Playing Fate (Endgame Series Book 1)

by Leigh Ann Lunsford

  Today I arrived in Maize, Kansas. 1,291 miles from Macclenny, Florida. The house I’ll live in for the next four years (hopefully) is gorgeous. Brick, huge yard, everything I wished for growing up. Avery is nice, welcoming. Emberlee I’m not sure about. There are three other guys—they all grew up together—and the mysterious Julie. That’s Deacon’s girl.

  Avery tried to get to know me, and I froze. What can I say? I look at this as a fresh start. I won’t be the girl abandoned by her dad, the girl whose dad got himself killed. I won’t be the new girl living with her grandparents and mom. I won’t be Jack’s stepdaughter. Here, I’m just Saylor. I create my future, but first I need to let go of my past.

  I’ve spent seven years trying to act like him leaving didn’t matter. I’ve spent five pretending his death didn’t impact me. I was his daughter. He used to love me, and I never got to ask him what changed. Watching my mom scrub floors, do other people’s laundry, cook, work retail, sell any product from make up to oils . . . all to pay off the damn motorcycle that killed him.

  I want to ask her how she let herself fall in love with Jack, but she’ll give me her sad look and spew shit that I don’t believe.

  Good thing is the three guys living next door are hot as hell. I’ve never been that girl, but these guys could turn a nun into a whore. No lie.

  I put my pen down and read my pitiful words. Exhaling, I shut it and turn my thoughts off. My walls vibrate, shrill laughter, drunken antics behind my door, but I don’t care. I smile and realize the freedom in front of me. Drifting off as Saylor Lewis . . . girl unknown for the first time in seven years. No preconceived notions swirling around me. No expectations for myself. College. Graduate. Succeed. Those are my goals. My endgame.

  I don’t think a nuclear bomb could do more damage than I’m staring at. Beer cans, bottles, liquor filled glasses, chip bags, food littering the floor. This is disgusting, and I refuse to walk out the front door without picking up. I tried. All the years of watching my mom slave over someone else’s mess are burned into my memory; and while this isn’t my mess, I live here. Searching the kitchen, I find trash bags . . . an entire box because it will take that. Game plan—I’ll start in the great room and pick up and wipe down. I can’t vacuum until everyone is up. Move to the kitchen and repeat until I can stand to see my house. The scrubbing and the music pumping in my ears allow me to disconnect. ‘Tell Me” by He Is We is blaring as I finish loading the dishwasher and turn, coming face-to-face with Avery. Screaming, I yank the ear buds, “Jesus. You scared the shit out of me.” My hand is over my heart, which is pounding at an unhealthy rhythm.

  Her eyes fill with tears as she doubles over in laughter. “That was the most real I’ve seen you. Ass shaking, head bopping. The cussing is just adorable.”

  I stare at her. What the hell is wrong with this girl? She almost gave me a heart attack, and she’s concerned with my dancing and swearing. I meet her laughing face and realize she’s right. I didn’t know she was there, so I hadn’t placed myself back in the box I’m trying to escape from. Quiet girl. Good grades. Behaved. Boring as hell. I smirk. “Sneak up on me again, and I’ll cut you.” She winks at me and sends me into a fit of my own giggles.

  “Why you’d clean up?”

  “It was nasty.” My voice is laced with annoyance. It was a stupid question.

  “But you didn’t make the mess.”

  “But I couldn’t leave it like this.” She looks me up and down.

  “Where’re you going?”

  “Book store and somewhere to find stuff to decorate my room. It’s kind of blah.”

  “Give me twenty.” She spins and disappears before I can protest. I didn’t exactly invite her.

  “Hey!” She turns. “Is Emberlee a heavy sleeper? I need to vacuum.”

  “She’s not here. Her fuck buddy drug her to his cave last night.”

  “Huh?”

  “Mason. Girl, you need to pay attention.” She’s gone down the hall before I can comment. I think she forgot I didn’t grow up with them and was only in their presence for all of fifteen minutes yesterday. I suck at social situations and reading people. Opening closet doors coming up empty, finally the fourth try I hit pay dirt. Top of the line vacuum . . . the little things make me happy.

