Together Blake and Clay glared at one another, neither moving. No words were spoken, only the challenging standoff.
“Holy hell,” Morgan entered the front door and paused, “what did I miss?”
It was the moment that broke the tension-filled stare down and everyone finally took in the crazy that Morgan was seeing. Tipped over lamp and couch cushions tossed around. Jell-O dripping off not only Clayton but me too, and Blake’s shoes. Globs of it piled on the floor around the edge of the couch.
“Jell-O wars,” I finally said, breaking the awkward silence. “We were just about to fill the baby pool and do some wrestling. Wanna join?” Xavier’s nostrils flared and he narrowed his eyes at me. Pushing off the wall, he took a step closer, but Morgan held her hand out to stop him. She maintained his moods so well, the girl had to be a saint.
“You wouldn’t want to challenge me, Jay.”
“And why’s that?”
“Morgan,” Xavier growled, giving her a warning she chose to ignore.
“Because I would embarrass you in front of all your brothers. Getting your ass handed to you by a girl is something a guy never wants to face. You already have so many obstacles to overcome, adding another embarrassment to your plate hardly seems fair.”
Why must the men in this house choose such sassy little shits to love?
“If you and I went to war, you’d cry worse than Clayton, people would video it, it would then be shared throughout social media. Of course they’d use your infamous hashtag so that it would get more hits. Then you would be awarded another suitable one, something like hashtag MaybeTheDickWasFake or hashtag HeHasNoRealDickToSwing.” There were a few snickers of laughter from those standing near, overhearing the hosing Morgan was giving me. “I’d feel bad, though I shouldn’t, because the truth would have come out eventually. You’d end up this lonely guy with four dogs, who picks day-old Doritos off your dirty shirt while watching reruns of The Bachelor, wishing you could get just one glance from a girl as hot as those on the show. And I would be to blame. It would all boil down to the day Morgan whipped the ass of Jay and every single love possibility of yours had to be forced to face the fact that you are in fact a dickless bitch who couldn’t even win against a pint-sized girl like me.”
I stared at her, part of me wanting to come back with a long line of shit, but truth was I was extremely proud. Not only of Morgan but of Xavier for landing a gem like her. The girl was a badass. A take no shit, stand on her on two feet kind of girl.
“I think I’m in love with your girl, X,” I said, offering her a wink. I stood and headed toward the bathroom to wash that sticky shit off me. Mornings, hell days, nights, and all the in between were crazy. You had to always be ready, be alert, because when you least expected it, shit got real.
Chapter Six
Ruby
“I can’t do this.” My hands were shaking, my stomach was in knots. “If I get arrested,” I whisper yelled to Darcy and she rolled her eyes. “My father will—”
“First of all, you are not going to get arrested.” Easy for her to say. She didn’t have an unpaid for nail polish in her purse that she was about to steal. “Second of all, that is why you get a shopping cart, open the top of your purse, and toss it in there. It’s just inside, not hidden, so it’s easier to convince anyone that it was an accident. Though you won’t get caught because look at you.” I looked down at myself and wondered what that could mean. “Who in their right mind would think that a girl wearing khaki capris and loafers would steal anything, especially a bright pink nail polish?”
I stared at her with my mouth hanging open. I know it’s meant for an insult, but she was so gentle about it that it was hard for me to get angry. Plus I was on the verge of a panic attack, so then there’s that clouding my defensiveness too.
“Smile.” She elbowed me as we stepped up to the counter. One by one we placed the items on the counter. Pads, tampons, shampoo, and conditioner. Two fingernail polish bottles and even acetone. Darcy chit chatted with the girl behind the counter while the entire time I was chanting in my head over and over for forgiveness. Oh, and a speedy cashier. I just wanted this entire thing to be over.
I missed everything that was said between them, just smiled as if I was pleasantly amused and entertained. The way Darcy kept continuously looking at me, I assumed I was failing, but only because she knew me too well. This kind of thing was hard for me. I’d spent so many years focusing on never stepping out of line that the idea of something like this getting back to my father terrified me―to the point of a panic attack. I was trembling.
“I love this color.” The cashier picked up the bright pink polish that was on the counter
