“Prima.” Carmelo leans in and kisses my cheek. “Que tal?” What’s up?
“Nada.” I shrug.
“Fuck,” Cam cusses as he leans in to kiss my cheek. Then he holds up his phone to an opened message. “Amelia is coming.”
Those three words almost have me catapulting off the hood of my car… almost. I hold myself still and concentrate on my breathing. Amelia Jones is my dad’s good friend Rodney Jones’ daughter and yes, you guessed it, Neil Jones’ younger half sister.
My mother apparently helped get Rodney Jones out of the street gang life and my dad offered him a job to work for him. At the time Rodney who already had a son-Neil-and another baby on the way-Charlotte-decided to take him up on the offer to provide a better life for his kids. He moved to Whitsborough and things didn’t work out with Neil and Charlotte’s mother, but they came to see him and us every other weekend. That’s how we became so close.
Rodney ended up marrying Shay, another family friend, and they had Amelia a few years later. I haven’t seen her since her sister’s funeral and I don’t know how the fuck she’s going to react to me.
“Tell me you’re not fucking her.” Carmelo groans.
“Nah,” Cam shakes his head, “not that she ain’t trying to tap though.”
“Gross.” I mutter. “We’re all practically family.”
Not that I have a fucking leg to stand on because… Charlotte.
“Lots of bitches here tonight.” Carmelo hums and I nod in agreement.
“Yeah, there are.”
“You still swinging both ways?” Cam hits my shoulder.
“I swing all over.” I shrug. “I like the soul, not the flesh it’s encased in.”
Even though most of those souls turn out to be too bright and too pure standing next to mine.
We stand in silence, watching the buzz around us as more people begin to roll up in their suped up cars, and I begin to feel the flutter of excitement in my belly. I can’t wait to feel Shelby’s motor vibrate and roar as I leave these fuckers in her dust.
“Who’s Amelia with?” Carmelo asks and I immediately tense.
I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand and the air around me is suddenly heavy and charged with an intense energy.
He’s here.
“That’s her half brother Neil. He hasn’t been around since…” Cam shoots me a look.
“Since Charlotte died.” I finish for him.
“Is he gonna be a problem?” Carmelo cracks his neck to the side and begins to fist his hands. “I kind of want a problem tonight.”
I don’t say anything because I don’t fucking know the answer and Carmelo is a fighter, it’s what he’s known for. He’s fucking tall and fucking wide, fighting is what he does and according to our family, it’s in his blood.
Amelia is fucking stunning. She has her dark mane of curls out and surrounding her face, the streetlight highlighting the blonde streaks. Her eyes, much like Neil’s and Charlotte’s shine golden, enhancing her deep gold skin. She looks like her half sister but she also looks a lot like her mother, and Shay is a stunner.
Walking right beside her, his stride lazy, and his face half covered by another hat, is Neil Jones. They are coming right for us and I have to tense every fucking muscle to stop myself from fleeing. I knew one day I would have to face the music of what happened, I just thought I had more time.
“Ivy,” Amelia’s voice is smooth and thick like honey. “It’s good to have you home.”
She leans forward and brushes her lips to my cheek, “we should talk.” She whispers for my ears only.
I give her a brusque nod but my eyes haven’t left her brother’s form. He’s standing off to the side, his arms crossed, and his attitude permeating the air.
“Sup man?” Cam calls out to him, our ever welcoming golden boy.
Neil gives him a nod and turns his head towards me. I can’t see if he’s looking at me but I can fucking feel it.
“Ivy, are you racing?” Amelia asks as she makes her way to Cam.
“Yeah.” I nod and clench my teeth when I hear Neil snort.
“You got something to say?” Carmelo’s voice is deep with restrained anger.
I reach out and place my hand on his vibrating arm, he’s barely holding himself together, and rub lightly.
“Carmelo, tranquilo.” Calm.
Neil flicks the beak of his cap and it pops up further onto his forehead, showing us his face. He is fucking heart stopping gorgeous. His eyes narrow and his top lip curls upward, “bro…”
“Stop, Neil!” Amelia yells. “These are my friends.”
We are?
Neil growls at being cut off and snaps the cap back down his face, then storms off through the crowd. I watch his retreating back and exhale the breath I didn’t know I was holding.
“Nice car.” I look up at the voice and stare into a face I’ve never seen before.
“Fuck off, Pat.” Carmelo growls again.
“Hold on,” this Pat holds up his hands, “I haven’t seen you or this car around here before, are you racing?” He asks me.
“I used to come here,” I answer softly, “haven’t been in a few years. I may race.” I shrug.
“That car is meant to be driven,” he continues.
“What exactly are you getting at, Pat?” I sit up on the hood and look him in the eye.
Both Carmelo and Cam begin to chuckle and Pat’s eyes flash with trouble, I wait patiently for him to toss out terms.
“Race me,” he pops his hands on either side of me on the hood and leans in.
“Back up, man.” Carmelo steps forward.
Pat is definitely older because I haven’t seen him at school and he looks more college aged. He has tattoos covering his arms and neck, and a few tear drops decorate his face under his right eye. This one is either a legit gang banger or a fake thug, I don’t fucking care either way.
“I don’t do friendly races,” I tell him. “What are the terms?”
“I can