  My playlist keeps going as I finish vacuuming and freshen up, waiting on Avery. “Come on. I’ll drive so you don’t get us lost.” I click off my music and follow her.

  “I have GPS, smarty-pants.”

  “Smarty-pants? Where the hell are you from?”

  “Florida.”

  “Backwoods.”

  “Pretty much. Macclenny.”

  “Never heard of it.” I climb in the passenger seat. She is the owner of the BMW, which leaves the Lexus to Emberlee.

  “Yeah, blink and you miss it.” She starts the car and the air-conditioning blasts, cooling me down. Kansas heat isn’t as bad as Florida during the summer—but it’s hot as hell. As we’re pulling away, I see Emberlee leaving the house next door and Caden and Mason heading to the house next door to them.

  “Weight training,” she answers without me asking a question. “Baseball players. They live for that shit. Well Mason and Caden do; Deacon loves it, but since Julie, he’s not set on going pro. That’s the reason Caden and Mason came to school instead of going minor leagues. Those three are tight. My boys of summer.” The wistfulness in her tone when she mentions Deacon makes my mind tick. I have a bad habit of analyzing other’s relationships so I don’t focus on the fact I have none. There’s a story here, and I’m chastising myself for being nosy, wanting to pry.

  I take my phone and Google – boys of summer are baseball players. “So they do this every day?”

  “Yep. Never take a break. Deacon has a home gym, so they hit the weights and strength train there. Deacon’s going to have to figure out a time to run before classes or after so it doesn’t interfere with his schedule for Julie.” I nod. Julie must be pretty damn important to alter his life. Again, Deacon is the one she mentions the most, and his schedule and demeanor seems to be the odd man out.

  “Were you and Deacon an item?”

  Her head whips to face me before facing the road. “No,” her amusement is apparent. “We’re just friends. Why, are you interested?” Her singsong voice is teasing but holds a hint of excitement.

  “No, you mention him a lot. And point out all the changes he’s made because of Julie. Just seems you miss him, so I was wondering. Relationships aren’t on my radar. A diploma and career are the only things on my horizon.”

  “A lot has changed since Julie. It’s expected, but he seems to think he’s on his own. It’s never been an us and him scenario, and that seems to be what he’s making it. I just miss him. I miss the dynamic we all had.” She shrugs, brushing it off. “I guess it’s expected. Lots of changes and we’re growing up.” Her curls bob as she shakes the melancholy off. I decide to change the subject.

  “How far is campus?”

  “We’re in Maize. Fifteen to twenty minutes. Our hometown is on the east side of Wichita about another fifteen minutes.”

  “Why didn’t y’all stay at home?”

  “I would have, but Lee Lee has some issues with her parents. The guys wanted to be dirt bags and fuck around, and their mommas would skin them alive. Deacon needed time for just him and Julie. I just followed the majority. That’s how we roll. If we can’t agree, it goes to a vote.” Again . . . a lot of change stems from Deacon and Julie. The few minutes I saw they seem to be a welcoming crew, so I’m confused with the separation from Julie . . .

  “Umm, that’s odd. You can’t do your own thing?”

  “Oh, we do, but we prefer big decisions be made together. We’ve been together since day one. Our moms went to high school together. Deacon and Emberlee’s dads met in the military. They all bought houses in Eastborough, and all of us were born within six months of each other. Except Adriane. She’s a year older than us. That’s a topic we don’t discuss. Her name is fo
rbidden in our lives.” She dangles that tidbit like a carrot in front of a rabbit, and I’m dying to bite. I won’t – yet.

  “That’s amazing.” To have that connection to not just one person but five others – and the history from previous generations is inspiring for me.

  “No, it’s weird. But whatever, it works for us.”

  “Are your parents still close?”

  “God, yes. Deacon’s mom was the only one who worked, and she gave that up when we started elementary.”

  “Cool.” Ideal childhood.

  “I see you thinking. We’re all blessed and never want for anything, but don’t think it’s all sunshine and roses here. We all have issues.”

  “Noted.”

  “So you coming to the next party?”

  “Is it at our house?”

  “Yep.”

  I inhale. “Then I’ll be there.” Exhale. Time to find yourself, Saylor. Live. Try new things.

