"All the transplants are from California."
"I didn't come here meaning to stay for six seasons," he said.
Paige's purple pompadour glowed in the neon lights of the bar. "Then why did you?"
"I came here for a girl."
Zeke slapped him on the shoulder. "Isn't Sugar sweet?"
Sugar shrugged away from him.
"And where is she?" Paige asked, attempting her best flirtatious smile.
"Not here," Sugar said, leaning toward her.
"Is there no waitress tonight?" Finley said, annoyed. It was then that I saw it, the truth behind the flash of anger in her eyes. She hadn't forgiven me and definitely not Sterling. She was going to flirt with the hotshot I'd mentioned to punish us both.
Tyler stood up, heading to the bar. "I got it."
I listened to Finley and Sterling chat for a while, at the same time trying not to eavesdrop on Zeke and Sugar. Sugar was complaining about a girl, and then Zeke mentioned another Maddox.
"Tyler has a brother?" I asked.
"Four of them," Zeke said.
"Can you imagine five Tylers running around?" I teased.
"I don't have to," Zeke said. "I've seen it in real life, and it's fucking scary."
I shook my head. "Their poor mother. I would kill myself."
Zeke shifted in his chair. "She passed away when they were little."
I put my head in my hands, looking down. "Fuck. That's terrible. I'm sorry," I said, glad Tyler wasn't around to see me stick my foot so far into my mouth.
"It's okay," Zeke said. "You didn't know."
Tyler returned with a tray of shots and passed them around. He held up his glass.
"To good friends and beautiful women," Tyler said. We held up our glasses, almost appreciative of his sweet toast. Then he added, "Sucking my dick." His friends laughed, and we shook our heads, but everyone tossed back the whiskey.
Tyler stood to get another round, and Paige leaned in toward Sugar. "What the hell was that? Why is he acting like a douchebag all of a sudden?"
Sugar glanced at Finley from under his lashes. "Sisters are complicated."
Tyler sat back down in his seat, carefully lowering the tray to the table.
"What is that one?" Finley asked, touching Tyler's arm.
Sugar made a face. "Guess it didn't work."
Paige turned to me. "Is he being an asshole to run your sister off?"
"I'm not sure," I said, watching him watch me.
He returned his attention to Finley and turned his wrist, allowing her to examine the arrow just above his elbow. "That would be Taylor's choice."
"Your girlfriend?" Finley asked.
Tyler and Zeke laughed.
"No," Tyler said. "Taylor is my brother."
"Taylor and Tyler. That's adorable," Finley said, keeping her fingers on his arm.
"Apparently there are three more," I said.
Finley turned her attention to me, wondering how I knew Tyler's personal business. I pointed to Zeke, and she smiled, continuing to brush Tyler's arm. "Are we talking five of you?" she asked. "Is that how you learned to fight?"
"Oh," Tyler said, looking suddenly uncomfortable. "You heard about that."
"Is it?"
"Mostly."
"Have you ever fought over a girl?" she asked.
I was beginning to feel sorry for her. Finley was trying so hard to make Sterling and me jealous that she was looking like quite the desperate tourist girl.
"No," Tyler said. "Never."
"I don't believe it. Surely, at least once, more than one of you has been attracted to the same girl?" Finley asked.
Tyler shifted in his seat. "None of us have ever traded blows over something like that. It helps that we're attracted to completely different types. Most of us, anyway."
"What is your type? Blonde? Rich? Nympho?" Finley asked, leaning in.
I cringed. "Fin..."
Sterling stood. "I think I'll call it a night."
"No," Finley whined, reaching for him. "Don't be silly. We just got here."
Sterling tossed a few large bills on the table that would easily cover everyone's drinks and more, and headed for the door. Finley frowned but followed him.
Tyler watched me for a few seconds, and then leaned in with his elbow on the table. "Are you going, too?"
I lifted my shot and took a gulp, shaking my head. "She'll be back. He won't."
"How do you know?" he asked.
"We've been friends for a long time."
Zeke laughed behind his hand, trying to look everywhere but at me.
I raised an eyebrow. "Something's funny?"
