by M. A. Foster
“Later.”
“WHAT’S UP, B?” I drawl as I walk into Jay’s house. We exchange a few jabs, which turns into a full-blown sparring match in the middle of the foyer. Playful, of course. I’m not trying to die.
Bass played football in college, defensive lineman, and he’s a beast of a man. If you don’t know him personally, he can be a scary dude. Especially, if you mess with his princess, aka Jay.
Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever heard him call her Jay since I’ve known him. Jay’s the light of his life, the apple of his eye, the stars in his sky—you get the point. And if you so much as look at his princess cross-eyed, Bass will knock your block off.
“Whatcha doing, Cole?” he asks with a breathless laugh.
“You’re getting too old, B. You can’t keep up with this young stuff.” I pat my chest and flex my muscles.
Bass barks out a laugh. “Boy, I take shits bigger than you.” That earns a laugh from me. “You taking Princess to a party?” he asks, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Yeah. She’ll be safe there,” I promise.
“I know.” He grins.
Of course he’ll have people watching over her. I can’t argue with the man. I’d want the same for Willow.
A small smile pulls at the corners of my mouth. “She’s not gonna like it.”
“She won’t even know.” He winks.
“Got it.” I nod. “Is she upstairs?” I ask, wondering if she got my text that I was on my way.
He huffs out a laugh. “Man, she’s been in that closet since ten o’clock this morning.” He spreads his massive arms out to his sides and widens his eyes in disbelief. “It’s like she fell down the rabbit hole.”
With a laugh, I turn and head for the stairs. “I’m going in. If I’m not back in ten minutes, call for backup,” I call over my shoulder. His deep laugh echoes behind me as I take the stairs two at a time.
JAY’S CLOSET DOORS are open, so I’m going to assume she’s dressed. I really hope she is. However, I knock first because if she’s not… I don’t need that in my head. The inside of her closet is ridiculous and looks more like one of those boutiques down at Pelican Cove, complete with a sitting area, a three-way mirror, and a Taylor Swift song blaring from the overhead speakers.
After spending a good minute and a half searching, I find her on the far side of her closet, inside—get this—another closet. What is this shit?
Leaning a shoulder against the doorway, I take a second to watch her fluttering around this room built specifically for her shoes and handbags, singing along with Taylor.
She seems happy to be here.
Or maybe she just really loves this closet.
“Taylor Swift, really?” I ask, feigning disappointment.
“Oh shit!” she screeches, and her sandals go flying in different directions.
I double over, laughing my ass off.
Jay presses a hand to her chest. “You scared me!”
Still laughing, I shake my head as if I’m still disappointed while she gathers her shoes and slides them on.
She gives a slight shrug. “Guilty pleasure.” She winks and smiles. “It’s catchy.”
“It’s all the same shit about putting her exes on blast,” I argue. Leaving out the fact that “Bad Blood” is Willow’s jam.
“Yet guys are still lining up to date her,” Jay argues. “Go figure. Besides, all singer-songwriters write about relationships, sex, love, and broken hearts. People can relate.”
She makes a good point, but my attention has moved on from the Taylor Swift argument, to what she’s wearing. I whistle and shake my head. “Emerson will never let you leave the house wearing that.”
She looks down at her cover-up. Which doesn’t cover shit. “She bought this for me, so I think I’m good.” She stretches up on her tippy toes, reaching for a beach bag, and her barely covered ass peeks out of the bottom. “You said the party is on the beach,” she adds.
I’m sure Emerson did buy it for her with the intention of letting her wear it in California. On their private beach in Malibu. Not for her to wear to a high school party with a bunch of horny teenage boys.
Okay, maybe I’m being a little hypocritical. There will be girls at the party wearing way less, but they’re not my concern. Jay is.
Stepping up behind her, I reach over her head, grab the beach tote from the top shelf, and then hand it to Jay. “Just put some shorts on under it,” I demand. “And hurry up.”
Taking a step back, Jay tilts her head to the side, ready to deliver a smartass comeback. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Jayla King, aka you’re not the boss of me.”
