She sticks her tongue out, making her seem too young to be pregnant with dipshit Jordy’s baby. Fuck. When the hell did she grow up?
“Seriously,” Roan chimes in. “I’ve been wondering the same thing.”
“I’m not the first woman to get pregnant before her wedding—”
“You’re not a woman,” Roan tosses back at her. “Girl. Little girl.”
Jordy smirks. “She’s not a little girl. Trust me.” He splays his hands over her belly and nuzzles her neck.
Gross.
Ignoring them, I think about the shit I’d read on the internet earlier. I fell down a rabbit hole of families whose comatose family member woke up. It was wishful thinking, but it gave me hope nonetheless. I even joined a group on social media to eavesdrop on all their success stories.
Headlights shine as someone comes up the road toward us. A few minutes later, several students holler with excitement as several guys join the fray. As soon as I see Ryan motherfucking Cunningham, I’m on my feet.
“Off my property, dickhead. You’re not welcome here,” I call out.
Jordy has shifted Roux to the seat and stands. Roan mirrors him. We’re a trio of we’ll fucking kill you if you come closer. Ryan wisely stays on the other side of the fire, his clan of idiots backing him up like they’re the shit.
“I’m looking for Char. Heard she’s back in town,” Ryan bellows. “I don’t want to stir up shit. Just want to see my girl.”
“She’s not your girl,” Roan snarls. “Go the fuck away.”
Ryan tenses, his hands fisting at his side. “Is she at home?”
“None of your business, asshole. Go before I call your daddy to tell him you’re trespassing.” I pin him with a fiery glare. “Better yet, maybe I should call my daddy and tell him you’re trespassing. He’s been looking to shoot a Cuntingham in the fucking face for years now.”
Jordy elbows me, a silent warning to calm the fuck down. I can’t, though. This guy pisses me off. I hate him. Hate his father. I want to ram my fist right through his teeth.
“Fucking losers,” Ryan barks out. “Come on. Let’s go.”
They leave and the tension floods out of me in a quick rush of air.
“I’ll call Garrett and warn him,” Roux says. “She’s doing too well to have him mess with her life again.”
While she calls Charlotte’s dad, I crack my neck, letting my gaze drag over each and every partygoer. Many are scared of us. Just one look in the eye and they break the stare. Most just want to be us. That’ll either help or hurt Tierra. Being a Hoodlum is mostly good, but sometimes it associates you with some bad shit. No matter what, though, I’m going to look after her. Since T is out, it’s up to me to keep our little cuz safe.
“Hey, Cal,” a familiar girl says, emerging from the shadows beyond the fire. “Missed you, baby.”
I frown, trying to remember who this girl is. “What’s up,” I greet coolly. It’s as polite as I have it in me to be.
“You’re barking up the wrong tree, Tarrin,” Roux says after ending her call. “They’re all taken.”
I don’t correct her that I’m not.
“No one’s talking to you, slut,” Tarrin hisses at her.
Jordy shakes his head. “Get her, Little Hoodlum.”
“I’m not the slut here,” Roux bites back at her, fire in her tone. “I’ve slept with one man. How many have you fucked, Tarrin? Oh, that’s right, you can’t count that high. My bad.”
I start to laugh because pregnant Roux has fucking balls.
“Fuck you guys,” Tarrin spits out. “I was just going to blow Cal over here because he looks so pathetic without Terrence. Excuse me for trying to cheer him the hell up.”
Pathetic?
Try destroyed.
Screw her.
“Go home, Tarrah.”
“It’s Tarrin—”
“Who the fuck cares?” I bark out. “You’re not going to come here and talk trash to my family.”
She turns on her heel, her black hair swooshing out behind her before storming back to her friends. I rub at the back of my neck and pace the porch. Am I really seen as pathetic? All because I miss my goddamn friend?
Fuck everyone.
I hop off the porch and start to stalk past the fire. Roan calls out after me. Ignoring him, I trek the three hundred feet or so through the woods to my cabin. By the time I reach the porch, Roan catches up to me.
“Cal, stop. Talk to me, man,” he pleads, his voice catching with emotion.
“What’s there to talk about?” I ask, swiveling around to face him. “The one thing I want to talk about, everyone wants to forget. So, unless you want to talk about how fucking pathetic I am for missing T, then go the fuck away.”
His throat bobs as he swallows and he shoots me a pained look. “Dude, I don’t want to forget him. I can’t stop thinking about what happened. I pray to fuck he’ll wake up because we need him. He’s our best friend.”
“No,” I shout. “You have Jordy. I had Terrence. Now I have no one.” My voice cracks. I grit my teeth so hard they nearly crack from the pressure.
Roan walks right up to me, yanking me to him for a hug. “Shut the fuck up, Cal. You’re my best friend too. Don’t say shit like that.”
Guilt stabs at me, making me feel like a huge dick. “If he dies…” I trail off, squeezing my eyes shut so I don’t fucking cry.
“He won’t die,” Roan assures me, though he sounds uncertain. “He’s a fucking Hoodlum. We’re like roaches in the apocalypse. Invincible.”
I manage a laugh, shoving him away. “Only you would compare us to roaches.”
“Would you rather I call us Hood River rats instead?”
“Nah, your hubby has that title all for himself.”
“He fucking owns it too,” Roan says with a chuckle.
“Fucking weirdo,” I joke.
Roan grins a stupid, happy smile we never saw growing up. I’m jealous of his happiness, but thrilled to hell all the same. “Yeah, he’s a