He cleared his throat, sitting up a bit taller. "Nothin'. You're just an odd trio. Is he with her? She's stayin' with you?" He scratched his five o'clock shadow, waiting for me to answer.
"She's my sister. Do you guys ever work?" I asked. "All I see is you partying, fucking, and driving around the company car."
Tyler ordered another round for the table. "It's a company truck. And yes, we work our asses off. It's just been slow. We work for the city in off-season."
Sugar raised his glass to Tyler. "Indeed we do. Saved this town more than once."
I held my glass high. "To fighting fires or whatever!"
"Fight fires or whatever?" Tyler said, sounding offended.
I laughed once. "Oh, please. You chose the job. It's not like everyone is obligated to worship you for it."
"Wow, okay," Tyler said, standing. He gripped the back of his chair, the muscles in his forearm tensing below the hem of his Henley sleeve. He adjusted the worn, braided leather bracelets on his right wrist, his nails uneven and his knuckles thick from him cracking them like he'd done twice since Paige had led us to their table. I wanted those fingers inside me, his forearm tensing while he gripped my hips. I wanted something that hadn't occurred to me before--a repeat.
"Easy, Maddox," Zeke said. "She's not wrong."
"Oh, she's wrong. She's all kinds of wrong."
I winked at Zeke. "What are you doing after this?"
Zeke looked around and then pointed to his chest. "Me?"
"Yes. The flannel shirt is doing it for me. I'm loving the lumbersexual thing you've got going on."
Zeke chuckled, and then held his fist up to his mouth, choking on his own spit when he realized I was serious.
Tyler's chair fell forward, propped against the table when he shoved it away from him before walking to the bar. He leaned on the bar with his elbow, chatting with the bartender, Annie. She cackled and shook her head, batting her eyes like Tyler needed.
"I don't know what's going on between you two," Zeke said. "But don't put me in the middle of it."
"Wise man," Sugar said, slapping Zeke on the shoulder.
"Fine," I said, turning to Paige. "What are you doing later?"
"You?" she said with a wicked smile. She didn't mind being plan B, or even plan C.
I smiled. "Good answer."
Zeke's chin lifted, staring at someone tall behind me.
"Hey, Todd. I thought you weren't allowed in here anymore?" Zeke asked.
Todd shifted his weight from one foot to the other, sporting a yellowing splotch on his cheekbone. "Maddox has been kicked out of here more times than I have. Yet you're here with him."
Zeke nodded. "You're right. I don't know why I keep doing this to myself."
Sugar patted his friend on the back. "We should go."
Todd leaned down, touching his temple to mine. I was more curious than offended, so I waited, unmoving.
Sugar leaned forward, waiting to pounce. His navy-blue button-down hid the monster beneath. He was a brick wall, maybe even more than Tyler, and just as tall. They both had a buzz cut, but Sugar was less unleashed bull dog, and more trained soldier.
"Maybe we'll join you," Todd said, turning to look at me. He smiled, far too close to my face, but I didn't recoil. He was reckless, and I needed to be in the front row to witness whatever happened next.
&nb
sp; "Todd," Sugar warned, "Maddox's been drinking."
"So have I," Todd said, smiling at me. "What's your name, beautiful?"
"That's it," I said, mirroring his expression. "That's my name."
"Beautiful?" he asked, amused.
"Mercer," Tyler said, his voice booming over the music. He stood close behind Todd, taunting him with the lack of personal space he offered.
Sugar stood up. "We're leaving, Maddox."
One side of Tyler's mouth turned up, but he didn't take his eyes away from Todd's. "Not with all these pretty girls just getting here."
Paige touched my hand and I squeezed, not because I was afraid, but because the spike in testosterone was making my lady parts cry out in the best kind of pain.
Zeke stood up, too, and the bartenders took notice.
Todd and Tyler stared each other down for a solid twenty seconds until Todd finally spoke. "I'm curious."
"I'm sure I can answer," Tyler said.
"If you're worth a fuck without your brother around."
Tyler's eyes sparked with excitement. "Don't just get my hopes up, Mercer. Swing or shut the fuck up."
Without thinking, I stood between them, looking up. "Why do guys do that? Why do they call each other by their last names? Is saying the first name a pussy thing to do? Is it too intimate?"