Good one. I snort as she brushes past me, grabbing a pair of denim shorts off the marble countertop and winking as she slips them on under her cover-up.
I roll my eyes. “Let’s go.”
“SO WHAT’S GOING on with you and Zach?” I ask, giving the security guard a quick wave as I steer through the gated entrance of my neighborhood.
“Nothing. Hey, why didn’t the guard stop you? If this were my neighborhood, there’d be a GI Joe hanging off your hood right now. Are all the neighborhoods here gated?”
GI Joe? That has me cracking up. I point to the resident sticker in the bottom left corner of my windshield. “I live in this neighborhood, too,” I tell her. “And yes, they’re all gated. You have GI Joes because you live in the wealthiest neighborhood in this town. There are a lot of important people who live there, and they pay out the ass for security.”
“So, whose party is this?” she asks as I pull into Brad’s driveway and park my Tahoe beside Zach’s Jeep.
“His name is Brad Manning. You’ll like him. Everyone likes the Mannings. And I’ll introduce you to Lexi, Evan’s girlfriend. She’s a trip. I think you two will get along. But just a heads-up, she’s a huge Marcus King fan, and from what I’ve heard she has a little girl crush on the cartoon version of Jaybird.”
“Great,” she mumurs as she opens the passenger door and climbs out. “She’s not gonna follow me to the bathroom and try to take pictures of me or my lady J, is she?” she asks as I round the front of my truck.
“Your what?” Then it hits me. “Oh my God, Jay. Gross—no! I doubt she’ll even recognize you.”
“Roses” drifts from the backyard and Jay sings along, bumping her shoulder and hip against mine, urging me to join in.
So I do.
I love playful Jay.
Like all of Brad’s end-of-summer parties, his backyard is crammed with kids from schools all over. Jay wraps her hand around my bicep as I weave through the crowd, dishing out high-fives, fist bumps, and even smacking a few asses along the way. The curious expressions on their faces are all because I’m Cole Mackenzie and I’ve never shown up at a party with a girl hanging on my arm.
I chuckle to myself as I lean in to Jay’s ear so she can hear me over the noise. “They’re all wondering who the lucky girl is.”
Jay snorts and shakes her head.
“Mackenzie!” Brad calls out from the other side of the pool, and I lead Jay in his direction. “It’s about damn time you got here. Thirty minutes, my ass.” He slugs me in the arm. “That’s for earlier, asshole. This shit still hurts.” He looks down at his chest and I see the purplish colored mark where I popped him with my shirt. Damn, I got him good. “What the hell took you so long? Did you stop by the spa for a bikini wax on the way?” He snickers and Jay bursts out laughing.
Brad looks over at Jay and does a double take, then blinks in confusion or shock, I’m not sure.
Jay lifts her hand, offering a small wave. “Sorry. It’s my fault,” she says. “Wardrobe issues.” She extends her hand to Brad. “I’m Jay.”
His eyebrows almost hit his hairline. “Well shit, you sure are.” What the fuck does that mean? His eyes flick over to me, then back to Jay as he shakes her hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Jay,” Brad says with a wink.
“Really? From who?” I ask, crossing my arms over my che
st. I already know. Just like I confide in Carter about certain things I can’t share with Zach, Zach confides in Brad about things he can’t tell me. He’s obviously told him about Jay.
Brad shrugs. “You?” He’s an even worse liar than Zach.
“I hope it was all good,” Jay jokes.
“Good. Interesting.” Brad smiles and turns to Evan and Lexi. “Would you two give it a rest?”
“This is Evan and Lexi.” I gesture to each in turn. “This is my cousin Ja—”
“Jayla King,” Lexi says, her jaw dropping. Shit. Jay looks over her shoulder and I do the same. Between the chatter and the music, I doubt anyone heard. “Holy shit, what are you doing here?” she shrieks, turning to Evan with pure excitement on her face. “Oh my God! Evan!” She bounces on the balls of her feet like Willow does when she gets excited. “I’m sorry. I’m acting like a crazy fangirl.” She slaps a hand over her mouth.
