I swallowed tightly. Who was I to deny this to her when I was trying to prove myself, too. I felt my head nodding, and I rasped out, “Sure. Yes. That would help, a lot.”
“Oh, that’s awesome.”
She let out an excited breath as she said those words, and she was beaming.
It probably wasn’t smart of me, but I felt myself melting even more around Mena. All the bullshit from high school had been so long ago. Like she said, she’d been paying her dues for a long time now. Besides, we both remained friends with Grace. Before she went to the dark side of sororities, Grace was a good judge. I used to trust her.
Thinking back on those days, I asked suddenly, “Do you miss her?”
The beaming dimmed. It was a sudden switch, and it happened so fast that I was startled by it. Her face became emotionless, then her head lowered. “Yes.” She sounded wistful again.
“Me too.”
“She was good to me.”
My throat swelled up. “Me too.”
We shared a look. Mena wasn’t emotionless. I was wrong. She was full of emotion, but she put a mask on. It wasn’t a masquerade mask, but a guarded wall. I understood her, and I felt an odd camaraderie with her then.
“I’m sorry if I was bitch to you in high school.”
Mena laughed softly. “You weren’t, actually. You were one of the few who weren’t. Thank you.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I gave up on you. I shouldn’t have done that. I should’ve fought harder for you, for Bryce and Corrigan to accept you—”
She touched my arm. “Stop. I knew the rules for you guys. I had to earn their respect, and there were opportunities. I knew all I had to do was stand-up to them, and they would accept me, but I didn’t. I wasn’t strong back then, and that was the other rule to be in your group. You had to have such strength, all three of you did. I didn’t. That’s the truth. I wasn’t ready to fight to be in your group.”
“You shouldn’t have had to fight.”
“But I would’ve. I saw what happened. Girls tried to use you to get to them. I know why you had such a hard exterior. I do. I get it. I just didn’t have the extra skin you did.” Her head lifted up. “But I do now. I’ve worked hard, with therapy and the right meds. I’m strong and stable. I can be your friend now. I know it.”
I was starting to grin at her when Denton joined our group. He threw an arm around each of our shoulders and breathed on us. “Hey, sexy ladies.” After winking at me, he lifted his arm and wrapped it around his sister. Picking her up, he squeezed her hard. “I love my little sister. Sheldon, have I told you how much I love her?”
Mena gasped and her cheeks reddened. Patting his arm, she said, that beaming expression was coming back, “I love you, too, brother.”
He set her back down and ruffled her hair. “Did you guys see that I won? Seems everyone likes the mermaid look.” He flicked some of his hair off his shoulder and batted those naturally long eyelashes at me. “Maybe I’ll try this role in a movie. Oscar-worthy.”
“Hey.” Corrigan and Bryce both came over.
Their gazes went to Mena, and as one, kept them there.
Her gaze slowly lowered back to the floor, and I frowned. Enough was enough. I stood in front of her, blocking her from their view. My hand found my hip and I raised my chin. “Stop it. She’s in our camp, whether you want her there or not. You’re just being mean now.”
Both held varying degrees of contempt, but Corrigan was the first to relent. He muttered, “Whatever, but we’re going.”
“Wait. Now? I haven’t found anything out.”
“Carolina and the girls are going to keep asking around. My brothers, too. If there’s a rumor going around, they’ll hear it.”
I wasn’t sure about that.
Corrigan gentled his tone, “Sheldon, I mean it. You can’t force the asshole out of hiding.”
“We’re thinking we should bait him,” Bryce added.
“Bait? Isn’t that what this party is for?”
“It’s not enough. Everyone thinks you’re hiding somewhere or locked up.”
“I am.”
Bryce said, “Come on. You know what I mean. Let’s head back to the house and have a planning session. Figure a way to draw this psycho out of hiding.”
“Sounds good to me.” Denton still had one arm around Mena’s shoulders. He started flicking her ear and she elbowed him in the side. When he did it again, she swatted at his hand instead. He kept going.
He met my gaze then and gave me a tiny grin. I could see he felt bad about what he had said at the pool. I lifted a shoulder in response. They were family.
My gaze went to Corrigan and Bryce.
Families go through hard times. It was unavoidable.
“What about Ritt?”
I frowned, not recognizing the fraternity brother that had come up to our group. He directed that question to Corrigan, and I caught up. Corrigan had signaled to him we were going. He said, “What about him?”
The brother lifted his phone up, a deep frown under his lipstick. “He’s not answering his phone.”
Corrigan cursed. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah.”
He groaned. “I told him to lay off the booze.”
Denton waved a hand, getting their attention. “If you need to stay, that’s fine. We can wait around. I’m sure,” he glanced to me, “Zorro would be A-Okay with that.”
I perked up.
“No.” Corrigan shook his head, a hard glint in his eyes. “You guys go. Start the planning. I’ll take care of this and get back as soon as possible.”
“You sure?”
I offered, “We can totally stay.” I recognized the girl who had called me a bitch on the front lawn. There was a group that I wouldn’t mind messing with, maybe ask why she was so adamant I was a bitch. “I’ve not ruffled any feathers tonight.”
“No.” Corrigan shot me a dark look. “Go. I mean it. I want you to stay safe.” He spoke over me to Bryce, “I’ll be back in a few. Take her.”
