by Shana Norris
“Oh my God,” I said as I rushed toward him. “What happened?”
Rory moaned as Paisley brought him into the house. “I’m fine,” he croaked.
I helped get him to the couch, putting his other arm around my shoulder so he could lean on me for support. “You don’t look fine. Who did this?”
“It’s nothing,” he said. He shot me a hurt glance that didn’t seem to have anything to do with his injuries.
“Here,” I said as we guided Rory to the couch. “Lie down right here. I’ll get the first-aid kit.”
Rory settled into the couch, his face contorted in pain. I hurried down the hallway to the bathroom and snatched open the bottom drawer, where I knew Mimi kept the first-aid kit. Grabbing it, I spun on my heel and headed back to the living room, where Paisley stood over Rory, her hands twisting around a set of car keys. My car keys.
“Did you take my car?” I snapped, clutching the first-aid kit to my chest as I glared at her.
“Rory called me because you weren’t answering,” Paisley said. “He needed help. It was an emergency.” I knelt in front of Rory, and I opened the first-aid kit. I didn’t have time to deal with Paisley stealing my car at the moment, or with the realization that they had each other’s phone numbers. She stood in the doorway, looking in at us.
“What happened?” I asked again. Rory kept his eyes closed and didn’t answer. I opened the kit and grabbed bandages and ointment, anything I could find that I thought might help.
“Rory?” I asked. “What happened?”
But Rory still wouldn’t answer. He just sat with his eyes squeezed shut and his breathing slow, like it hurt too much.
“It was his dad,” Paisley answered for him. “Or actually, his dad’s friends.” Rory opened his eyes long enough to shoot Paisley a scowl.
“What about his dad?” I asked.
“I don’t know exactly,” Paisley said. “He’s into something illegal. Rory has been trying to get close to him, but his dad’s friends aren’t letting him. Like they’re his bodyguards or something.”
“Rory?” I asked.
“He looks really hurt,” Paisley said.
“We should call 911,” I told her.
“Don’t call 911,” Rory grunted, his eyes still closed.
I let out a frustrated sigh. “You need someone to take a look at you.” I gave Paisley a helpless look. “Paisley, call for help.”
She bit her lip, looking back at me with the same helplessness I felt. But before I could say anything more, she turned and headed toward the kitchen.
“You going to explain exactly how you ended up like this?” I asked as I wiped at the cut on his lip. “Did you run into someone’s fist?” I smiled, hoping to get a laugh from him, but he only continued to sit there, his eyes closed.
I didn’t know what to do. Mimi was always the one who cleaned up my cuts. I wasn’t even sure how to determine whether he needed to see a doctor or not.
“On a scale of one to ten—” I started.
“I’m fine,” Rory grunted. “Just let me sit here for a little while.”
We did—we sat in the most uncomfortable silence for what felt like forever. Of course, Paisley couldn’t sit still; she ran in and out of the room for a glass of water, Band-Aids, and a few bottles of every type of painkiller we had in our medicine cabinet.
The door opened and I whipped around, my heart in my throat at the idea of Mimi and Pop finding a beat-up Rory on their couch. But it wasn’t them, it was Andrea.
“What happened?” she asked, rushing over to where I knelt in front of Rory. She didn’t look at all surprised to find him there.
“I don’t know,” I answered, since Rory wasn’t in the mood to talk. I narrowed my eyes as she leaned over him, examining his face. “Paisley’s calling 911.”
“Paisley called me,” Andrea said. She took the first-aid kit from my hands. “Here, let me do that.”
I stood, making way for her to take care of Rory’s wounds. Paisley stood at the doorway again, her arms crossed tight over her baggy pink T-shirt.
“I can’t believe you called her,” I hissed as I made my way over to her. “Why don’t you go ahead and call Mimi and Pop while you’re at it?”
“I figured she could help,” Paisley said. “He didn’t want us calling 911, so Aunt Andrea is the next best thing. She’s had first-aid training, you know.”
