by J Bree
I hit send and then I lean back in my chair. Ash’s leg has tensed where it’s pressed against mine under the table. Harley is glaring at Joey and the nerve in his jaw is ticking. “I don’t answer to him, or you, Joey. Where have you been hiding this year? I’ve barely seen you.”
His eyes slide around the room in an awful liquid way, like he’s something not quite human, and his grin is nothing short of psychotic. “Oh, have you missed me, my little Mounty love?”
I force myself to swallow the bile creeping up my throat. “I don’t think anyone misses you, Joey. I don’t think anyone could ever like you enough to miss you. What are you here for?”
He picks up Harley’s steak knife and begins to play with it. Harley watches him carefully and, knowing what family he belongs to, I’m fairly confident he can defend himself if Joey takes a swing with it. However, Ash turns ghostly pale and looks like he’s going to vomit. If he has to stop Joey then he knows it will be Avery that pays. I don’t know why but I put a hand on his knee under the table and squeeze gently. He takes a deep breath.
“The twins and Morrison are going to the recital next week in the city and I’m celebrating in their absence. Come to my party. I’ve missed hanging out with you and I think you should have a drink with me. I’ll make sure they have your favorite whiskey.”
I glance at Harley to see a little frown on his face but his eyes still follow the knife.
“Sure, why not. Arbour will come with me and we can make a night of it.”
Joey grins and moves as if he’s going to put the knife down. He stares into his brother’s eyes obsessively, straight into the soul of his favorite victim, and then swings his hand down to impale the knife through Ash’s hand and into the table below.
Well, that’s what he tries to do except my reflexes are quicker and I shoot out to catch his wrist. Harley gets a hold of his arm a fraction of a second later and the tip of the knife stops millimeters away from Ash’s skin. Joey pants like he’s getting off on this. He licks his lips and grins at us. It’s disgusting.
I lean forward and whisper, “You may have tied his hands but you haven’t tied mine. Push me and I’ll show you that being a Beaumont only gets you so far in this world.”
Ash and Harley have a raging argument about the party and I duck away from them both to head to my choir class. I have to go to the party, I need to know what Joey is planning and if Harley doesn’t want to come with me then I’ll go by myself. I only offered to take Harley because I thought he’d insist.
Avery is laughing along with Blaise when I take my seat and I smile at Lauren, Jessie, and Dahlia. They all look at me with that awe-struck fear they direct at Avery and it’s pretty fucking weird to have it directed at me as well.
“Stop being nice to the sheep.” Avery teases and I cut her a look.
“Your green-eyed monster is showing, Aves. You know you’re my favorite.”
She giggles and bumps my shoulder with hers. “The only green-eyed monster around here is Morrison and he’s too hungover to be any trouble.”
Blaise rolls his eyes and I notice how bloodshot they are. “Drinking on a school night? How very rock star of you.”
He groans and slumps down. “I had no choice. Ash borrowed my car to go fuck a Haven chick and Avery cornered me about my own evening activities so I tried to drown her out with bourbon. I think I’m going to join Harley in celibacy because I haven’t found a pussy yet that’s worth dealing with Avery’s lectures.”
Avery makes a gagging noise at him and I stare at him, stunned. I do not have anything to say. Miss Umber starting the class saves me, thank Christ.
“I have some exciting changes in your syllabus to announce! Usually your final assignment for choir is to perform in front of the class but this year we’re joining forces with the music students and holding a concert for the entire school!” She claps her hands like an excited toddler while she’s casually ruining my life. This woman…this fucking woman and her ‘good ideas’.
“What the fuck is Miss Umber’s obsession with individual performances?” I hiss at Avery the moment the teacher’s back is turned.
Avery hums under her breath at me, lifting her shoulder in a nonchalant way, and my palms begin to sweat. I’ll just have to talk to her again and get out of it somehow.
Miss Umber hands out worksheets, designed to help us pick which song we will sing, and then giggles when Blaise smiles at her. Avery scoffs and rolls her eyes, which only makes him turn up the charm. I don’t know how the older lady’s heart survives it, I am sweating.
