“You bet.” I hook my arm through that thick leather jacket as Mojo leads us to the exit. Every stride in that direction feels like a step toward my vaginal doom. My God, I hope I don’t do something truly stupid like ply myself with vodka and dive into his bed. Mojo isn’t exactly the person I was saving myself for all these years. But in hindsight, saving myself for Brody has proven to be a waste. He doesn’t want me. He wantsJessie.
We hit the night air, and the heavy chill runs right through me. Just the thought of hopping onto his hog sends a shiver through me. And I’m not looking forward to riding his motorcycleeither.
“Hey, Raven,” a male voice booms from behind, and we turn to find Brody running this way. Everything in me freezes. There are so many directions this can go in, and a part of me is afraid he’s just bringing me my purse. He bolts over and plucks me from Mojo’s grasp, his arms wrapped around my waist like a safety restraint. “You’re not going anywhere with this guy.” His chest expands with every panting breath. “You’re coming home withme.”
Brody
Raven doesn’t putup a fight—and shockingly, neither does Mojo. I drive Raven home in my truck, mostly in silence, and she gives a hefty sigh once we hit thedriveway.
“So, what happened? Why isn’t Jessie coming home with us? She bust a hip while grinding over you on the dance floor?” She makes a face as we get out and head into thehouse.
“Jessie is working until closing. I highly doubt she’ll be up for anything after being on her feet all night. A problem you will never understand,” I say as she follows me into the kitchen, and I pull out a box ofcereal.
“Oh, we’re back to that again, are we? How about we drop it and I’ll go easy on you in the snark department?” She puts back the box of cereal before I can get the milkout.
“What are you doing? I’mstarving.”
“I’m starved, too.” She picks up her long midnight-colored hair and brushes the ends over my face like a feather duster. “But I’m going to make you a meal. I went to the store yesterday and loaded up on groceries in the event you haven’t noticed. I’m not exactly impressed with the fact you like to house beer and cough medicine in the fridge. One of the two doesn’t belong in there, but I’ll let you guess whichone.”
“My mother always kept cough medicine in thefridge.”
“Yeah, and look how your sister turnedout.”
We share a laugh on Colby’s behalf. I hop up onto the counter and watch as Raven bolts around the tiny space, opening bags, heating oil in a frying pan, pulling out veggies and rice from a bag. In less than twenty minutes, Raven plates up a Chinese feast for the two of us and we take it to the living room. A rerun of an old football game from earlier today is playing, and Raven says she doesn’t mind. That’s what I’ve always loved about Raven. She’s easy-going. Easy to be with. Bearound. Unlike Jessie. What happened tonight on that dance floor felt like an all-outassault.
“This is really good,” I moan my way through another bite. “Such a sad sacrifice, though,” I tease as I pop another pot sticker into my mouth before stabbing one with my fork and holding it between us. “I’d much rather let them develop into overgrown fuzzy teddy bears than pluck them from a panda’s uterus for ourenjoyment.”
“Eww!” She socks me hard on the arm, and I choke out a laugh. “You aredisgusting. Oh my God, you’re sick. These are not underdeveloped pandafetuses.”
“What?” I knock my shoulder into hers playfully. “Of course, they are. Didn’t you see the picture on thepackage?”
“Oh,you!” She shoves her near empty plate over to the coffee table. “I’m done. What’s fordessert?”
“You can eat my Snickers.” I take one last bite before abandoning my plate alongside hers. “Or you can always have at my Twinkie.” I scoot in until we’re sitting hip to hip, and I put my arm around her shoulders. It feels natural. Not at all like some cheesy comeon.
“You’re disgusting, Brody Wolf.” She drapes an arm over my chest and offers a partial embrace. “Is that what you tell all thegirls?”
“You’re not one of those girls.” I tilt my head over hers and take a moment to steal the scent from her hair, lilacs. It’s always the same beautiful scent with Raven, and suddenly it feels as if I’mhome.
“So, where did you go this afternoon? Your nose and cheeks are slightly burnt. You go skinny-dipping at the Witch’s Cauldron with members of your coveted harem?” She looks up at me through those long lashes that qualify as a forest. Raven has always had the longest lashes that I’ve ever seen on agirl.
“Nope. It was as far from that as you can imagine. Went up to Lake Avalanche with someone very special to me.” I bite down on my lip, relishing the fact Raven justsquirmed.
“If you say you took Bo Peep to find her sheep, I might be moved to sock that aforementionedTwinkie.”
“Whoa.” I push my knees together. “Don’t even joke like that. I was with my grandfather.” I tell Raven all about the recent reunion with my long-lost grandfather and all the fun we’ve hadreconnecting.
“Oh my God,Brody.” She sighs with that dreamy look in her eyes as if I’ve just presented her with a puppy. “That’s so incrediblysweet!”
“It is, but we can’t tell Colby. Or my parents.” I wince. I fill her in on the fact he wants to keep itundercover.
“Well, that’s something.” She shakes her head, just as stymied as I am. “It’s too bad he’s missing that precious time with the rest of your family. After my dad died, it became painfully clear we don’t get to live forever. Sometimes I sit in bed at night and cry myself to sleep because I wish I could tell him I loved him one more time—that I could hear him say it back.” She bucks into me as she struggles to hold back tears. “Maybe you could convince him to meet up with the rest of yourfamily?”
“Maybe.” I sweep her hair off her forehead. My heart breaks seeing her in so much pain. “But I doubt I’ll be able to change hismind.”
“Brody”—she presses her lips tight as she comes in closer—“can I ask you a question? And I want a truthful answer. This is the no-bullshitzone.”
The no-bullshit zone is something we used to say growing up when we wanted to squeeze the truth out of one another. And knowing our panache for exaggerating everything, it was a necessity to utilize thezone.