  “We’re here.” Luckily, a mall is a mall. There isn’t much difference in the stores except what sports paraphernalia they carry. They layout of Bradley Fair is unique with it being an open aired shopping center. I like not being in masses of people with two walkways. This place has everything you could want; a bunch of strip malls spread out in one large area. The rest of the day is easy. We laugh, get to know each other, and by the time we find the restaurant we’re eating, we are finishing each other’s sentences. Emberlee’s meeting us here, and I don’t know why she doesn’t like me. Guess I’ll take her one day at a time. God, I sound like a poster child for addiction. I take a seat and smile as she walks up, and hell has frozen over. She smiles back. Genuinely smiles. “She got laid. This is her post-coital bliss. Roll with it,” Avery whispers to me, and I may ask Mason to give it to her every night if it will keep her happy.

  For a tiny thing, she has legs for miles. Shit! I’m staring as she climbs from Avery’s car, and when she laughs, her face transforms. The girl hides a personality begging to be let loose. I watch her body lean towards people and immediately draw back. I see her eyes studying, taking every aspect in, but she seems afraid to jump in the huddle and experience it. “DD, what’s up?” Caden is hollering from ten feet away. Dipshit.

  “Unloading some groceries before heading to the parents for a bit. Gonna get a run in.”

  Avery comes over, and Saylor is trailing behind her. “What time you heading home?”

  “About an hour or so. Julie is asleep, so whenever she gets up.” My eyes gravitate to her, and she is staring at the ground. Didn’t know grass was so interesting.

  “Let’s meet at Bonefish and eat. Lee Lee was summoned home while we were at lunch. I’ll call her and see if she’s game.”

  Mason joins us. “She isn’t gonna be able to come. Just hung up and they are having family time.” He rolls his eyes, as we all know it’s a cover. That is one divided family.

  “Sounds good,” I let them know.

  Caden tosses his baseball in the air. “I’ll drive. I’ve got room for all four of us.” Saylor’s head snaps up.

  “I’m not going.” Her cheeks are red, and her eyes are darting everywhere.

  “Yeah you are, new girl.” His trademark smirk isn’t working with this girl. She’s chomping at the bit to put him in his place, but she won’t. “We need to do some hazing.”

  Turning to Avery, “I don’t want to go. I’ve got stuff to do.” Her voice sounds panicked.

  Caden won’t let her off the hook, “You bailed last night on the party.” Interesting. “Tonight, what’s your excuse?”

  “I have some paperwork to turn in for my scholarship.” I didn’t know she was here on scholarship.

  “Dinner’s on me,” I offer, wondering if money is a deterrent for her.

  “Thanks but that isn’t needed.” She bristles, and it turns me on. The defiance in her eyes, the stance she’s taken. Hot as fuck.

  “Saylor, it’ll be an early night. We can’t get wild in the town we grew up in. Our parents would kill us.” Avery is begging. She must be good people if Avery has taken to her.

  Mason joins, “Come on. We all live next door to each other, you’re the newbie. We need to get to know you.”

  “Don’t break my heart,” Caden flirts, and I want to punch my best friend in the face.

  “Holy shit. Okay, but promise me we won’t be late. I really have to finish this paperwork.”

  I flash Caden a warning look before promising her. “I promise Caden will have you home at a decent hour and won’t pressure you into staying out longer than you want.”

  “Damn, DD. You’re breaking father mode out on me.”

  “Shut up.” Avery slaps him.

  “DD? Designated Driver?” All of us laugh, mine in embarrassment because I know what is coming.

  “Nah, newbie,” Mason smiles. “DD. Deacon Douglas. Dirty Dawg. Delicious Dick. Take your pick.”

  “Please tell me you’re joking. Delicious Dick? Mason, I didn’t know you swung that way. Emberlee not enough?” She just fucking put him in his place, and my cock is hard as a rock.

  Avery is snorting, Caden razing Mason, Mason staring as Saylor is stupefied, and I just fell in love. Not real love, but deep lust. Real deep. “See y’all at six?” I back away. I need to make an escape before my cock begs me to let him go on an expedition.

  “See ya,” everyone but her calls. She is looking down again, uncomfortable. Game on, Saylor. If I make her feel uneasy without trying, I can only imagine her blush and shyness when I turn on the charm—that’s something I’m looking forward to.