“The concert will be held at the end of the school year, choir students will sing in front of the entire school. Then the musicians will perform. So I hope you all take this very seriously, as always the majority of your mark will be determined by your performance. No exceptions. If you’re not there, you’re not passing this class.”
Oh, God.
I was no longer sweating at Blaise’s hotness. There is no way I can do this. No way. Next year I’m risking my fucking leg and doing track or something. Maybe I should join Harley on the swim team? Ash would probably have an aneurysm over it but whatever. Is it too late to switch out now? I’m spiraling, I know I am and I have to grit my teeth to pull myself out.
Miss Umber starts directing the warm ups and I don’t even try to pretend to join in. Once her back is turned again, I lean into Avery.
“911.” I hiss and she startles to look back at me. Blaise casts us both a curious look but he doesn’t miss a single note in his warm up.
“Singing for a group is a 911?” she murmurs and I nod emphatically. She frowns at me, and then nods.
I don’t join in for the rest of the class. When Miss Umber questions me about it, Blaise cuts her off and flirts mercilessly with her until she forgets why she ever walked over to our group. Instead of thanking him, I hand him the iPod and he nods.
We communicate better with lyrics than with words.
Later that night, when Blaise has left from our tutoring session and Avery is freshly showered, I explain our confrontation with Joey at lunch.
“He’s up to something.”
Avery rolls her eyes at me. “He’s always up to something. The question is what’s changed? He’s stayed away from you because of the Jackal’s warning so he must have found something out if he’s playing with you again.”
I nod and take a seat at the bench while she fusses with the stove. “Ash wasn’t too keen on Harley joining me. He thinks we’re walking into a trap. I mean, we are, but what choice do I have?”
Avery cocks her head as she stirs her cocoa. “I’ll try and put some feelers out, see if there’s any gossip about what he’s planning.”
I nod and sigh, scrubbing a hand over my face. Who would think high school politics would be as complicated as this?
“So? Are you going to tell me why singing is a 911?” Avery shoves a spoon into a tub of ice cream and slides it across the bench at me. It’s cherry flavored, I’ve never told Avery it’s my favorite and yet the sneaky bitch knows. I swear to God she’s going to take over the country some day. Or she’ll put a puppet in power and she’ll pull all the strings and make the whole damn world dance for her. The secret, darkest parts of my soul whispers to me about how much I love it.
“Have you ever heard of the NTT? Naval Torture Technique?”
Avery shakes her head and sips her cocoa.
“It’s a way to increase your pain tolerance. It’s a long process where the degree of pain inflicted onto you is upped slowly until you’re able to stay silent and function even when you’ve been shot or have multiple broken bones.”
Avery looks a little green. She’s put down her cup while I was talking and now her chin is propped up on her fist as she watches me.
“I can’t hear the sound of my own raised voice, not yelling or singing, without triggering my PTSD from my training.”
She rubs her eyes with her fists like she’s trying to scrub the shock and horror out of them
too. “Right. Who did this…training to you?”
“The Jackal.”
Avery nods and drops her hands away from her face.
“I should have known. Can you switch out to do a sport instead?”
I raise my leg up so she can see the thick scars that run from thigh to ankle. “Nope. I’ll be in agony for days after any major activity.”
“You really are broken, aren’t you?” she says with a smile. I think if anyone else said it to me I’d lose my mind at them but there’s this kindness in her eyes when I look at her. Like she knows exactly what it’s like to be shattered into a million pieces and taped back together in the wrong order. Fuck, we’re both a hot mess.
I shrug and eat some ice cream. I wash up the dishes and Avery roots around in the bathroom. I think she’s doing her bedtime routine but then she hands me a pack of earplugs, saying, “Put those in,” and then drags me over to her record player.
If there is anything in this room that I’m truly jealous of it’s Avery’s record player and collection of vinyl. It was her mom’s and Blaise adds to it constantly, his own music and anything he thinks she’ll like.
