Almost Perfect

by Doyle, Dawn

  Cash groaned in frustration. “Fuck, dude, what the hell did she say this time?”

  I crossed my ankles and bounced my bare feet up and down over the cushioned arm, the thick filling supporting my legs. “This was all me, bro. She met Willow.”

  “So?” Cash asked. “Why’s that a problem?”

  “She thought Willow was my girlfriend,” I replied. I explained that it was only recently that I suspected she might not have been fully aware of who Willow was to me.

  Cash spurted loudly down the phone. “Ew, why the fuck would she think your sister was…?” There was a beat before he spoke again. “Oh, yeah, that could be it.”

  “And you’re going to tell me what the fuck it is, Cash, because for some reason, she thinks I’ve been cheating on a girlfriend I never had for the over three fucking years!” I scrambled my brain, trying to think why the fuck Kaia would even think that to begin with. “And thought that it was my sister!” The lost years because of it.

  What lost years? She never wanted you.

  “Uh, do you know the night you kicked Chan’s ass back in high school?” he asked, his tone hesitant. “At the party, when the girls and I left early?”

  I couldn’t forget it if I fucking tried. Kaia’s soft moans when I kissed her, her grip on my hair, tugging me closer, my dick harder than it’d ever been in my goddamn life, and I hadn’t even gotten my hands on her.

  “Yeah, of course,” I replied, coughing away the dryness in my throat.

  “Daria might’ve told her she suspected Chan had tried it on with your girl.”

  “She did what?” I ground out, and shot up from my lazy position so fast the room spun a little as I stood.

  “In all fairness, dude, it was his M.O. You wouldn’t tell us why you attacked him, he wasn’t saying shit, and Dar’s his cousin so she assumed that was the reason. I knew you weren’t seeing anybody, but Daria wouldn’t have it. You wouldn’t say, didn’t want to talk about it, so I left it alone when it seemed to be forgotten about.”

  I moved my phone away from my ear to press the heels of my palms to my closed eyes, the movement making the cut over my brow sting like fuck. I walked in a circle and took deep breaths, but that calming technique didn’t work. I was fucking wound up, a coil ready to strike, and no matter how much I controlled my breathing, I couldn’t get Kaia’s face out of my head. The disgusted snarl, the judging glare… All this fucking time!

  I put the phone back to my ear. “Cash,” I said calmly, and walked to my bedroom. “The reason I hit Chan wasn’t for that.”

  “Then why?”

  “Because he ragged me about Willow,” I replied. “He said she was looking fine, and he’d be ready and waiting the second she was legal.” The sick fuck made those comments when my sister was fourteen years old and a Freshman at her high school—a different one to ours.

  “Are you shitting me? Why the fuck didn’t you say anything? I would’ve fucked him up too.”

  “That wasn’t just it.” I hadn’t told anybody—I’d let them think what the fuck they liked. But, right at that moment, it was fucking eating me alive. Cash was my best friend, and I hadn’t spilled a thing even to him about it; I hadn’t wanted that shit getting back to Daria. “If I tell you, you better keep it to your fucking self,” I threatened. I trusted Cash with my life, but when it came to his girl, he sprung a fucking leak.

  “Yeah, Maddoc, I will. But, dude, you have to tell me because you’re sounding fucking irate right about now. And when that happens, things usually go bang.”

  “Fuck,” I whispered, curling my fist. I took a few breaths to think about how I was going to tell him, to tell him in such a way that even if he spilled just a little, the fallout could be handled. “It was because of Kaia.”

  Wow, great job, buddy. That wasn’t slick at all.

  “What about her?” he asked. There was a rustling in the background, a door closing, and all other noises silencing. “She left with us before that.”

  “Chan saw me coming out of the closet.”

  Cash blew out a breath, the force making a crackling sound in my ear. “Refresh my memory because that doesn’t make sense. Are you saying you like cock?”

  “Dude, of course I’m not!” I said, incredulously. “I’m talking about an actual closet, you fucking moron. The same place Kaia hid from Chan.”

  “I’m just fucking with ya,” he said, laughing his ass off. “So what about this closet?”