  As she hurries to catch up, she stumbles and without thinking, I sprint to catch her. She wasn’t in any danger of falling, but the need to touch her overcomes me. My fingers wrap around her upper arm, she’s so tiny the tips overlap as my hand circles her. I place my other hand on her shoulder, acting like I’m steadying her when in reality I’m stabilizing myself. An inferno has spread up my arms, burning the skin, setting my body ablaze. Her gasp draws my attention to her; eyes wide, the green is vivid with flecks of gold. She’s staring where my hand is resting against her arm, mouth agape, breathing rapid. Clearing my throat, “You okay?”

  “Fine.” Her tone is clipped, and she won’t look at me. That pisses me off.

  “Sorry. Just trying to help. Didn’t want you impaling yourself with a branch on my watch.” Her nose scrunches up, and her cheeks tinge with color.

  “Thanks.” She glances up at me and immediately averts her gaze. I exhale a frustrated breath, and her eyes snap to mine. There’s so much fire there…so much she is holding back. Her lips twitch, and I want her to unload on me; I want to listen to every word she has to say. Her eyes dart behind me, staring at my door. Like a ninja, she extracts herself from my touch and steps back. I follow her stare and don’t see anything but know I need to unload the rest of my crap and get inside.

  I step back. “See you tonight.” Turning to leave is hard. Those few seconds I touched her skin, stared at her, made me crave more. I shake those thoughts. I have my focus. Julie. School. Career.

  Running the streets of my parents’ neighborhood, my thoughts don’t stray from the green-eyed imp who captured my attention. Her head lands below my chest. I dwarf her with my body. Standing over six foot five that isn’t hard to do, but I’d never noticed how it made me feel. Protective. Proud. Like if I stood by her, nothing could get her. Nothing could harm her. Shit! I can’t go down that lane . . . anger would cloud my mind, and I need my A-game for dinner tonight.

  “I’ll be back before ten.” I kiss my mom’s cheek.

  “We’ll be fine. No rush.” She’d rather I leave Julie here and just go home…be a college kid, but that isn’t what I want.

  Walking into the restaurant, they’re seated waiting for me, and Saylor took the end of the circle booth. Easy escape—or so she thought. I nod my head to Mason, and he reads me like a book, scooting down, shoving Avery to the opposite end. Everyone else slides, and I stand next to Saylor, indicat
ing for her to move so I can sit down. Basically trapping her. Her face is so readable, she can’t hide her feelings . . . she is like a caged animal looking all around and going to stand up. I don’t move back, so she has nowhere to go. Sighing, she gives in, and I’m sitting so close to her our legs touching. On purpose.

  Nobody studies the menu but her. We all know what we want; this is a regular haunt for us. She’s picking at her nails, fingers fidgeting. “What can I get for you?” Our waitress interrupts my perusal. Avery starts and it continues until it’s Saylor’s turn. She licks her lips, “Uh, just a Coke and Caesar salad. No croutons.” I give my order and before the waitress leaves I lean in close, “You sure that’s all you want?” She nods, so I signal to the waitress that we’re done.

  “Girl, I saw you scarf down a double cheeseburger and fries today at lunch. I know you aren’t on a diet.” Avery throws her straw wrapper at Saylor. She ducks her head and blushes.

  “It’s fine. I’m not that hungry.”

  “Liar, newbie. I heard you talking about eating the ass out of an elephant on the way over,” Mason calls her out. Damn it, I offered to pay for her dinner. I swear if she isn’t eating because of money, I’ll throttle her. If I don’t control myself and figure out this fucking attraction to her, I’m liable to drive myself insane.

  “Drop it.” She begs with her eyes.

  “Dinner’s on me, remember. Order what you want.” I level her with my gaze, hoping to convey that I’m not playing around.

  Rolling her eyes, she admits, “Oh my gosh. I’m a picky eater. I don’t like frou-frou stuff. I like beef. Not chicken. Not fish. Grade-A American beef.” She throws her dramatic self back against the booth and hides her face.

  “I got some Grade-A American beef over here, newbie. Just waiting for you,” Mason teases her, grabbing his dick while we all laugh. Well, they laugh, I glare. Mason is a douche.