“What are we doing?” I slip one of the earplugs in.
Avery messes around with the record player for a minute and then whirls around to me. “We’re fixing you. I heard you sing to Miss Umber so we know that you can do it, we just need to practice. We’re going to do this over and over again until it’s perfect.”
I hesitate as she hits play and ‘High Hopes’ by Panic at the Disco starts. The sneaky bitch must have looked at my worksheet. I sigh and slip the other earplug in just before I need to sing.
I make it through the whole song. I remember the lyrics, having listened to this song a hundred times, and after the first chorus I’m calm enough to open my eyes. Avery watches me with rapture, sitting on her bed with her head propped up by her fists. When the song ends I give myself a second to breathe and then I take the earplugs out.
“We need to fix you because you need to sing, Lips. I can’t even—there aren’t words for how you sound. Blaise is going to lose his mind when he hears you.”
I blush and shrug. I don’t see myself getting over the PTSD. I’m going to do this because I need my scholarship but I’m never going to be able to just sing along with the radio or hold concerts in my shower. It’s just not possible.
She starts the song over and I go again.
Chapter Twelve
Avery leaves for her recital at lunchtime on Saturday.
There’s no word of what Joey has planned but I refuse to let it bother me. I can handle whatever he throws at me.
I spend the afternoon on my assignments and practicing my singing. I heat up some leftovers for dinner and tuck in when my phone pings.
Swim training finishes in an hour. I’ll come shower and get ready in your room after that.
I gulp. Harley showering in my bathroom. Harley getting naked in my bathroom.
Harley naked.
Sweet lord.
I scramble to get showered and ready before he gets here. I grab jeans, a lacy tank top and then throw a hoodie on over it all. I’m not trying to impress anyone, I just need to be comfortable and warm. I keep telling myself that even as I do my makeup and hair. When Harley knocks at the door I’m pretty happy with how I look.
“Where’s the shorts and bra? I thought that’s what you wear to parties?” Harley smirks at me but his eyes roam over me appreciatively and I mentally fist bump myself. Sometimes it’s nice to know I’m not a complete ogre.
“I don’t need frostbite on my nipples. Come to a party in the summer with me and I’ll wear the other outfit again.” Wait, what? What am I saying? I’ve lost my damn mind.
Harley strides into the room and heads straight to the bathroom. “I’m holding you to that, Mounty.”
The door swings shut behind him but he doesn’t lock it. I don’t let my mind fixate on that fact and instead I sprawl out on my bed and text Avery.
Good luck, wish I was there to see you dance. Tell Morrison to send me a video.
I chew my nails for a minute while I listen to the shower.
Thank you. It’s weird, my father isn’t here. He always shows up to these things so he can monitor what Ash and I are doing. I’m so relieved. Blaise isn’t so lucky, his father is on the warpath. I’m expecting I’ll have to play nursemaid to him later while he gives himself liver poisoning. Text me when you get back from the party safely, Harley promised me he’d have your back all night x
I frown down at the screen. Blaise has been doing so well in his classes, our tutoring sessions and his dedication has paid off impressively. He’s easily on top of all of his classes now and he’s been asked to move into the higher classes in a few subjects. What could his dad possibly be pissy at him for? Fuck it. I text him.
Send me a video of Avery’s dance please. Let me know if you need anything.
I curse at myself under my breath. What would he need from me? He has two of his best friends with him and I’m barely a person in his life. The shower shuts off and I start to sweat. My phone pings again and I cringe before I look down at it.
Avery has already threatened me if I don’t. Thanks. If you could send me bourbon and a blowjob that would be great.
I cackle as Harley comes out of the bathroom and raises an eyebrow at me.
“Morrison wants me to send him booze and sexual favors to help him get through the night with his parents. Should I send him a Mounty hooker?”