“I think what she’s trying to say is it’s nice to meet you,” Evan says with a laugh, and Lexi nods frantically.
Jay turns to me. “You said she wouldn’t recognize me.”
“It’s a cartoon,” I defend. “How the fuck was I supposed to know?” I turn to my friends. “She’s Jay Mackenzie, my cousin from California, okay?” The three of them nod in understanding.
The flat expression on Jay’s face tells me she’s ready to bail.
“It’s fine, Jay. They’re my good friends, and they know how to keep a secret. Brad’s parents are good friends with Mimi and Mac. Lexi’s mom is some famous actress or some shit, and Evan’s dad owns the company that provides all the security on the island. You can trust them. I promise.”
Her shoulders relax, so I change the subject. “You want something to drink?”
She nods. “Just water.”
I point to Lexi. “You want a drink? Or a valium?” I tease.
“No, I’m good.” She waves me off.
I make my way up to the bar area and grab two bottled waters from the cooler.
“Hey, Cole Mackenzie, right?” a female voice asks from behind me. I turn around and come face-to-face with a pretty blonde.
I grace her with my charming smile. “That’s me. And you are?”
“Nicole, but my friends call me Nikki.” An image of blue hair flashes in my mind and I groan inwardly. I take in the blonde with her hazel eyes, tan skin, and long legs. She looks like fun. “You went out with my friend Claire.” Or not.
My smile falls and she laughs, waving her hand. “No worries. That was a long time ago.” She looks over her shoulder at Jay and I tense, my defenses kicking in. “Looks like you moved on. Your girlfriend is gorgeous.”
I chuckle. She’s fishing. Girls always want what they can’t have, a fact proven all too often. Normally I wouldn’t indulge, but she looks like fun.
“I’ll be sure to tell my cousin you think so,” I say with a wink as I take a step backward. “See you later?”
She smiles, twirling her hair around her index finger. “Definitely.”
“YOU OKAY, ZACH?” Brad chuckles as he passes him a red Solo cup.
“Not really,” Zach says, taking the cup and pinning me with a look that clearly says he’s ready to kill me. Zach’s about two inches taller than my six feet and thirty pounds heavier. He’s a beast with the strength of an ox, but he’d never come at me. He loves my pretty face too much.
“I guess you saw the goddess,” Brad says, wincing. “I’m sorry. I slipped up. Sort of.”
Zach shoots Brad a pointed look. I know that look. He’s telling him to shut the fuck up. Then he turns his angry gaze on me, and I hold up my hands in defense.
To Brad, I ask, “The what?” The fact that these two dickheads have some special bro-code that involves Jay and clearly I’m not privy to, pisses me off.
Brad gives a slight shake of his head, averting his eyes as he brings his cup to his mouth.
I step closer to Zach. “Don’t get pissed at me. She told me not to say anything.” My gaze moves over his shoulder and I realize we’ve attracted attention. “Let’s go take a walk.” I jerk my head to the side, indicating for him to follow me.
“You guys aren’t gonna fight, are you?” Brad calls out, drawing even more curious glances in our direction.
I shoot Brad an annoyed look before turning away, taking this conversation somewhere more private. Once we’re safely out of earshot, I turn to face Zach. “What is going on between you and Jay?” I ask at the same time he asks, “How long has she been here?”
I go first. “She got in last night. Why?”
“Why didn’t you tell me she was in town when I asked about her earlier?”
“She asked me not to tell you because she wanted to surprise you.” I shrug as if I don’t understand what the big deal is. But I know it’s a big deal to Zach. “I thought you guys were friends.”
“Yeah, well, I thought so, too.” He heaves a frustrated sigh.
Chuckling, I try to make light of the situation. “Why are you so pissed off right now?”
“I’m not pissed off. I’m just…. You should’ve told me she was coming today. She probably thinks I’m the biggest douchebag.”
“Why?”
“Because I was in the bathroom with Piper helping her fix her bathing suit top, and Jay was standing outside the bathroom door when we came out. She probably thinks I was in there hooking up.”
And there’s the opening I’ve been waiting for.
