Chapter 13
Jake
Ididn’t know exactlywhat compelled me to pick up the phone and text Renee’s roommate, Carly.
Actually, that was a lie. I knew exactly what it was. It was a nice ass and stunning ruby hair. That’s what it was.
“Where are you going?” Aaron had called. He was studying in the living room, long neck craned so he could glare suspiciously at me from his place on the couch.
“Going to see Carly,” I told him, running a hand through my hair. Matt had come out of the kitchen that moment, flicking water off his hands from the sink.
“So, what you really mean is, you’re going to try and hit it off with Renee Lyon.”
“What makes you think that, Big Man?” I’d winked and offered a fist to Matt, who didn’t return the bump. On the couch, Aaron was frowning. For such a self-proclaimed genius, he had difficulty putting two and two together.
“You might as well film what happens,” Matt said, folding his arms to lean against the doorway. “I’ll need something funny to watch later on.”
“Fuck you, man.”
“Hard pass,” Aaron yelled from the living room. “And besides, Matt, we won’t need video proof. We already know how tonight will go. Renee wants nothing whatsoever to do with him. She made that plenty clear.”
I had bitten back a petty retort and kicked Aaron’s shoes out of my path, wanting to punch a wall instead or maybe my friend’s pretty face.
“Bet on me and lose, fuckers,” I’d said, opening the front door. “I am gonna get some tonight.”
“Of course, you will,” Matt said as I slowly retreated. “Just not with Renee.”
And now, here I was, standing on Renee Lyon’s front porch steps, breathless at the mere sight of this woman in front of me, a fucking rose-haired goddess. Her emerald eyes lock with mine. The mouth that had seconds ago been smiling, carefree and excited dropped, melting into a scowl, and I watched as the muscles in her jaw twitched with distaste.
“Hey again,” I said, giving her my best chin nod. Seeing this woman in front of me made me hard, so I tried to focus on anything besides Renee’s soft, plump lips curling in disgust.
“It was for you,” she called to Carly, stepping aside just enough to let me through. A car behind me pulled into the driveway as I approached to come through the open door. I glanced back, hardly curious, but when a man stepped out of the car and walked up to the door, smiling like a dumbass, I was suddenly set on edge.
Wary. Jealous.
I recognized him, the guy who stole Renee away from Aaron earlier. The guy smiled at me like some preppy douchebag and shoved his glasses onto his nose to keep them from falling off. I wasn’t even over the threshold yet as he held out his hand for me to shake.
“You must be Carly’s friend,” he said. For a split second, I considered ignoring the hand and punching him in the face instead, but a last-minute thought warned me that that won’t exactly earn me points. Instead, I plastered on my best fake smile and shook the guy’s hand, hoping that if I applied enough pressure, bones would break. I was mildly disappointed when he took his hand back with a pained look but no cracked bones.
“Um, come on in, both of you,” Renee said, finally finding her voice, and she stepped aside so we could slip in.
“I’m Jason,” the dude said to me, but his eyes were on Renee, scanning her outfit from head to toe, and a jealous rage rose in my stomach like bile. I wanted to gouge his eyes out. “I’m Renee’s, um—”
“Friend,” Renee said quickly, but it was a second too late as Jason said, “Date.”
Renee’s face went red, cheeks tinted with color, and I had to look away from her to keep from busting through the front of my pants.
“What’s up, Renee’s Friend?” I said, relishing in the storm cloud that passed over his face. “I’m here for Carly.”
“Yes,” Renee said, taking a breath. “Youarehere for Carly.” The way she said it was funny, as though she was trying to convince herself that it was true. As I followed Renee and Doucheboy into the kitchen, I noticed with a hint of glee as Renee subtly brushed Jason off as he tried to take her hand.
I fucking loved it.
“Baby!” Carly shouted as I stepped into the kitchen. I couldn’t even begin to tell you what this girl was like sober. She was sloshed, precisely how she was the last time I saw her.