Harley laughs, a proper laugh, and I blush at the sight of it. I jump up off the bed and try to discreetly check him out. His dark jeans are just fitted enough that I can appreciate his ass but not his dick. I’ll take it as a win. He has a dark gray shirt on with a deep v neckline so I can see his mother’s necklace and the edges of his tattoo peeking out. He throws a jacket on and we leave together.
He leans against the wall as I lock the door and he’s so close to me that I can feel the heat of his body and smell him. I swear he’s like fucking ambrosia to me. My body melts the second I get a whiff of him. I hear him curse softly under his breath and look up.
Annabelle scowls at me, standing before us in a lacy transparent nightgown-thing. Teddy? I’ve never owned one so fuck knows what it’s called. There’s no reason other than sex that a woman would wear one is what I’m saying.
“It’s bad enough I have to watch Blaise leave here most nights now you’re here with her, too? Come on, Harley, what are you thinking?”
I move to walk past her but Harley grabs my hand and tugs me to his side. Oh fuck. I’m about to be thrown in the middle of relationship drama. Avery’s going to be pissed.
“We’re heading out to Joey’s party. Have a great night with whatever dumbass you’re all dressed up for, Summers.”
Annabelle pouts at him but there’s real hurt in her eyes. Avery did say Harley was her favorite. “I haven’t broken the rules Harley. I haven’t had anyone else and I won’t. I know you’ll get bored of slumming it with Mounty pussy and come back to me.”
Harley chuckles under his breath and takes a step forward, pulls me with him. “I was born in the same city as Lips. I spend all of my summer breaks there. We have friends in the same circles. When I leave Hannaford, I’m going back there. I’m as much a Mounty as she is. Give up, Summers. I’m never touching you again. I never should’ve touched you in the first place.”
The tears start as we walk past her. I can’t find it in myself to feel bad for her.
The party is in the same clearing as last year.
We have to walk past the same tree I watched Annabelle blow Harley on and I think about pointing it out to him but his mood is fucking woeful after our run in with her. He hasn’t let go of my hand. I tried to tug it back and he glared down at me like I was wounding him. Fucking guys.
When we make it to the drinks table Harley swipes a bottle of whiskey, holding it up until I nod then he drops my hand to open it and hands it to me. As I take a sw
ig I see Joey’s usual group of flunkies approach us. I roll my eyes at Harley and pass him back the bottle.
“Joey’s waiting for you.”
Harley slings his arm over my shoulders and sneers at Devon. “And he can keep waiting. We’re busy.”
I tell myself I’m not going to enjoy being this close to Harley all night and I also tell myself that I’m shamelessly lying. Harlow looks between the two of us and sneers at me. When she opens her mouth I tug Harley towards the makeshift dance floor and grab the bottle back from him.
“How long should we let the asshole wait for us?” Harley whispers and I smile and pull away from him to dance.
“At least four songs. I haven’t danced in weeks and I don’t have to keep an eye on Avery.”
He grins and pulls my hips back so we’re dancing together and I let the warmth spreading through my limbs turn me into something pliable and fluid. I let go of everything, all the stresses and worries, all the planning and manipulating, everything that I spend every waking moment thinking about. He’s watching my back and I’m protecting his. Harley is surprisingly good at dancing. He manages to walk that fine line between dirty sexy grinding and mindless dry humping. I’m panting like a whore in no time. It would be mortifying but Harley is just as worked up as I am.
By the third song we’d drunk enough of the bottle that I tug Harley away from the music. We need to have enough brains about us to handle Joey but I’m not really worried. Harley is a seasoned drinker and I’m no lightweight, despite my size.
“Let’s get this over with.”
Harley nods and I take the lead further into the woods where I know Joey goes to get high. There’s groups of students already out to play, moaning and grunting following us as we make our way over to Joey’s group. I don’t look around; I don’t want to know who’s doing who.
When we reach the fence line I see two very familiar figures leaning against the wrought iron latticework. Two of the Jackal’s underlings are doing lines with Joey. I freeze before they spot me and Harley steps up to press himself against my back.