everybody. Let’s go! Up on your feet! You’re not losing a mother or a father. You’re gaining one and then some. Come on, give your new siblings some love! In just a few short weeks—the Toberman and Kent families will unite as one, forever!”
“Oh my shit,” I whimper as Lawson and Knox slap one another an unenthused five. Trixy leaps forward, and her mother is quick to swallow her into the growing blob of flesh.
Rex growls while glaring at his mother. He looks to me and grunts as if I were spearheading this wedding endeavor.
“No,” I say as if anything that came from my mouth mattered, as if anyone could hear me over the irresponsibly growing glee in the room.
“Yes.” Rex narrows those dark brows my way. His cutting gaze slices right through me. “Welcome to the family, sis.”
* * *
A week floats by with all of that unnatural trauma and drama still clotting up both my head and my heart. Rex and I slept on opposite ends of the bed and left bright and early the next morning without exchanging a single word on the long drive back to Hollow Brook. I’ve been avoiding him like the unwanted plague his family has become. I’ve also been avoiding Sabrina and her incessant text messages claiming she needs to have a serious sit-down with me and my “virginal” behind. As soon as she put virginal in quotes, I knew she didn’t believe me. Not that my unbroken hymen or I really care one way or another.
Daisy and I head into the Black Bear on this oven-heated Friday night. The music pours in loud from the overhead speakers, and the thick scent of cologne mingling with scarves of flowery perfume greets us at the door. Although the coeds and the frat brats are out and about, a good portion of the student body has dispersed, taking off for Caribbean blue pastures and other summer friendly getaways, so the population isn’t quite as dense as it’s known to be.
My own friends and I are staying put this summer. Daisy is working down at Stilettos as an exotic dancer, sans the nudity. Cassidy has a waitressing gig right here at the bar.
We wave to our perky blonde friend before taking our traditional seats near the back.
Piper is seated with Roxy who I happened to spend the entire afternoon with on a marathon delivery run. I rode shotgun as we made our way to the four corners of the mountain. She says I can fly solo starting next week, and, sadly, those words sent a bone-chilling shiver down my spine. I can’t see how I’m going to get away with avoiding the highways. I’d ask a friend to help out, but they’re all so busy with their own lives. I hate that I’m psychologically unable to do what comes naturally to everyone else on the planet.
Baya is seated next to Roxy, and their friends, Laney and Izzy, are there as well. Baya and Laney are best friends. Baya’s husband owns the Black Bear along with a few other bars, and Izzy is Laney’s sister. I met them all through Piper at her psychotic birthday party a few months back. Roxy is the one that made the chocolate confection for that little firecracker of a birthday cake. Boy was that a cake to remember. Cassidy dumped it all over Sammy Spears’s head for trying to steal her man. It was an unfortunate disaster that was just as hard to witness, as I’m sure it was to live.
Rex catches my eye at a table not too far away with Owen and their friend, Jet, who happened to gift me one of my favorite tattoos, my only tattoo, that of a raven with its wings in flight right over the back of my neck.
Wait—Rex!
For a fleeting moment, I imagine Rex and me in his truck with a stack of cake piled high in the back. On second thought, I should take a cue from Cassidy and shower him with one instead.
I shake the thought loose as I take a seat between Piper and Daisy. Cassidy comes over, offering to take our orders with that sing-song twang of hers.
“Not so fast.” Piper pulls her into the seat across from us. “We’re plotting trouble. I think we need your
“Oh my shit,” I whimper as Lawson and Knox slap one another an unenthused five. Trixy leaps forward, and her mother is quick to swallow her into the growing blob of flesh.
Rex growls while glaring at his mother. He looks to me and grunts as if I were spearheading this wedding endeavor.
“No,” I say as if anything that came from my mouth mattered, as if anyone could hear me over the irresponsibly growing glee in the room.
“Yes.” Rex narrows those dark brows my way. His cutting gaze slices right through me. “Welcome to the family, sis.”
* * *
A week floats by with all of that unnatural trauma and drama still clotting up both my head and my heart. Rex and I slept on opposite ends of the bed and left bright and early the next morning without exchanging a single word on the long drive back to Hollow Brook. I’ve been avoiding him like the unwanted plague his family has become. I’ve also been avoiding Sabrina and her incessant text messages claiming she needs to have a serious sit-down with me and my “virginal” behind. As soon as she put virginal in quotes, I knew she didn’t believe me. Not that my unbroken hymen or I really care one way or another.
Daisy and I head into the Black Bear on this oven-heated Friday night. The music pours in loud from the overhead speakers, and the thick scent of cologne mingling with scarves of flowery perfume greets us at the door. Although the coeds and the frat brats are out and about, a good portion of the student body has dispersed, taking off for Caribbean blue pastures and other summer friendly getaways, so the population isn’t quite as dense as it’s known to be.
My own friends and I are staying put this summer. Daisy is working down at Stilettos as an exotic dancer, sans the nudity. Cassidy has a waitressing gig right here at the bar.
We wave to our perky blonde friend before taking our traditional seats near the back.
Piper is seated with Roxy who I happened to spend the entire afternoon with on a marathon delivery run. I rode shotgun as we made our way to the four corners of the mountain. She says I can fly solo starting next week, and, sadly, those words sent a bone-chilling shiver down my spine. I can’t see how I’m going to get away with avoiding the highways. I’d ask a friend to help out, but they’re all so busy with their own lives. I hate that I’m psychologically unable to do what comes naturally to everyone else on the planet.
Baya is seated next to Roxy, and their friends, Laney and Izzy, are there as well. Baya and Laney are best friends. Baya’s husband owns the Black Bear along with a few other bars, and Izzy is Laney’s sister. I met them all through Piper at her psychotic birthday party a few months back. Roxy is the one that made the chocolate confection for that little firecracker of a birthday cake. Boy was that a cake to remember. Cassidy dumped it all over Sammy Spears’s head for trying to steal her man. It was an unfortunate disaster that was just as hard to witness, as I’m sure it was to live.
Rex catches my eye at a table not too far away with Owen and their friend, Jet, who happened to gift me one of my favorite tattoos, my only tattoo, that of a raven with its wings in flight right over the back of my neck.
Wait—Rex!
For a fleeting moment, I imagine Rex and me in his truck with a stack of cake piled high in the back. On second thought, I should take a cue from Cassidy and shower him with one instead.
I shake the thought loose as I take a seat between Piper and Daisy. Cassidy comes over, offering to take our orders with that sing-song twang of hers.
“Not so fast.” Piper pulls her into the seat across from us. “We’re plotting trouble. I think we need your
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