessing by the steam coming off Gavriel, he was more than ready to teach this guy a lesson. Hell, he looked ready to take on the world.
"Lionel, m-my father said if you bother me again, he'll get a restraining order," she said. Although stuttering, I was proud of her for standing up for herself. We would need to work on that delivery though.
"Daddy does everything, right?" He sneered at her, and I flexed my muscles. I took a step forward, but a police cruiser descended the street, making me pause. Beside me, Sunshine let out a curse as the group dispersed.
"I'll see you later, Gavriel," she said while squeezing his hand, and a spike of jealousy swirled in my gut. "Thanks for walking me. It was nice to meet you, Blaise." Her bright smile had me wanting to ask her to come over to the Jamesons’.
"Hey, Dad," she said while stepping away before I could respond. Damn, I usually had it together. Normally, I would have brushed her hair behind her ear, or some other flirty shit that would make her putty in my hands. A man wearing a uniform stepped out of the cruiser with a frown on his face. He looked right at us, and I knew immediately that he'd never be a fan of me. Some people couldn't be charmed. Some people just thought they knew everything. I could practically feel the superiority complex rolling off of him in waves.
This dad could be a problem.
I watched as they went inside, and I turned to head back to the Jamesons’ when Gavriel placed a palm on my chest. "She's off limits, Bennett." I smiled then. So Gavriel had a crush. Cute.
"I'm just making some friends!" I said, throwing up my hands in mock surrender. "Some really fucking gorgeous friends with lips I'd like to see around my co—"
The punch came out of nowhere. And for the love of Sunshine, it hurt. My cheek hit the pavement, scraping my skin. I rolled over on my back while massaging my jaw line. Cheap shot, motherfucker.
I squinted, trying to block the sun from my vision until his silhouette blocked the bright rays from view. He leaned over, staring at me while massaging his fist. "Stay aw
ay from Sunshine."
Fucker.
I couldn't really sleep that night. My room at the Jamesons’ was by far the best of all my foster homes. Probably the best I've had of anything. The bed was plush. They had a maid that kept things clean. I could even rub one out in the privacy of my own room. So why the hell was I lying here in bed, awake, and thinking about a girl I just met?
My door opened and in strolled Gavriel wearing all black and looking evil. "Get up."
Color me curious. "Why?"
"You wanna be in Sunshine's life?"
"Come on, I just met the chick. You're being a little extreme, don't you think?" I feigned indifference. One thing I learned during my stints with foster care—don't get attached. And if you do? Don't let anyone know. The things you want tend to not last, and what does last can be used against you.
"Look, you can stop dicking around and help me kick that prick's ass, or you can sit here. Either way, I'm out."
Gavriel turned around, leaving me alone in this bedroom. This house was nice. Did I really want to go start a fight and risk it? But the temptation to learn more about my foster brother as well as see Sunshine again was too great. Mrs. Jameson said she'd be out late, and Mr. Jameson was fast asleep. They probably wouldn't notice if we'd left.
Fuck it.
I made my way downstairs and outside, where Gavriel was leaning against a tree. He stared down at the ground with a tiny smirk, and it kinda pissed me off that he waited for me. Pretentious much? I looked up at the next door neighbors’ house. The light was on in one of the upstairs bedrooms, and a thin shadow walked by the window, disappearing before I could see if it was her.
"Come on," Gavriel said, drawing my attention back to him. "Lionel and his friends like to get drunk at the bridge. Let's go."
"What's the bridge?" I asked, following after him as he traveled down the road. The crickets outside were chirping, and the air was thick with humidity.
"It's a hangout where shitty humans like to visit. I personally don't understand the appeal, but apparently it's where he is."
The moon was full as we descended Woodbury Lane. Gavriel was wound up tight, twitching and pacing towards this so-called "bridge" like a rabid animal. "So how long have you had the hots for Sunshine?" I asked while following him down a park trail. A faint smell of pot hit my nose, and I smiled when I realized that even if tonight was a bust, maybe I could bum a little fun off of someone.
"I met her when I moved here," he answered. "She's just a friend."
"When did you move here?" I asked.
"About eight months ago."
We continued to walk, but I didn't know what more to talk about. The dude had some serious demons; I didn't expect to have show and tell. I didn't expect much of anything. Expectations were just another thing we foster kids learned not to have. "Well, I'm from Texas, originally," I said, filling the silence. "Ma liked to dance for cash. She also liked men with drinking problems. She liked them more than me, apparently, because everytime she got a new boyfriend, I landed back in the system. That’s how I got here, actually. Because last week, one of them shot her."
Gavriel looked at me from the corner of his eye, and I knew that he was unsure of what to say. I'd always been an oversharer. Honesty was in my blood, that's what Ma used to say. People always felt pressured to share back though. But not Gavriel. He kept is mouth firmly shut. "I'll admit, Chesterbrook might be the nicest place I've ever lived in. The houses are nice. Mr. and Mrs. Jameson seem okay. Not too shabby."
"It’s alright," Gavriel said. In the distance, shouts and loud laughter could be heard. Gavriel left the paved trail to crouch behind a large oak tree, and I followed suit. For all my talk of observing people, I still hadn't quite figured him out. Of course there was talk. I'd learned on my first day that he was the son of a mob boss. His little Bullet Boy fairy tale had me rolling my eyes, but the chicks liked it.
