Easton takes a sip of his water and nods. “He’s right. She’s like the Virgin Mary, I swear. Tessa said she doesn’t even curse unless she’s super pissed.”
I snort. Having seen the way she acted at the party last night, that bit of information doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. I’m just not sure if I find it ridiculous or endearing.
Stone gets a devious look on his face and leans forward with his elbows on the table. “What do you say, Knox? You up for the challenge?”
“What’d you have in mind?”
His brows raise. “Fifty bucks. Blow job. Picture for proof.”
I laugh, reaching my hand across the table to shake his. “You’re on, douchebag.”
Eason shakes his head. “Dude, you do know that if Tess finds out you’re making bets about her sister, she will literally kill you, right?”
“Well then, let’s make sure she doesn’t find out, okay, E?”
GRAYSON PULLS UP TO my house, looking nowhere near ready for what tonight entails. His button-down shirt and dress pants are definitely not training attire. I get into the car and eye him strangely.
“Okay, I know you may not be all there, but you know what we’re training for, correct?”
He rolls his eyes as he puts the car in drive. “Yes, asshole. We had our sports banquet tonight. I haven’t had time to change yet, so I’m stopping home on the way. Figured I’d pick you up first.”
Fucking lovely. I lay my head back against the seat and place my feet up on the dashboard, not giving a shit about his precious interior. “Next time, pick me up after you get ready.”
The drive to his house is quiet except for the low music coming from the speakers. I stare out the window and watch as he drives into the expensive side of town. Two story houses turn to McMansions, and when he pulls into the richest development within a twenty-mile radius, I can’t stop the humorless laugh from leaving my mouth.
Why am I not surprised?
Turning into his driveway, the house in front of us could fit about seven of mine. It’s fucking massive. Bigger than anything anyone actually needs, except for maybe a family of seventeen.
“I’ll be right back,” he tells me and hops out of the car.
I take out my phone and start to scroll through it, when movement in the rear-view mirror catches my eye. Someone is walking down the drive at a neighboring house. I squint as I try to figure out what’s so familiar about the girl until it finally clicks. Delaney. Of course, she lives here, too.
I watch her through the mirror. She looks naturally beautiful in a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie—wrapping her arms around herself to keep warm as she walks to her mailbox. A part of me considers staying put, but the urge to get out and talk to her is too strong to resist. So, I slip out of the car and head across the street.
“Hey.”
The surprise on her face is evident. “Knox? What are you doing here?”
“Waiting for Grayson. I saw you out here and figured I’d come say hi.”
“How nice of you,” she deadpans then turns around to go back inside.
I throw my head back, laughing. “So, that’s it then? No more playing nice? One little spat was all it took to break you?”
“No.” She stops and spins to face me again. “I just don’t feel like dealing with someone like you right now.”
“Someone like me?”
She crosses her arms. “Rude. Arrogant. A pain in the butt.”
Butt. I do my best to conceal my amusement. Easton was right, she really is the Virgin fucking Mary.
“Look at you, making assumptions like you know me.”
“Are you saying I’m wrong?”
My face splits into a wide grin. “No. You’re dead on. I’m all of those things.”
She looks me up and down before taking a step forward. “Yeah, I don’t think you are. I think it’s all a front. A mask you put on to look tough and hide whatever your real problem is.”
The air is practically sucked from my lungs. Her eyes bore into mine like she can see right through my hard exterior. All of my flaws. My fears. My insecurities. She can see them all. If that’s true, she’s so much more dangerous than I’ve given her credit for. I quickly rally and reconstruct my defensive walls.
“Now you’re way off.” I tell her, moving closer until there’s less than an inch between us. “I’m the devil reincarnated. Your living fucking nightmare. Made of stone, with no feelings for anyone or anything.”
I half expect for her to run like she did last night, but she stands her ground. “Yeah, I’m not so sure.”
“Knox!” Grayson calls from across the street, causing me to glance back at him. “Come on. We have to go.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Returning my attention to Delaney, I find she’s already halfway up her driveway. I watch as she makes her way inside, only stopping to look at me one last time before she disappears behind the door.
I’m not sure what the hell just happened, but one thing’s for sure—I didn’t fucking like it.
6
DELANEY
The yelling from downstairs is so loud, it practically echoes throughout the house. It’s two o’clock in the morning, and Dad caught Tessa sneaking back in again. A part of me considers coming to her rescue, but there’s nothing I could really do to help. If anything, it would just get both of us in trouble, and that wouldn’t do any good.
“What did I tell you about that boy?” he roars. “He’s no good for you!”
“You don’t even know him!” Tess snaps back.
The loud bang against the wall tells me someone threw something, and judging by the scream my sister lets out, it wasn’t her.
“I know enough! You are not to see him again, or I swear to God, I’ll ship your little ass off to boarding school! I don’t care how close you are to graduating!”
It’s not an empty threat—that I’m sure of. He’s been looking up the best places to send her for the past few weeks, ever since he found out she’s been hanging around Easton. Out of his three daughters, Tessa has always been the problem child. She’s the only one who doesn’t get good grades. The only one who has come home drunk. And the only one who doesn’t cower to his demands. To say she gives him a run for his money is a laughable understatement.
Mom tried to get through to her a few times, and when that didn’t work, she tried to get through to Dad—telling him that this is just a phase. Teenage rebellion at its finest. He refuses to let slide.
Tessa storms up the stairs and into her bedroom, slamming the door as soon as she’s inside. She screams into her pillow so loud I can hear it from across the hall, and trust me, this house is anything but small. I grab my phone and send her a text, letting her know I’m awake and here if she needs to talk. Within seconds, she’s sneaking into my room and slipping into bed with me.
“Are you okay?” I whisper.
She sighs. “Yeah. He’s just an asshole.”
We cuddle close, like we used to do when we were younger and heard our parents fighting. No matter how old we get or how different we become, this will always stay the same.