“Why would she care?” I prompt, narrowing my eyes. “You guys hooked up in St. Thomas, didn’t you?”
He nods, bringing his hand to the back of his neck.
“I knew it.” I shove his shoulder. “I’ve been trying to get one of you to admit it but you’re both too fucking stubborn.”
“I’m sorry. You know I would never do anything to hurt her. Everything was good until she went back to California and blew me off.”
I can understand where he’s coming from, since he didn’t know Uncle Marcus was sick or what Jay was going through.
I clasp my hands behind my head. “She didn’t blow you off, Zach. Her dad was dying.”
“I know. But that doesn’t explain why she blocked me from contacting her. Why did she do that? Or was it her parents?”
She blocked him? There has to be more to it. Jay’s not that petty.
“I don’t know. If you had come to me, I could’ve asked her. Look, I get that you’re pissed, and you have a right to be, but you have no idea what she’s been through. They were close. She was by his side until he took his last breath. Imagine what that’s like. She screamed and cried for days.” It was the worst. Tilting my head back, I take a deep breath to compose myself. Just thinking about that day has my heart breaking all over again. “I meant what I said earlier. She took his death really hard, and she’s changed because of it. Her whole life has been flipped upside down and she’s a little fragile right now, so give her a break. I’m not saying you have to be her friend. You don’t even have to talk to her. Just don’t be a dick.”
He presses his lips together. “How long is she here for?”
The corners of my mouth tip up. I can’t help it. “Indefinitely. Oh, and she’s Jay Mackenzie now.”
“She lives here?” His eyes nearly bug out of his skull.
Is he really that pissed that she’s here? “You should’ve talked to me.”
Heaving a sigh, he says, “I wanted to. I was going to tell you when she came for Labor Day weekend, but then she wouldn’t take my calls or answer my texts. And she never showed up, so I figured that was it. It was over, so there was no point in bringing it up. It wasn’t worth ruining our friendship over. Plus I was afraid your family would hate me.”
“That’s bullshit, Zach. We’ve been best friends our whole lives. You don’t think I knew about you two crushing on each other all these years? My whole family knows. Even Uncle Marcus knew.”
“He did?”
I shake my head. “I should punch you in the junk just f
or being an idiot.”
He turns his head in Jay’s direction and clenches his jaw. Following his line of sight, I see Grayson Martinez talking to her.
Zach, understandably, hates Grayson for screwing Reagan, but they never came to blows over it. But Jay? This might be what sends him over the edge.
“You know he’s gonna try to get in her pants,” he growls.
A deep chuckle rumbles from my chest as we start to make our way over to Jay. “Watching you sweat over her will be much more fun than punching you in the junk.”
“You’re such a dick. Why are we friends?”
“Because you love me, Zachy.” I laugh again, smacking him on the back, which he returns with a jab to the arm.
“Grayson, are you hitting on my cousin?” I joke once we reach them, and Grayson smiles.
I shoot him a warning glare. He better not be.
Carter walks up from the beach with a few of our teammates trailing behind him.
“Guys, this is my cousin Jay. Jay, these guys are my teammates”—I point as I name them off—“Dex, Carter, Justin, Derek, and of course, you already know Zach.” Jay seems a bit overwhelmed trying to take in all their names. And because I’m an asshole, I hook my arm around Zach’s neck and add, “Zach was Jay’s first love,” hoping to break up some of the awkward tension.
Biting the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing, I tense, waiting for Jay to deliver one of her manly punches to my bicep. But she surprises me when she says, “Yeah, when I was like six.”
She’s so full of shit.
The smirk on Zach’s face morphs into a frown and I almost feel bad for him. Almost. Whether he meant to or not, he hurt Jay, and I’m going to get it out of her even if I have to pin her down.
Brice Manning, Brad’s older brother, walks up with an annoyed expression on his face and starts bitching about Brad’s ex-girlfriend, Hannah, being at the party.
I open my water and take a sip, tuning out most of the conversation because Brice is always bitching about something, until I hear him say, “Yeah, until she gets drunk and tries to grab my dick.”