He had that mysterious, scary asshole persona. Within my first hour at the Jamesons’, he made it clear that he cared about one person and one person only—him. So why was he sneaking out in the middle of the night to teach a bully a lesson? I think this Sunshine chick was under his skin. If I wanted to learn his secrets, I’d have to get to know her.
Not that I was complaining. I'd like to get rid of the smirk on that asshole Lionel's face. Long after Sunshine disappeared into her house, I'd found myself wondering about that dynamic. Was Lionel the reason she didn't ride the bus? Or did she just enjoy walking with Gavriel?
I needed to get a car. A sexy car.
"Do you know how to fight?" Gavriel asked. I scoffed. Every foster kid in existence knew how to fight. I let him get a cheap shot off me earlier, but I could defend myself. I didn't like it, but I could throw down in a pinch. I think seeing men punch my mom all my life made me a bit of a pussy. But I wasn't dumb. Violence was all about motive.
"Yeah."
"You sure? You didn't even try to block me earlier," he replied. I heard the amusement in his voice. And even though the only thing illuminating the woods was moonlight, I knew he was smiling within the dark shadows.
"I let you hit me. I just was helping your sensitive ego," I replied with a smirk.
Gavriel shook his head then peered over the bushes. I shifted to get a better look, rustling the leaves and making him sigh at my noisiness. "Could you stop?" he whispered.
"They're too drunk to notice," I replied, ignoring his angry tone. I almost wished we'd brought Sunshine. At least with her around, he pretended to be a polite member of society.
"Three of them. You ready?" he asked.
"After you," I said in a cocky tone while tossing him a smile.
When we emerged from the bushes like motherfucking badasses, they didn't even flinch, ruining our entrance. Where was their sense of theater? "Hey, guys? Is this where all the people who peak in high school hang out?" I called out with a smirk. Gavriel once again let out a huff.
"You're the new bastard kid the Jamesons took in, right?" Lionel asked while standing up. He had been leaning over the bridge overlooking a river, dropping empty bottles of beer over the edge.
"Littering is bad for the environment," I said with a small smile. I couldn't help it, I liked to rev people up a bit. Lionel gave me a pointed stare before tossing another bottle over the edge.
"Oops."
"What did you do to Summer Bright?" Gavriel asked, stealing my thunder. "She hasn't taken the bus in three weeks."
Lionel laughed then, his crooked teeth shining in the moonlight. Behind him, his friends stumbled forward. One was short with a round stomach, puffy cheeks and blue eyes. The other was built like a truck with a glazed-over expression. They looked high as hell.
There were pros and cons to fighting a drunk. Their reaction times were slow, so they couldn't dodge your attacks as well. But they also were numbed to the pain. Your kicks and punches didn't do much.
"I was just messing with her. She overreacted." I watched as Gavriel slowly made his way down a rocky path towards the bridge. Broken glass crunched beneath his feet as I breathed in the herbal smell of their weed. "She doesn't like to be touched. Her prick of a father called the school. Asshat. I bet he doesn't give two shits about his daughter. He was more concerned that it would make him look bad. Can't protect the town if you can't protect your own."
Interesting. So the dad wasn't overprotective? Just image conscious. Maybe my chances of spending time with Sunshine were salvageable after all.
"Well, he might not care, but I sure as fuck do. You'll stay away from her. And you're gonna start walking home from now on so she can ride the bus." Gav eased his way closer to Lionel, and I followed after him.
"Or what?" Lionel replied, his stupid lips curling.
Thankfully, Gavriel ended the ridiculous banter with a punch to the face. It knocked him flat on his ass. The idiot didn't even use his hands to break his fall. Fuck, was that what I looked like when he punched me earlier? I seriously needed to start working out.
&
nbsp; The muscular guy took a swing at Gavriel, so I went up to intercept his punch. I grabbed his arm, pulling back before it could connect with the back of Gavriel's head. "You fight like a pussy," I said with a grin, releasing his arm as the short and pudgy friend helped up Lionel.
Once he was firmly on his feet, the real fight started. Lionel swung at Gavriel and missed, but his short, stubby friend didn't. He was so short that he barely met Gavriel's chest, and his first hit was even lower. Ouch.
I leaned forward and grabbed him by the hair before thrusting my knee in his face. The crunch of bone made me cringe. "Damn, man, I bet that's broken," I said while taking a step back. Lionel kicked Gavriel in the stomach, so I stormed forward and punched the lanky asshole in the jaw.
But unlike Gavriel's hit, he barely faltered. That's it, I'm going to work out more.
The punch he returned was expected; the alcohol had slowed his system, but it didn't make it any less painful. I'd definitely have a black eye in the morning. The guy not bent over crying on the floor and holding his broken nose picked up a bottle. I watched in slow motion as he hit it against the metal bridge, shards going everywhere. The biggest piece remained firmly clasped in his hand.
I assumed that he intended to stab me with it, but he was too late. Gav had zero fear. He was upright and sprinting towards him before I could even contemplate running. When his hands connected with the guy's chest, it sent him over the edge of the bridge and to the river below.
We both spun around to stare at Lionel, who was staring at us in shock. "You fuckers are weird," he said with a grunt. Gavriel started running past me and lunged at him again. I watched alongside the guy with the broken nose. Gavriel was powerful. Each swing packed a punch, and Lionel was bloodied and bruised within a minute.