I didn’t know that, but that wasn’t something I was going to admit.
Paisley teared up. “He needs someone with a little more expertise to make sure he doesn’t need to go to the hospital.”
I stared back into Paisley’s blue eyes. “Why didn’t you come and tell me before you left to pick up Rory?”
Paisley stepped back, not meeting my eyes. “I didn’t want you to get in over your head.”
“Yeah right. You and Rory can add that to the list of things you’re keeping from me.” I pushed past her and stalked into the kitchen. My hands shook as I opened the cabinet door and reached for a glass. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to take a few steadying deep breaths.
It was fine. Rory would be fine.
But I still had a million questions and thoughts racing through my head.
“He’ll be okay,” Andrea said as she walked into the kitchen. She stepped over to the sink and began washing her hands. “Nothing is broken, just a bit bruised. He’ll be sore for a while.”
Relief flooded through me. “Thanks,” I said to her before I rushed out of the room. Rory sat still on the couch, though he had now pushed himself up straighter. He winced as he touched his lip with his fingertips.
“I guess making out is out of the question right now,” he joked. I winced, thinking about Miguel.
I sat down next to him, placing my hand on his arm. “This doesn’t look like nothing, Rory,” I told him. “What did you get yourself into? What’s going on?”
“I told you, it’s nothing.” Rory stood up suddenly, shrugging my hand off his arm. “I gotta go.”
“Rory—”
But he headed toward the door, stepping outside before I could say anything else.
I walked back to the kitchen, where Andrea perched on the edge of a chair at the table, her hands cupped tightly around a glass of iced tea. “Did he leave?” Andrea asked.
I nodded. My arms and legs felt heavy, so I slumped into the chair.
“Do you know what happened?” she asked.
“He wouldn’t tell me,” I said, my voice clipped. “Paisley stole my car and then showed up with him like this.”
Andrea’s mouth pressed into a thin white line, her eyes narrowed as she stared into her tea. She cleared her throat and then said, “Kate, I think you need to be careful about who you spend your time with.”
I got up and snatched open the refrigerator and grabbed a can of Coke from inside. “And what exactly does that mean?” I asked as I popped open the tab.
“I know what’s it like to be your age and to find the bad boys attractive,” she explained. “But they’re often more trouble than they’re worth. It would be better for you if you stayed away from this guy. I don’t think Mimi and Pop would like it if they knew about this guy.”
“So go ahead and tell them.”
Andrea looked up at me, her eyes sad. “I’m not going to tell on you, Kate. I just want you to keep a clear head on your shoulders and really think about what this guy might do for your future. You have a great opportunity ahead of you, with college and everything. Don’t blow it.”
I wanted to trust Rory. There had to be a reason for all this. The fear and worry I felt when I first saw him bloodied and bruised lingered in my chest. I had missed him—our talks, the way he made me laugh—even if it had only been two days. I missed connecting with someone who understood me.
My feet tapped the floor anxiously. I wanted to find Rory and tell him all of this. Without saying anything else, I left the room, hurrying toward the front door.
But when I got there and looked out
side, I spotted something that made me even angrier than I already was: Rory stood in our driveway, with Paisley. And she had her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tight.
Chapter 20
The music pumped, and blue, green, and red lights flashed all around the room. As much as I tried to focus, I really wasn’t in a party mood. A few feet away in the crowded room, Paisley was talking to some tall guy with lightly bronzed skin and dark hair shaved down to just a layer of fuzz. He was well built, his muscles showing even in the dim room.
I hadn’t wanted to bring Paisley with me to the party I was DJing that night, but of course, she had jumped in the car. It had been three days since I’d seen Rory with his injuries, but we texted a few times about how he was feeling. I was still mad at Paisley for calling Andrea and for whatever was happening between her and Rory.
I’d tried to do something nice for Rory by going to my dad for a favor, but he’d taken it completely the wrong way. But if he was more interested in Paisley than me, why couldn’t he just come right out and say it? Maybe he just didn’t need to.
