“What?” He turns. “That?” He snorts over the mockery Rush is putting on. “Give him a break. The dude just wants to get laid. No point in busting his balls over it.”
I smack my hand into Lawson’s gut like a reflex. “Don’t talk like that.”
His beer sloshes as he takes a step back. “Relax, would you? You’re starting to take this sister crap a little too far.”
“Maybe I am.” The one thing I don’t take is my eyes off Ava and those slithering snakes attached to Rush. He’s touching, feeling, squeezing his way up and down her body like he’s giving her a medical exam. “Let’s head over and say hi.” I take a step, and Lawson pulls me back.
“No way. Let this one go. If she wanted you, she’d be here. Besides, you’re off the table. You signed up for this, remember?”
“I did. And you’re right. I guess she’s not interested in me.” Deep down, I don’t think that’s true. I think I’ve ticked her off, sent her packing without meaning to, and now the only thing I want is a moment alone with her.
The party ebbs on with its too loud music, its noisy howls of laughter as the smell of liquor mingles with the perfume and cologne. A few girls try to engage me in conversation, but I’m useless, watching Rush like a hawk in the event he tries something,wishinghe would try something so I could rip his head right off the base of his neck.
Soon enough, Lawson is lost in a sea of girls, and I find myself drifting across the room. I can’t help it. I’m doomed to start something tonight. I was just hoping it might be with Ava.
“Whoa,” a female voice pulls me in from behind, and I turn to find Lucky standing there good and pissed. “Where’s the fire?”
“No fire.” I glance back at Rush just as he starts sniffing Ava’s neck, and I’m smelling smoke.
“Good, because I don’t want to see my best friend hurt.” She folds her arms across her chest as if her words were less of a warning and more of a threat. “Don’t you have anything better to do? Like, I don’t know, call your girlfriend?”
Rush dive-bombs Ava’s neck, and as far as I’m concerned, he’s just sounded the alarm.
“Excuse me.” I take off, and Lucky follows on my heels.
I thread my way through the crowd, trying to keep track of the two of them in the murky lighting. Rush’s head moves nice and slow like he’s taking his time, but Ava keeps backing up, her hands pressed against his chest like she’s about to send him flying. I’d like to send him flying—right out the window.
Rush brushes those kisses across her collarbone, and all I see is red. I lunge at him just as a wall of bodies steps in to intercede.
“Shit, dude.” Lawson knots my shirt up in his hands. “You’re making a fucking scene.”
Both Ava and Rush look up, Ava with her mouth wide, her chest pumping as if she can’t catch her next breath. I’m hoping that’s because I’m here, and not the fact Rush has been peppering her with his kisses.
Lucky steps in close to her best friend. “Don’t mind him. I think he’s had a little too much to drink. Lawson, why don’t you haul his ass out of here?”
Rush smirks as if agreeing with her. He looks right at me and says something with his eyes, something that screamswatch thisas he leans in toward Ava and lands his mouth far too close to hers. Ava leans back, she’s butted up against a table and can’t escape his clutches, so like the good big brother I am, I bust through Lawson’s hold and tackle Rush to the wall where the asshole belongs.
A choir of screams go off behind me as I give Rush a few swift fists to the gut and a knee to his ass before turning to find Ava gone.
“Where is she?”
Lucky seems just as lost as I am, craning her neck into the crowd, shouting Ava’s name.
Rush pulls me back and lands a blow to my jaw, and the room spins for a moment as I stagger back to my feet.
“We’ll finish this later.” I scramble the hell out the front door where the rain needles me hard and angry. “Ava!” I jog down to the street and spot a pair of heels pounding the sidewalk, running fast in the direction of Whitney Briggs.
I don’t bother to think about it, to rationalize what might be best—I bolt as fast as I can through the hurricane that’s taking over this town, pushing through a wall of water as if Olympic gold stood on the other side—but I know something better stands on the other side, and I’ll be damned if I let her go tonight.
“Ava!” I roar as I come up on her from behind, landing my arms around her as the water beats down from the sky like a torrent. “Don’t run, please,” I pant directly into her ear, and my lips graze over her slicked cheek.
She spins into me and gives a swift shove to my chest. Her face is red and swollen, and the crimson tracks in her eyes let me know she’s crying.
“Why didn’t you let me kiss him?” Her voice pitches as she screams, slapping me over the chest for good measure.
“Because I didn’t want you to!” I rage back. There. An ounce of truth between us, First one in weeks. “I wanted you to kiss me.” It comes just as hostile, a little less fight to it.
Ava takes a step back, her eyes expanding as she drinks down my words.
