he didn’t look happy.
Me : K. I’ll go see if I can find her.
I wondered if Reese was coming out here. I knew I shouldn’t care, but I did. I looked over at Brie and began regretting what hadn’t even happened, yet. There was no way I could go through with hooking up with her. Not when C needs you. Yeah, that was why.
“Hey , I gotta go find Candice. Her dad is looking for her.” I jiggled my phone in my hand to let her know that’s who had texted.
Brie reached up and brushed a kiss on my cheek. “Maybe next time. See ya around, Ty.” She trotted off swaying her tiny hips side to side.
I slide my thumb across my phone to unlock it and pulled up Reese’s text thread.
Me: Are you coming out here?
I wound my way through the crowd of drinkers , trying to avoid all the sloshing beer and swinging bottles of fuzzy navel. Why is it that when you run into a group of cheerleaders out drinking, they are always holding a fuzzy navel? These girls just couldn’t, no make that wouldn’t, drink beer. I chuckled; they were too good for beer, but they were partying in an orchard.
I scanned the crowd , again. Girls were starting to dance with the music blaring from Jonathon’s lifted Ford. I had to admit the guy had a nice stereo system. It pounded and there was no rattling or static. It was a clean system. Candice and Alex came from behind Jonathan’s truck, she looked to be happy. A smile lit up her face more than the fire did. She led him toward a group of cheerleaders dancing and started gyrating against him.
I watched him yank his hand away from her and got in her face. I could imagine that he was telling her to stop dancing like that in front of everyone. I moved closer so I could hear and interrupt, if needed.
“Candice, listen to me. I don’t want to dance.” The crease across his forehead showed me his anger was building. I’d watched guys like him all my life. I knew the signs. He lifted a beer to his mouth and chugged it tossing the can behind him.
She ignored him and continued to dance, grinding up against him. A battle started within me. Do I go stop my friend from making things worse or trust her and believe she knows what she’s doing ? I knew exactly what Candice was up to. She was making every other guy want her more than they already did.
I flicked my gaze around the crowd and every single guy who had ever voiced a crush on her, and some that I didn’t expect, were watching her sexy moves.
“Enough .” Alex yelled and wrapped an arm around her waist pulling her back behind the truck.
I stepped closer listening . “Let go of me Alex, you’re hurting me. I was just dancing. I’m a cheerleader, it’s what we do.” I could hear the hurt in her voice.
“Just knock it off. You have every guy staring at you. You know that pisses me off. I would think after last time you wouldn’t be so stupid to do it , again.”
I heard a thump and then footsteps , as if he was walking away. I scrambled to move away from the truck and backed into someone. Jonathon was trying to get into his truck to fix the radio. “Your stereo sounds sweet. What do you have in here?” I asked him so Alex wouldn’t think anything about me being right there. Jonathan rambled on about his amp and special wiring. I nodded and clapped him on the shoulder. “Cool.”
When I turned back around Candice was saddled back up against his side, stiff and with a look of pure terror in her eyes.
I had no clue what to do.
Chapter Six
Reese
“Josh Gibson” The announcer called his name. I linked my arm in his sweaty one and escorted him to the green platform where the King candidates were lining up. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. I didn’t know why I was nervous. It wasn’t me running for Queen. I smoothed down the side of my short black dress as we stepped up next to Alex and Candice.
Smiling over at my friend , I noticed how well she’d covered up the bruises. Her deep purple gown fit her curves, perfectly. All
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