"I don't know about you, man," Bennett whistles, looking in the same direction, "but that guy seems shady. If I were you, I'd tell Aria to stay the hell away from him."
I grind my teeth, keeping myself from barging in there and sending Aria home.
I'm not just being an overprotective brother. I know Aria is old enough to look after herself. But I don't trust Payne. Bennett's right—there's something off about him. I just can't put my finger on it.
When I learned that he was dating my sister, I told her to break up with him. But the stubborn brat just laughed in my face. Sisters are such a pain in the ass. A damn good thing I only have one.
"Good luck with that," Jamie chuckles, as if reading my thoughts.
Before I can respond to that, Giovanni drops back on the couch next to me, grumbling. "Little shits will be the death of me."
"Did you kick their asses out?" I ask.
"No." A dark smile curves his mouth. "But I threatened to cut off every finger in their bodies if they so much as look at the vase and any other valuable item here again."
Bennett chuckles. "Living up to your old man's reputation, I see."
Giovanni flips him off without looking in his direction.
Bennett just grins.
At the same time, Jamie shoots up to his feet. "I'm heading out."
"Where?" Giovanni asks.
"To suck on your mommy's tits," Jamie throws over his shoulder. "Wanna watch?"
Giovanni flips off his retreating back, too.
I shake my head and close my eyes. The night is still early.
CHAPTER 6
Sawyer
I have a flat tire. Of all the days my white Audi could have a flat tire, it had to happen on a school day.
I stare at the offending tire, as if willing it to pump itself back up so I can continue driving to school. But of course, no matter how hard I glare at it, nothing changes.
I'm about to take my phone out to call for help when a vehicle approaches, distracting me. It's not just any vehicle though. It's Parker's Lexus.
For the second time in less than a week, he caught me in a bad time. Lucky me.
I watch as the Lexus slows down and stops in front of my car. A minute later, Parker gets out. With a frown, he approaches. "Peaches, what happened here?"
"I got a flat tire," I say, embarrassed, ignoring the nickname he's clearly intent on calling me and how good he looks in his school uniform combo—white polo shirt and blue V-neck sweater, his long legs encased in a pair of black pants.
His thick dark hair, which is neatly styled, is still a little damp from the shower. And when he moves closer to inspect the flat tire, an earthy, spicy scent hits me.
"Do you have a spare tire?"
"No." Even if I did, I still wouldn't know how to put it in place.
He sighs, then walks back to his car.
I shoot an incredulous look after him. He's leaving me just like that? Why did he even stop in the first place?
But before he can get into the driver's side, he glances back at me. "Aren't you coming?"
I blink. "What about my car?"
"I'll call someone to take care of it. Just leave your keys there so they can drive it over to school."
I was actually planning to call my dad, but since he's already offering… "I'll just go get my things." I hurriedly grab my bag from the passenger seat, making sure to leave the keys on the dashboard and checking that the doors are unlocked before heading to the Lexus.
Parker is already seated in the driver's seat when I get in, and talking to someone on his phone—probably an employee of the nearest auto shop.
"Thank you," he says before ending the call, placing his phone down on the dashboard. Then without another word, he starts the car and pulls back into the road.
When we reach the school parking lot, I quietly slide off his car and wait for him to do the same.
Judging from the look on his face, he's surprised to see me still standing there.
I give him a grateful smile. "Thanks for giving me a ride and for, um, calling for help."
"Don't mention it," he simply says, not even smiling back, and starts to head off.
I hurriedly catch up to him. "No, seriously, I owe you one. Well, two really, since this is the second time you've helped me. I feel like I haven't thanked you enough. I guess, maybe because I haven't returned the favor yet."
Parker abruptly stops then turns to me in the next second, making my eyes widen when he starts crowding me until my back hits his car.
"Let's get something straight here, Peaches," he says in a dangerously soft voice, his breath caressing my cheek, making my heart pick up pace. "I helped you because I wanted to, not because I was asking for anything in return."
"T-That's not what I meant," I stammer.
"Do you understand?" It's as if I didn't speak.
Swallowing hard, I simply nod.
"Good." He searches my face, his eyes flashing with satisfaction after a moment. Then he's walking off without another word, uncaring if I'm following or not.
Speechless, I can only stare after him.
What the hell was that about? It certainly didn't feel friendly. In fact, it was something else. Intense is probably the word I can use for it.
"Is that Sawyer Dunn with Parker Holloway? Did they arrive together?"
"Wait. They're together now?"
"Oh my God, you're right. Maybe that's their revenge for the cheating. They're hooking up now."
Glaring at the group of junior girls gossiping nearby, I head inside the school, making sure to keep my distance from Parker.
I think he's pissed at me. As to the reason why, I have no idea. And with the way he just acted, I don't care to know.
Not that I'm being ungrateful, but he acted like he didn't really want to help me.