Sugar reached out for me. "C'mere, Ellie."
My face twisted. "They're not going to do anything."
"We're not?" Todd asked, unsure if he should be insulted or relieved.
I touched his shoulders, reaching up on the balls of my feet to softly kiss his cheek. "You'll thank me later." I lifted my knee, sinking it deep into his groin. He doubled over, and then fell forward in the fetal position while everyone stood around in shock.
"Hey! Get the fuck outta here!" Annie yelled.
Tyler grabbed my hand and rushed out, pushing through the door and running down the alley, and then down the street. Our shoes crunched through the snow as we cut through a light flurry. Tyler didn't stop until we reached his white crew cab Dodge truck, his friends close behind.
He pressed his key fob and looked down at me with a surprised grin, his breath visible in the cold night air. He nodded toward the truck as two doors on the passenger side opened and then slammed shut. "Get in. I'm going to take them home, and then--"
"And then what?"
He shrugged. "I'll take you home."
I shoved my hands in my coat pocket and shook my head. "Nah. I have to go back and wait for Fin."
"She's with Sterling."
"We sort of left Paige back there, too."
"Why did you do that?" Tyler asked. "I've never seen a girl do that--ever. Well, maybe once in middle school, but never with so much enjoyment."
"The bruise on his face. Is that from you?"
He nodded. "Two weeks ago. Bar brawl. It was brutal."
"But no bruises on you."
He shrugged. "I don't like getting hit, so I don't."
"No one does."
"But I don't."
"How is that? Are you trained or something?"
"Sort of. I have four brothers."
"I thought you said you didn't fight?"
"Not over girls."
"Are they all like you? Your brothers?"
He shrugged again. "Pretty much."
"Explains a lot."
He took a step toward me with the same look in his eyes he'd had at the bottom of my stairs. "You didn't have to do that. I had it handled."
"I didn't do it for you. I did it for him."
"Because you knew I'd kill him?"
I breathed out a laugh and then licked my lips when I saw him pull out a cigarette. "I'll take one of those."
Tyler held his cigarette between his lips while he lit mine, cupping the lighter as he puffed on his own. We exhaled at the same time, and I felt my body begin to shake.
"Come home with me," Tyler said.
I shook my head. "I'm taking Paige home. She was into Sugar. Now she's back there, sitting alone, feeling deficient when she's really the most beautiful thing to ever grace that shit hole."
"Not the most beautiful," he mumbled, looking away. When I didn't respond, he turned to meet my gaze. "I wanna take you home."
"I'm in the mood for something soft tonight."
He leaned down, kissing my lips once. "I can do soft."
I breathed him in, feeling my thighs tense. "Not like we can."
He slid his fingers behind my neck, backing me against his door, and then pressed his lips against mine, tasting me like he had the first night, with a yearning that made all reason melt with the rest of me.
He pulled away, brushing his thumb across my bottom lip. "Fuck Paige."
"I intend to," I said, walking backward a few steps before turning around.
Tyler puffed, and then I heard his door open and close and the engine fire up. I crossed the street and returned to Turk's. Paige was standing outside in the snow-lined alley, smoking, looking relieved to see me.
"You came back," she said.
My phone buzzed, and the display lit up. I recognized Finley's magazine-worthy selfie and frowned.
On my way. Marco will drive us.
I growled, shoving my phone back into my back pocket.
"Bad news?" Paige asked.
"It's just ... the girl I was with, my sister, Finley. She has an assistant, and she's with him now. They're coming to get us."
"Us?"
My face softened. "Yeah. You have plans for the next three hours? Or until morning?"
Paige swallowed and then smiled, shaking her head. She had such a sweet face. The death of her innocence was still fresh, and I could tell that she still liked to pretend it existed.
Headlights beamed into our eyes, and we both held up our hands. "The fuck, Marco? Turn off the brights!"
"I'm sorry!" he called from the driver seat.
The lights dimmed, and I held out my hand to Paige. "This is not happy ever after. It's just tonight."
She hooked my fingers with hers and nodded, following me to Marco's rental.
"Hi," Finley said as we settled into the backseat. Her lipstick and mascara were smeared.