  “I was in there already, finishing a call to Willow when Kaia walked in and closed the door. Man, do I really have to explain this step by step?” He was a dumb fuck sometimes, and getting this out was painful enough without having to skirt around the bullshit to get there.

  A loud crunch sounded, causing me to pull the phone away a little.“Did you fuck in there?” he asked, chewing down my fucking ear.

  “No!” I yelled. “Fuck, Cash, why is that the first thing you assume?” I dropped down on the edge of my bed and rested my head in my hand, massaging it with my fingertips. “She hid there until the lights turned on, and when she left, I snuck out. I saw her talking to you and Daria. I thought I got out clear, but Chan saw the whole fucking thing.”

  “And he said you fucked her.”

  I nodded and fell back, needing to lie down. “After you left, he pulled me to one side and told me. He got in my face, saying he’d told all of us that she was off limits, and I’d fucked it up for him. The things he said about her were gross, man. He asked if she’d given it up to me easily, or if she was as frigid as she looked. He wanted to know if her pussy tasted like a ripe cherry…” I had to fucking stop there. My head was about to explode, and my phone was close to getting crushed in my hand. My already tense muscles tightened further the longer I talked about it. I lifted my hand and studied the scar there, the only reminder I had. “I lost it. I fucking lost it and beat the hell out of him.” I paused, Kaia’s comments coming back—about my girl.

  “Mhm. And so, Anton… Why did you scare the shit out of him?” he asked before I could dwell on them.

  “Uh, cos he’s a fucking creep and a potential stalker,” I replied, more like a question. “Case and point, bro. Fucker went to Riley’s, just like he’d planned.”

  “And Trent—”

  “What about him?” I snapped, but it was clear where this was going; he’d been right next to me when shit went down, heard Trent goading me, making comments…

  Cash whistled, and from the sounds coming from his end, he was walking up or down some stairs. “That’s… Wow. So, how long have you had it bad for Kaia? I’m guessing it’s been a while.”

  I bolted upright, the speed knocking over my case. “Excuse me?” I yanked it back on the bed and unzipped it, flinging open the cover.

  Cash clicked his tongue. “Deny it again all you want, my friend, but no guy, no normal guy, reacts this way for a girl they’re not interested in.”

  An indignant huff left my mouth as Cash continued to spout off bullshit, the likes that would usually come from me, and with great delight. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” My heart leaped into my throat, my pulse increasing as I tried to swallow it back down, but the lump wouldn’t fucking budge. My eyes dropped to my belongings, the clothes folded in a way I hadn’t left them, and not in the same order. Even my boxers were out of place. My lips curled as I thought about Kaia going through my stuff. I was guilty, too, sure, but this was interesting to say the least.

  “Yeah,” Cash drew out, sarcasm dripping from his tone like an overly horny cock. “Sure, whatever you say.”

  “I’m serious, Cash. Kaia despises me—she said it herself.” My brows drew together the second I finished that sentence, and my head dropped toward my chest. I clenched my jaw once, then continued. “And bugging the shit out of her brightens my day,” I finished, not believing my own words for a damn second. “Would I do that if I had feelings for her?”

  “Okay, so if Kaia gets wasted again, and you find yourself carrying he
r from your car, make sure you don’t smell her hair or stare at her like a dickhead, okay? It might give the wrong impression.”

  I screwed my eyes shut and ground my jaw as I pulled my phone away from my ear, counting to five, and breathing in a long, slow breath. “Sure,” I gritted out between my teeth. “And if you catch me doing that, you have permission to slap me.”

  “How did I get out here, and why are you carrying me?” Kaia slurred, her lids cracking a little to look up at me.

  “Because you can’t,” I replied with a laugh. “You’re wasted, and I won’t let you fall and hurt yourself.” I stared down at her as I walked from my truck to her building. Before I could stop myself, I lowered my nose to her hair and inhaled the familiar scent of violets.