Bryce’s hand came to my arm and he pulled me toward him. “I will.” He turned, guiding me in front of him, and he said to Denton, “Can you call your driver to come get us?”
“Oh, that’s awesome.”
She let out an excited breath as she said those words, and she was beaming.
It probably wasn’t smart of me, but I felt myself melting even more around Mena. All the bullshit from high school had been so long ago. Like she said, she’d been paying her dues for a long time now. Besides, we both remained friends with Grace. Before she went to the dark side of sororities, Grace was a good judge. I used to trust her.
Thinking back on those days, I asked suddenly, “Do you miss her?”
The beaming dimmed. It was a sudden switch, and it happened so fast that I was startled by it. Her face became emotionless, then her head lowered. “Yes.” She sounded wistful again.
“Me too.”
“She was good to me.”
My throat swelled up. “Me too.”
We shared a look. Mena wasn’t emotionless. I was wrong. She was full of emotion, but she put a mask on. It wasn’t a masquerade mask, but a guarded wall. I understood her, and I felt an odd camaraderie with her then.
“I’m sorry if I was bitch to you in high school.”
Mena laughed softly. “You weren’t, actually. You were one of the few who weren’t. Thank you.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I gave up on you. I shouldn’t have done that. I should’ve fought harder for you, for Bryce and Corrigan to accept you—”
She touched my arm. “Stop. I knew the rules for you guys. I had to earn their respect, and there were opportunities. I knew all I had to do was stand-up to them, and they would accept me, but I didn’t. I wasn’t strong back then, and that was the other rule to be in your group. You had to have such strength, all three of you did. I didn’t. That’s the truth. I wasn’t ready to fight to be in your group.”
“You shouldn’t have had to fight.”
“But I would’ve. I saw what happened. Girls tried to use you to get to them. I know why you had such a hard exterior. I do. I get it. I just didn’t have the extra skin you did.” Her head lifted up. “But I do now. I’ve worked hard, with therapy and the right meds. I’m strong and stable. I can be your friend now. I know it.”
I was starting to grin at her when Denton joined our group. He threw an arm around each of our shoulders and breathed on us. “Hey, sexy ladies.” After winking at me, he lifted his arm and wrapped it around his sister. Picking her up, he squeezed her hard. “I love my little sister. Sheldon, have I told you how much I love her?”
Mena gasped and her cheeks reddened. Patting his arm, she said, that beaming expression was coming back, “I love you, too, brother.”
He set her back down and ruffled her hair. “Did you guys see that I won? Seems everyone likes the mermaid look.” He flicked some of his hair off his shoulder and batted those naturally long eyelashes at me. “Maybe I’ll try this role in a movie. Oscar-worthy.”
“Hey.” Corrigan and Bryce both came over.
Their gazes went to Mena, and as one, kept them there.
Her gaze slowly lowered back to the floor, and I frowned. Enough was enough. I stood in front of her, blocking her from their view. My hand found my hip and I raised my chin. “Stop it. She’s in our camp, whether you want her there or not. You’re just being mean now.”
Both held varying degrees of contempt, but Corrigan was the first to relent. He muttered, “Whatever, but we’re going.”
“Wait. Now? I haven’t found anything out.”
“Carolina and the girls are going to keep asking around. My brothers, too. If there’s a rumor going around, they’ll hear it.”
I wasn’t sure about that.
Corrigan gentled his tone, “Sheldon, I mean it. You can’t force the asshole out of hiding.”
“We’re thinking we should bait him,” Bryce added.
“Bait? Isn’t that what this party is for?”
“It’s not enough. Everyone thinks you’re hiding somewhere or locked up.”
“I am.”
Bryce said, “Come on. You know what I mean. Let’s head back to the house and have a planning session. Figure a way to draw this psycho out of hiding.”
“Sounds good to me.” Denton still had one arm around Mena’s shoulders. He started flicking her ear and she elbowed him in the side. When he did it again, she swatted at his hand instead. He kept going.
He met my gaze then and gave me a tiny grin. I could see he felt bad about what he had said at the pool. I lifted a shoulder in response. They were family.
My gaze went to Corrigan and Bryce.
Families go through hard times. It was unavoidable.
“What about Ritt?”
I frowned, not recognizing the fraternity brother that had come up to our group. He directed that question to Corrigan, and I caught up. Corrigan had signaled to him we were going. He said, “What about him?”
The brother lifted his phone up, a deep frown under his lipstick. “He’s not answering his phone.”
Corrigan cursed. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah.”
He groaned. “I told him to lay off the booze.”
Denton waved a hand, getting their attention. “If you need to stay, that’s fine. We can wait around. I’m sure,” he glanced to me, “Zorro would be A-Okay with that.”
I perked up.
“No.” Corrigan shook his head, a hard glint in his eyes. “You guys go. Start the planning. I’ll take care of this and get back as soon as possible.”
“You sure?”
I offered, “We can totally stay.” I recognized the girl who had called me a bitch on the front lawn. There was a group that I wouldn’t mind messing with, maybe ask why she was so adamant I was a bitch. “I’ve not ruffled any feathers tonight.”
“No.” Corrigan shot me a dark look. “Go. I mean it. I want you to stay safe.” He spoke over me to Bryce, “I’ll be back in a few. Take her.”
Bryce’s hand came to my arm and he pulled me toward him. “I will.” He turned, guiding me in front of him, and he said to Denton, “Can you call your driver to come get us?”
