crush me yesterday.
Years of practice pays off, and no one except me seems to feel uneasy. No one else even notices because I am that good at making everyone around me smile.
Logan is practically falling asleep, and he hasn’t drunk an ounce.
“Go home.” Jade laughs at him.
“Good idea.” He nods and stands up. “You ready?”
“No, she’s staying with us.” Riley grins.
“I’ll be home soon,” I promise him. “Can you make it on your own, Loggie?”
He yawns, looking at Jade. “If she’s stumbling when she’s done, keep her here, would ya?”
“What are you, the sobriety police now?” I snort, and everyone laughs.
“Good night, sister,” he says with a bit of warning.
I know he doesn’t want me to say anything about London, and of course, I wouldn’t. Hell, I haven’t said anything to him about it in all the years I have watched him flip-flop between mooning over her and lording it over her.
An hour after Logan leaves, everyone seems to be yawning. Riley, Jade, Lauren, and I clean up the dishes and take care of the empties while Ryan, Luke, and Jackson clean up the game table.
“You okay?” Jade asks, nearly catching me looking at Luke.
“Yeah, of course. Just tired and—”
“Drunk.” Riley laughs.
I hold my hand up with my thumb and forefinger slightly apart. “Maybe just a little.”
“Luke, can you walk Ava—”
“No!” I gasp, and they all look at me. I force a smile. “I am seriously fine.”
“Come on, Ava,” Luke says from the doorway.
My body heats instantaneously. Unwelcome desire and all of those feelings that are called forth when he says my name, regardless of the tone he uses, flood every cell in my body.
I swallow back the thickness in my throat and roll my eyes. “Fine, but it’s unnecessary.”
I walk to the table to grab my coat off the back of the chair, but Jackson has it in his hands already, holding it up.
I put my arms through my sleeves. “Oh, so you’re the ladies’ man in the family?” Jackson is by far the quietest of the crew.
“Learning everything I know from my big brother.”
I laugh rather loudly then quickly cover my mouth.
Their father Ryan laughs and shakes his head. “You better catch up, then, young buck. Your brother’s been around the world, haven’t you, son?”
“You ready?” Luke asks as he gives a quick nod to Ryan, seeming almost annoyed.
I throw my hand up and wave. “Good night, everyone.”
“You’re home for a couple weeks, right?” Jade calls from the kitchen.
“Yep,” I say, pushing my feet into my boots, the ones Mom gave me, and then I walk out into the garage as Luke holds the door open. “See you later!”
Once outside, I sigh. “You don’t have to—”
“Like hell I don’t,” he snaps.
I can’t stop myself from turning back and looking at him. “Is it necessary to be nasty to me, Luke? After everything, is it really necessary?”
“I’m beginning to think so,” he says in a very icy tone.
I turn and look at him. “What happened to—”
I trip and almost fall on my ass, but he catches my elbow and pulls me up.
“And there lies the fucking problem. All of you are oblivious to what the fuck is right under your damn noses.”
“Luke, I know you’ve seen and been through some horrible things in the past few years, but—”
“ Few ?” He laughs callously. “My entire life, I have watched every damn one of you treat me like I’m a fucking ghost. Ryan?” He huffs. “Calls me son? I’m not his fucking son.”
“Luke, that’s not fair,” I say sadly.
“No, fuck you, Ava. What’s not fair is that I’ve had to act like I understand all the fucking shit about my father. I never met the guy, but everyone around here thinks I should get all sentimental when they talk about him. None of them want me to know him; they want me to be him. Your father”—the way he says it is in disgust—“gives me shit like money for college and offers me a job because that’s
Years of practice pays off, and no one except me seems to feel uneasy. No one else even notices because I am that good at making everyone around me smile.
Logan is practically falling asleep, and he hasn’t drunk an ounce.
“Go home.” Jade laughs at him.
“Good idea.” He nods and stands up. “You ready?”
“No, she’s staying with us.” Riley grins.
“I’ll be home soon,” I promise him. “Can you make it on your own, Loggie?”
He yawns, looking at Jade. “If she’s stumbling when she’s done, keep her here, would ya?”
“What are you, the sobriety police now?” I snort, and everyone laughs.
“Good night, sister,” he says with a bit of warning.
I know he doesn’t want me to say anything about London, and of course, I wouldn’t. Hell, I haven’t said anything to him about it in all the years I have watched him flip-flop between mooning over her and lording it over her.
An hour after Logan leaves, everyone seems to be yawning. Riley, Jade, Lauren, and I clean up the dishes and take care of the empties while Ryan, Luke, and Jackson clean up the game table.
“You okay?” Jade asks, nearly catching me looking at Luke.
“Yeah, of course. Just tired and—”
“Drunk.” Riley laughs.
I hold my hand up with my thumb and forefinger slightly apart. “Maybe just a little.”
“Luke, can you walk Ava—”
“No!” I gasp, and they all look at me. I force a smile. “I am seriously fine.”
“Come on, Ava,” Luke says from the doorway.
My body heats instantaneously. Unwelcome desire and all of those feelings that are called forth when he says my name, regardless of the tone he uses, flood every cell in my body.
I swallow back the thickness in my throat and roll my eyes. “Fine, but it’s unnecessary.”
I walk to the table to grab my coat off the back of the chair, but Jackson has it in his hands already, holding it up.
I put my arms through my sleeves. “Oh, so you’re the ladies’ man in the family?” Jackson is by far the quietest of the crew.
“Learning everything I know from my big brother.”
I laugh rather loudly then quickly cover my mouth.
Their father Ryan laughs and shakes his head. “You better catch up, then, young buck. Your brother’s been around the world, haven’t you, son?”
“You ready?” Luke asks as he gives a quick nod to Ryan, seeming almost annoyed.
I throw my hand up and wave. “Good night, everyone.”
“You’re home for a couple weeks, right?” Jade calls from the kitchen.
“Yep,” I say, pushing my feet into my boots, the ones Mom gave me, and then I walk out into the garage as Luke holds the door open. “See you later!”
Once outside, I sigh. “You don’t have to—”
“Like hell I don’t,” he snaps.
I can’t stop myself from turning back and looking at him. “Is it necessary to be nasty to me, Luke? After everything, is it really necessary?”
“I’m beginning to think so,” he says in a very icy tone.
I turn and look at him. “What happened to—”
I trip and almost fall on my ass, but he catches my elbow and pulls me up.
“And there lies the fucking problem. All of you are oblivious to what the fuck is right under your damn noses.”
“Luke, I know you’ve seen and been through some horrible things in the past few years, but—”
“ Few ?” He laughs callously. “My entire life, I have watched every damn one of you treat me like I’m a fucking ghost. Ryan?” He huffs. “Calls me son? I’m not his fucking son.”
“Luke, that’s not fair,” I say sadly.
“No, fuck you, Ava. What’s not fair is that I’ve had to act like I understand all the fucking shit about my father. I never met the guy, but everyone around here thinks I should get all sentimental when they talk about him. None of them want me to know him; they want me to be him. Your father”—the way he says it is in disgust—“gives me shit like money for college and offers me a job because that’s
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