  “Well, aren’t you sweet?” she snipped, her tone venomous, and I wanted to dump her ass right there. I would have if her fingers touching the back of my neck hadn’t caught me off-guard. While she made circles over my skin, her eyes opened wider, trying to focus on mine. “You have beautiful eyes, ya know?”

  My lips tightened as I held back a confused laugh. “Uh, thank you?” Surely she knew it was me carrying her? She had to.

  “We’re home,” Daria sing-songed as she held Cash’s hand. She pulled her keys out of her small, black purse, and opened the door. “Kaia’s room is there. I’ll put my things away and then see to her.”

  I walked into the room Daria had pointed to, leaving the light off so I didn’t disturb the sleeping munchkin in my arms. A double bed was pushed against the wall on the right, the pink covers slightly ruffled. I tilted down one side, and managed to grip the corner without letting go of Kaia, and pulled them back.

  Kaia moaned. “Wow, you smell really good,” she whispered. “I could sell that on eBay and make a fortune.”

  I froze, my eyes snapping to hers, but they were closed. Her soft snores indicated she’d fallen asleep again, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Even in the dark, I could see the light flush to her high cheeks, the shadows cast under her coated lashes, the last remainder of gloss on her full lips… “Uh, sure.” Was I losing it, or did Kaia pay me another compliment? Fuck, she had to think I was somebody else because she sure as shit would rather eat her own foot than say something nice to me. Ever since that night, she’d either avoided me like the plague, or was so hostile I wondered if I’d done something wrong.

  I lowered her to the mattress, and gently removed her arms from around me. “You’ll rethink that in the morning, cupcake,” I whispered.

  “I won’t,” she breathed.

  “And twist your nipples,” Cash said, pulling me out of my memory.

  “You go anywhere near my nipples, and I swear to fucking God I’ll tell Daria you have a three-year plan that includes a ring, a white dress, and a two-week vacation in Mexico. And I’m not talking a drag retreat.”

  “You wouldn’t fucking dare.”

  “If your fingers even go in the vicinity of my tiny tittie buds, I’ll squeal like a pig.”

  “And if you open your mouth to my woman, I’ll tell Kaia that you stare at her from across the hall right where we can see you. You know, we can only keep so much quiet, but when you’re openly gawking, it’s hard to keep it a secret.”

  “He fucking told you already,” I gritted out, now guessing where Bobby had gotten his info. Fucking Channing.

  “Kinda, yeah.”

  I scrubbed my hand roughly down my face to calm myself. “Does Daria know?”

  “She saw you staring at her and has her own theories, but if you speak one word of my plans, it’ll be me that’ll spill all the details. There’ll be no escaping for you.” He laughed, then stopped when the creak of a door sounded. “Dar’s here,” he whispered. “I’ll see you when you get back. Later, man.” The phone beeped for the end of the call.

  “Shit!”

  “We’re going to be late,” Willow said, her voice soft and quiet as she checked her device. “If you don’t hurry up, the lot will get too full.”

  “Coming,” I replied, and got my pathetic ass off my bed.

  “I’ve waited so long for this, I can’t wait!” Willow squealed as she signed excitedly. “The Roosters are finally here!”

  Yes, they certainly were, and two of their star players happened to have a special guest tonight. I just hoped I got my shit together.

  Kaia

  I watched the twins skate around the ice with their team, smiling to the crowd as they were cheered, their names chanted loudly. Their behavior was infamous; their antics on the ice legendary. The pair had racked up at least twenty penalty minutes each, the highest recorded in the league so far, and if they were to put another foot, or skate, wrong this season, they could see themselves banned.

  “God, don’t they look amazing out there?” my mom gushed, her gloved hands crossed over her chest. The yellow and black matched the team colors, while my dad’s scarf and beanie hat were his additions to their matching shirts.

  I was the rebel, as always. Covered in a thick parka jacket, my chin tucked inside the collar, I looked like an ordinary member of the crowd, unlike my cheering parents. Their smiles were wide, their cheeks already rosy from the cold, and they waved like crazy people while my brothers zipped past, banging on the plexiglass with every lap. I closed my eyes when they made their final pass, slowing down, but not for the benches, which were opposite us in the other side of the rink. Oh, no, they were fixed on me, and I cringed, awaiting the recognition I didn’t want.