Paisley made her way through the dancing crowd toward my table, with the cute guy’s hand held tightly in hers. “Kate!” she yelled over the music when she reached me. “Do you know Jack?”
I shook my head. Jack held out his free hand toward me. “Nice to meet you,” I said flatly.
“Likewise,” Jack said. He nodded as he looked over my equipment. “Great music.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“I’m going to the bathroom and then to get something to drink,” Paisley said. “I’ll be right back.”
And then she slipped into the crowd, leaving me alone with Jack. Did she expect me to babysit the guys she liked?
Annoyance flashed through me again. Well, not anymore. Kate Watts was no stranger to flirting to get a guy’s attention.
I tossed my hair over my shoulder and leaned forward, smiling up at Jack. “So are you from Asheville?” I asked.
“No,” he told me. His gaze drifted down toward the neckline of my blue tank top. “I’m from Virginia. I’m just here with some friends.”
“It’s a great town,” I said.
Jack smiled. “Maybe you could show me around?”
I batted my eyes, grinning even wider. “I’d love to.”
“How about now?” Jack asked, nodding his head toward the door. “We can get out of here and go back to my hotel. Have our own party.”
I’d just met the guy five seconds ago and already he was asking me to jump into his bed? Ew. Flirting was way overrated.
“No thanks,” I said, shrugging as I straightened up. “I have to work.”
“Your friend can cover for you, can’t she?” Jack asked.
I shook my head. “No, I really have to stay.”
“Come on.” Jack reached over and touched my arm. “We don’t have to be gone long.”
That was a great pickup line. I flinched and tried to pull away from him, but Jack’s hand wrapped around my elbow, his fingers digging into my flesh.
“What?” he asked. “Are you just teasing me with that smile?”
Panic coursed through me. “Don’t touch me,” I said through clenched teeth.
“What’s going on here?” Paisley had appeared behind Jack, her eyes narrowed as she stared at his hand on my arm.
“Your friend is being a tease,” Jack told her.
“Get your gross hands off her,” Paisley demanded, her fists on her hips as she glared at him.
Jack sneered at her, but he let go of me. My arm was hot where he’d held on, but I didn’t let him see it. Instead, I glared back at him along with Paisley.
He turned toward her, smiling with his brown eyes slightly hooded in a sultry way. “Okay, then. You and I can go back to my hotel.”
Paisley’s lip wrinkled in disgust. “Get lost, perv.”
Jack looked between the two of us, his eyes flashing. “Bitches,” he said before he stalked away.
Paisley rolled her eyes at his back. “The world is full of creeps.” She tapped out a text on her phone quickly, then looked toward the door across the room. The huge bouncer looked down at his phone and immediately marched over to the creep, took him by the neck, and pushed him out the door.
“Not the whole world, though,” she said, flashing a thumbs-up in the bouncer’s direction.
I rubbed my arm. My skin was red where Jack’s fingers had been. “Thanks,” I said.
Paisley shrugged. “You’d do the same for me, right?”
I nodded, knowing it was true. Even if I was angry with her, I would never let a guy treat her like that, even though I didn’t have bouncers on speed dial. “Yeah. I would. But thanks again.”
“Cousins have to stick together,” Paisley told me, grinning wide.
I laughed, feeling the annoyance I’d felt all night finally lift away. Maybe Paisley had done the right thing by calling Andrea. She’d been able to tend to Rory’s injuries, and she’d kept her word about not telling Pop and Mimi. Maybe she was just supporting Rory, in her Paisley way.
I remembered something we used to do as kids. I placed my hand over my heart and said, “Cousins forever.”
Paisley’s eyes looked a little teary, but she also placed her hand over her heart. “Cousins forever,” she echoed.