I recoiled. "Ew, what happened to you? Please don't tell me you guilt-sucked Marco."
Finley's smile faded, and she turned around. "Take us home."
"Yes, Miss Edson."
CHAPTER FOUR
Finley waddled into my room, swathed in a plush white robe, holding a box wrapped in thick white paper and a bright teal bow. She flipped on the light and recoiled. The smeared mascara was gone and she looked like her usual gorgeous self, sans the makeup she didn't need anyway.
She noted Paige naked and prone in my bed, and then joined me on the bench next to the windowsill.
She handed me the box and leaned against the wall. "Open it."
I did as she asked, pulling at the fussy ribbon and paper, finally getting to the cardboard lid. Inside was another cardboard box. I lifted it, seeing a picture of a camera on the side. "What's this?"
"Not the most expensive camera for beginners out there, but it's the best. Or so Google tells me."
"This was your idea?"
She shrugged. "Marco's. He mentioned the time you were bored in Maui until you stole his camera. He was really impressed with some of the shots you took. He thought it would be a nice present for you."
"I barely remember Maui."
"So a camera is definitely a good idea for you," she teased.
I removed the lens cap and pressed the power button, configured the few settings I recognized, and pointed the lens at Finley. She held up her hands in front of her face. "Don't you dare."
I turned toward Paige, zoomed in on her hand against the wrinkled sheets, and clicked.
The image immediately popped up on the screen, and I turned the camera just enough so Finley could see.
"Marco was right. You're a natural."
"Thanks for the camera," I said. It did feel na
tural in my hands--something I could hold on to.
Finley nodded toward Paige. "She's a sweet girl. And God ... crazy beautiful. She must have been burned pretty badly to be waking up in your bed. More like tarred and feathered. Poor kid."
"I know."
"So, you probably shouldn't ..."
"I know. I've warned her."
"You know that doesn't work. We don't get happy endings with people like her. We ruin them."
I pinched off the cherry of my cigarette, and then tossed the butt out the window to rest with the hundreds of others in the hidden Marlboro cemetery below.
"I don't know. I'd consider last night a happy ending."
"I'm serious, Ellie."
"I know that, too."
"And so we're clear, I don't do guilt blow jobs. That's your fucked up talent."
"I shouldn't have said that. I was a little messed up. The firefighter kissed me. I was trying to take anyone home but him."
"The cute one?" When I nodded, her shoulders fell. "Damn it. I wanted him."
"You did not."
"I tried to ignore it."
"Ignore what?" I glanced over at Paige. I could still feel her soft hands all over me, her salty sweetness lingering on my lips.
"That he's into you. Every time I opened my mouth it was like I was breaking his concentration. He wanted so badly for you to look at him, and you were staring at blueberry muffin over there," she said, gesturing to Paige.
"I wasn't her first choice. She'd rather be waking up next to Sugar."
"Sugar was talking to Zeke about another girl. I got the feeling he's nursing a broken heart. Paige is better off." Finley scanned Paige as if she were a dying kitten. "Maybe she'll be okay."
"She'll be okay," I said, standing. I strolled across the room, lying next to the naked masterpiece in my bed, snuggling up next to her.
Paige reached back, tightening my arms around her without opening her eyes.
Finley waved to me, mouthing, Brunch in two hours, before she left.
I rested my cheek against the silky skin of Paige's back, inhaling the alluring mix of stale smoke and lotion. She stirred, her blue hair dragging against the pillow like a peacock feather. I didn't fear the awkward goodbye that would inevitably follow, or her feelings. My genuine curiosity for what she would do with her life after me settled in the nonexistent space between us. I hooked my leg over hers, the full, smooth limb sticking out of the expensive wrinkled sheet that only covered her perfectly curved ass--the same one that arched and bucked against my touch until the sun cast pastels across the sky.
"I'm awake," she whispered. "I'm afraid if I move, it will be over."
I placed the camera in front of her face and clicked the display button, showing her the picture of her hand. Everything from her arm out was blurry, but her blue hair couldn't be confused with anyone else. I was prepared for her to ask me to delete it, but she reached back to caress my face.
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