  “Yo, Kaia!” Daryl yelled.

  “Baby sister!” Sean added.

  Laughter broke out around the place and I forced my eyes open, horror widening them as I looked up to see my face plastered over the jumbo screens, the square placement displaying my reddening face around the entire arena. The same thing they’d done to me when I was in high school, the last game I’d attended.

  “Assholes,” I bit out.

  “Kaia, language,” my mom admonished through her laughter. “They’re just having fun.”

  “At my expense,” I fired back at her. God, I was so sick of it. “Now do you understand why I hate coming to their games? I’m counting down the minutes until—”

  “Ladies and gentlemen, we have some special guests here tonight,” the voice said over the loudspeakers before I could finish, doing exactly what I feared. “Give it up for Steve Levine, forward for the Jackson Jerseys before his retirement.” The spectators whooped and cheered, their raucous applause and wolf whistles growing louder when my dad stood to wave. He’d kept himself in shape after retiring, and was a ‘daddy’ according to the internet thirst tweets Daria had told me about. Some things about your parents you just didn’t want, or need, to hear. “And Eloise Levine, world champion figure skater and four-time olympic gold medalist.” My mom stood and waved, too, blushing as she always did, and blew kisses to the camera. When it zoomed on me, I put my hand over my face, and just as I feared, that got an abundance of laughs and snickers yet again.

  Fuck my life.

  I needed cheering up, something to make me smile, and I put my hand in my pocket to feel for the soft red ball. For something so small and insignificant, it’s ridiculousness made me giggle, especially when I was crabby. My frown was hilarious behind the red ball on my nose, and I found my forehead smoothing out as my mood lightened. Just having it in my pocket helped, knowing it was there.

  Huh, who’d have thought Maddoc’s silly gift worked wonders?

  My phone beeped in my pocket, and I pulled it out, grateful for the chance to ignore what was going on around me. My stomach flip-flopped when I saw it was from the guy himself.

  ‘Wow, and I thought I was bad. You look great on the screen, by the way. I could feel the heat from your face all the way over here. Toasty.’

  My thumbs worked over the screen, typing my reply quickly. ‘I’m glad I can amuse you some more, but I doubt there’ll be anything else worth watching, so you can change your channel now.’

  A message came
back right away.’ Oh, no, cupcake. I can’t change the channel. I’m here, too.’

  My heart leaped into my throat. ‘Where?’ I spun in my seat, checking the crowd for Maddoc’s face grinning at me.

  ‘Behind you, and look up.’

  So I did. The second I spotted him on the top row, sitting next to Willow, he looked down at his hands. His green hood was pulled up over his head, and the protruding peak of his white baseball cap covered most of his face, hiding his injuries as his chin dipped.

  ‘No date accompanying you tonight?’

  I typed back furiously. ‘No date accompanying you?” I shouldn’t have asked that; I didn’t want to know the answer if he did.

  His head lifted the tiniest bit, giving me a small glimpse of his devastatingly beautiful face. ‘No, cupcake. I think we need to have a little discussion about the predicament we’re in. I don’t like being accused of something I haven’t done.’

  “Is everything okay, honey?” my mom asked, placing her hand on my forearm.

  When I looked at her, I saw her attempt to see what was on my screen. “Yeah, everything’s fine,” I lied, pressing the button on the side to lock it.

  “Then why do you look like you’re about to explode?”

  “What’s up?” my dad asked, leaning forward. “Baby girl, is something wrong?”

  I held my hand out, gesturing to the screens above and center of the ice. “That was unnecessary,” I replied.

  My mom chuckled and pulled me into her side. “Oh, honey, they mean no harm.”

  When I was about to grumble, yet again, my phone beeped, just as the players skated into their positions, ready for the whistle.

  ‘Hey, we need to get this shit sorted out.’

  ‘And you seriously think this is the best time to do that?’ Was he insane? There were almost fifteen thousand people in the arena, and he wanted to talk to me? Not to mention the two biggest reasons only on the other side of the boards.