The freshman looks like she’s about to faint over the fact that Reed knows her name. Daniel notices her awed expression, too, and his lips form an ugly scowl.
“Yeah,” she says in a breathy voice. “I know who you are. I go to all of Chuck’s games.”
Reed nods. “Nice. Appreciate your school spirit.”
“Hate to be rude,” Daniel says coldly, “but we’re kind of on a date here.”
“Hate to be rude,” Reed mimics, his blue eyes focused on Cassidy, “but your date’s a rapist, Cass.”
She gasps. “W-what?”
“Royal!” Daniel growls.
Reed ignores him. “I know he cleans up nice in his thousand-dollar suit,” he tells Cassidy, “but this guy is a straight-up creep.”
Two pink splotches appear on her cheeks. She glances at Daniel, then back at me and Reed. “I don’t understand.”
I speak up in a quiet voice. “He shot me up with Ecstasy at a party. And he would have raped me if my boyfriend,” I gesture at Reed, “hadn’t shown up in time to stop him.”
Cassidy swallows repeatedly. “Oh my God.”
“We can drive you home,” Reed says gently. “Do you want us to?”
She looks at Daniel again, whose entire face is beet-red. His fists are clenched on the linen tablecloth, and I’m pretty sure he’s seconds away from launching himself at Reed.
“You’re too good for him,” I tell her. “Please, let us take you home.”
Cassidy goes quiet for a moment. She just sits there, staring at Daniel.
Other people are staring, too, curious gazes turned in our direction even though none of us had even raised our voices.
Finally, Cassidy scrapes her chair back and stands up. “I’d love a ride home,” she whispers, primly smoothing out the bottom of her floral dress.
“Cassidy,” Daniel hisses, clearly embarrassed. “What the hell?”
She doesn’t glance his way. Instead, she silently comes up beside me and the three of us leave the room. When we stop so Reed can hand three crisp hundreds to the hostess, I make the mistake of looking back at Daniel.
He’s still at the table, stiff as a statue, his mouth set in a tight line. He doesn’t look embarrassed anymore, but livid. Our eyes don’t meet, because he’s not looking at me. He’s staring at Reed with such unconcealed rage that it sends a shiver scurrying up my spine.
Swallowing, I wrench my gaze away and follow Reed and Cassidy out the door.
30
“I’m bored. Entertain me.”
Reed and I break apart breathlessly as Easton marches into my room without knocking. Great. I’m so glad I asked Callum to disable the scanner on my door. Reed convinced me it was pointless now that we’re back together, reminding me that he can’t exactly sneak in at night if he can’t get through the door. But I guess we both forgot that Easton doesn’t know how to knock.
“Get out,” Reed mumbles from the bed.
“Why? Whatcha guys doing—” Easton stops when he notices our disheveled clothing, and legs that are still tangled together. He grins. “Oops. Were you making out?”
I glare at him. We were making out and it was awesome and I’m pissed at him for interrupting.
“My bad.” He pauses for a beat. “Threesome?”
Reed throws a pillow at him, which Easton easily catches.
“Jeez. Chill, bro. I was joking.”
“We’re busy,” I tell Easton. “Go away.”
“And do what? It’s Saturday night and there aren’t any parties. I’m bored,” Easton says plaintively.
Reed rolls his eyes. “It’s almost midnight. How about you go to bed?”
“Nah. That’s no fun.” Easton fishes his phone out of his pocket. “Whatever. I’m texting Cunningham. I’m sure there’s a fight or two tonight.”
Reed disentangles his legs from mine and slides into a sitting position. “You’re not going down there alone. Buddy system, remember?”
“Fine, then be my buddy. You like to fight. Let’s go fight.”
I don’t miss the glint of excitement in Reed’s eyes, but it fades the moment he notices me staring. With a sigh, I sit up, too. “If you want to go, then go,” I tell him.
“See, Reed?” Easton prompts. “Your little sis slash hot girlfriend just gave you permission to kick some ass. Let’s bounce.”
Reed doesn’t move. Instead, he studies my face. “You really don’t care if I fight?”
I hesitate. His extra-curricular activities don’t exactly thrill me, but the one time I followed him and Easton to the wharf, I didn’t see anything I considered scary or dangerous. It was just a bunch of high school and college guys pummeling each other for fun and taking bets on the action. Besides, I’ve seen Reed in action. He’s lethal when he needs to be.
“Knock yourself out,” I reply. Then I give him a wry smile. “No, wait, knock someone else out. I want you coming home looking as pretty as when you left.”
Easton gags loudly.
Reed just laughs. “Wanna come with? We probably won’t be long. Shit usually breaks up before two.”
I think it over. Tomorrow’s Sunday, so technically we can sleep in for as long as we want. “Sure. I’ll come.”
“Sweet. You can hold our winnings in your bra.” Easton waggles his eyebrows at me, which gets him another pillow to the face courtesy of Reed.
“Anything Ella wears under her clothes—bras included—doesn’t concern you,” Reed tells his brother.
Easton blinks innocently. “Dude, you need me to remind you who kissed her first?”
Reed growls, and I grab his arm before he can lunge at Easton. “Save it for the docks,” I chastise him.
“Fine.” He jabs a finger in the air in front of Easton. “But if you make one more pervy comment, I’m dragging you into the ring.”
“Can’t make any promises,” Easton says on our way out the door.
The drive to the docks doesn’t take long, and when we get there, there are already a bunch of cars parked near the fence that blocks off the shipyard. Reed and Easton hop over with ease, while I need two tries before I can haul myself over the fence. I land not so gracefully in Reed’s arms, and he pinches my butt before lowering me to my feet.