“Now this is a party!” Paisley said as we arrived in the valley where my friends from school usually had their parties. My friend Syke was throwing a party that night in the valley, and after we’d left the DJ job, I’d decided to swing by for a little while. It was the same place where I’d met up with Miguel, so it felt a little weird to be there again, but I tried to push that aside.
I grinned at Paisley. “This is the best spot for parties,” I told her.
The party was in full swing, with music pumping from a car nearby and a bonfire roaring in the center of the grassy area. A group of guys were hovered around a keg, calling out to Paisley and me as we passed. I expected Paisley to stop, but she just flashed them a quick smile and then stayed at my side.
Paisley grabbed my hand and pulled me toward a group of dancing girls, their hips swaying and rocking to the music. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s dance.”
I laughed as I let Paisley pull me into the dancing bodies. She raised her arms over her head, moving her body to the beat as her maxi dress swirled around her legs. I joined in, letting myself go and giving in to the energy that flowed through me.
After a few songs, I gasped for air, fanning myself with one hand. “I need a drink!” I shouted to Paisley over the music.
Paisley nodded, her face red and her eyes shining. We made our way back through the crowd toward the coolers along the edge of the valley. I grabbed a beer and held one out to Paisley, but she grabbed a bottle of water instead. I shrugged, put both beers back, and grabbed a bottle of water for myself, too. Beer wasn’t my favorite drink anyway, and I did have to drive back home after the party, so water was the better option.
“This is awesome,” Paisley said, her eyes scanning the crowd in the valley. Couples made out around us and girls danced in groups and guys showed off at the kegs, roaring with laughter as they stumbled and bumped into each other.
I let out a deep breath and pushed my sweat soaked hair off my forehead. “Yeah,” I agreed. “I guess.”
Paisley raised her eyebrows at me as she took a swig of water. She wiped her mouth and then said, “Let me guess. Rory?”
I wasn’t sure that I wanted to talk about Rory with Paisley. I still couldn’t figure out what was actually going on between them and where that left me.
“Look,” Paisley said when I didn’t answer. “You don’t have to worry about Rory and me. I swear. I wouldn’t do that to you.”
She sounded sincere and she looked me in the eyes as she spoke.
“Okay,” I said. “I believe you, Paisley. But I don’t know if he feels the same way.”
Paisley smiled, relief washing over her face. “Good. Now, about your proble
ms with Rory. Do you like him?”
I picked at the label on my water bottle, my neck flushing with heat. “Well, I did. I mean, I do?”
“Then you have to be honest with him,” Paisley said. “Tell him how you feel. Don’t play games with him. Rory isn’t … I mean, he doesn’t seem to be the kind of guy who likes games. So just tell him how you feel and where you hope this thing between you goes. He’ll respect you for that.”
She sounded a lot older than her years, like she’d been through enough in relationships to know exactly what she was talking about. And what did I have to lose? She was right. I needed to just be honest with Rory. Either he would want the same thing or he wouldn’t. Either way, it would be better that I knew before we went any further.
“You know a lot about relationships,” I commented.
Paisley’s face turned into a frown. “I know what my brother says about me, but I’m not what he and other people think I am. I’ve had a few boyfriends, yeah, but that doesn’t mean I’ve done all kinds of things with them. I just happen to take the time to really understand people.”
“I’m sorry,” I told her. The image of her puffy-faced and crying over things dumb people said on Facebook popped into my mind. “I didn’t mean to imply—”
Paisley held up one hand and shook her head. Her eyes were a little glassy in the light of the fire. “It’s okay. Let’s move on to another subject, okay?”
I nodded. “Thanks for the advice about Rory.”
Paisley grinned. “Don’t mention it.” She looked over at the car parked in the valley, where a guy queued up more songs on his iPhone to play through the speakers. “This is a great party, but they could do better with you as the DJ.”
I laughed.
“Seriously,” Paisley told me, “you are awesome at it. It really makes me want to go home and start up my own business. How did you get started? What would be the best equipment to get? How did you let people know you were available?”