“Yeah,” she says in a breathy voice. “I know who you are. I go to all of Chuck’s games.”
Reed nods. “Nice. Appreciate your school spirit.”
“Hate to be rude,” Daniel says coldly, “but we’re kind of on a date here.”
“Hate to be rude,” Reed mimics, his blue eyes focused on Cassidy, “but your date’s a rapist, Cass.”
She gasps. “W-what?”
“Royal!” Daniel growls.
Reed ignores him. “I know he cleans up nice in his thousand-dollar suit,” he tells Cassidy, “but this guy is a straight-up creep.”
Two pink splotches appear on her cheeks. She glances at Daniel, then back at me and Reed. “I don’t understand.”
I speak up in a quiet voice. “He shot me up with Ecstasy at a party. And he would have raped me if my boyfriend,” I gesture at Reed, “hadn’t shown up in time to stop him.”
Cassidy swallows repeatedly. “Oh my God.”
“We can drive you home,” Reed says gently. “Do you want us to?”
She looks at Daniel again, whose entire face is beet-red. His fists are clenched on the linen tablecloth, and I’m pretty sure he’s seconds away from launching himself at Reed.
“You’re too good for him,” I tell her. “Please, let us take you home.”
Cassidy goes quiet for a moment. She just sits there, staring at Daniel.
Other people are staring, too, curious gazes turned in our direction even though none of us had even raised our voices.
Finally, Cassidy scrapes her chair back and stands up. “I’d love a ride home,” she whispers, primly smoothing out the bottom of her floral dress.
“Cassidy,” Daniel hisses, clearly embarrassed. “What the hell?”
She doesn’t glance his way. Instead, she silently comes up beside me and the three of us leave the room. When we stop so Reed can hand three crisp hundreds to the hostess, I make the mistake of looking back at Daniel.
He’s still at the table, stiff as a statue, his mouth set in a tight line. He doesn’t look embarrassed anymore, but livid. Our eyes don’t meet, because he’s not looking at me. He’s staring at Reed with such unconcealed rage that it sends a shiver scurrying up my spine.
Swallowing, I wrench my gaze away and follow Reed and Cassidy out the door.
30
“I’m bored. Entertain me.”
Reed and I break apart breathlessly as Easton marches into my room without knocking. Great. I’m so glad I asked Callum to disable the scanner on my door. Reed convinced me it was pointless now that we’re back together, reminding me that he can’t exactly sneak in at night if he can’t get through the door. But I guess we both forgot that Easton doesn’t know how to knock.
“Get out,” Reed mumbles from the bed.
“Why? Whatcha guys doing—” Easton stops when he notices our disheveled clothing, and legs that are still tangled together. He grins. “Oops. Were you making out?”
I glare at him. We were making out and it was awesome and I’m pissed at him for interrupting.
“My bad.” He pauses for a beat. “Threesome?”
Reed throws a pillow at him, which Easton easily catches.
“Jeez. Chill, bro. I was joking.”
“We’re busy,” I tell Easton. “Go away.”
“And do what? It’s Saturday night and there aren’t any parties. I’m bored,” Easton says plaintively.
Reed rolls his eyes. “It’s almost midnight. How about you go to bed?”
“Nah. That’s no fun.” Easton fishes his phone out of his pocket. “Whatever. I’m texting Cunningham. I’m sure there’s a fight or two tonight.”
Reed disentangles his legs from mine and slides into a sitting position. “You’re not going down there alone. Buddy system, remember?”
“Fine, then be my buddy. You like to fight. Let’s go fight.”
I don’t miss the glint of excitement in Reed’s eyes, but it fades the moment he notices me staring. With a sigh, I sit up, too. “If you want to go, then go,” I tell him.
“See, Reed?” Easton prompts. “Your little sis slash hot girlfriend just gave you permission to kick some ass. Let’s bounce.”
Reed doesn’t move. Instead, he studies my face. “You really don’t care if I fight?”
I hesitate. His extra-curricular activities don’t exactly thrill me, but the one time I followed him and Easton to the wharf, I didn’t see anything I considered scary or dangerous. It was just a bunch of high school and college guys pummeling each other for fun and taking bets on the action. Besides, I’ve seen Reed in action. He’s lethal when he needs to be.
“Knock yourself out,” I reply. Then I give him a wry smile. “No, wait, knock someone else out. I want you coming home looking as pretty as when you left.”
Easton gags loudly.
Reed just laughs. “Wanna come with? We probably won’t be long. Shit usually breaks up before two.”
I think it over. Tomorrow’s Sunday, so technically we can sleep in for as long as we want. “Sure. I’ll come.”
“Sweet. You can hold our winnings in your bra.” Easton waggles his eyebrows at me, which gets him another pillow to the face courtesy of Reed.
“Anything Ella wears under her clothes—bras included—doesn’t concern you,” Reed tells his brother.
Easton blinks innocently. “Dude, you need me to remind you who kissed her first?”
Reed growls, and I grab his arm before he can lunge at Easton. “Save it for the docks,” I chastise him.
“Fine.” He jabs a finger in the air in front of Easton. “But if you make one more pervy comment, I’m dragging you into the ring.”
“Can’t make any promises,” Easton says on our way out the door.
The drive to the docks doesn’t take long, and when we get there, there are already a bunch of cars parked near the fence that blocks off the shipyard. Reed and Easton hop over with ease, while I need two tries before I can haul myself over the fence. I land not so gracefully in Reed’s arms, and he pinches my butt before lowering me to my feet.
