Dee effortlessly wields his bat like a baseball pro, Nix—aka teen Mike Tyson—is dropping meatheads left and right, and Maverick transforms into the Hulk. Even though they’re outnumbered, they’re winning the fight. How in the actual fuck? It took some brass balls for them to show up here. Fucking dimwits. Clearly, they have no sense of self-preservation, but luck is on their side.Unfortunately.
Jamal takes ahold of my arm. “We have to get the hell out of here!”
I shake my head, looking towards the only exit. “There’s no way we’re going to make it up those stairs.”
“Yeah, that’s so not an option.” Kate eyes the stampede. “Unless we want to suffer serious bodily damage.”
“There.” Lucy points to a window. “It’s big enough for us to climb out.”
Jamal grabs a chair and puts it under the secondary escape route. “Come on.”
It’s a tight squeeze, but we manage to wiggle through. We hightail it to the car and Lucy zips across theasphalt.
“Holy moly.” Kate bounces in her seat. “Just in the nick of time.”
“I don’t get it. Why would they crash Jake’s party?” Jamal mutters.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Lucy asks.
“Not to me,” Kate retorts. “Mind clueing me in?”
“Maverick came for Cocoa.”
My back stiffens ramrod straight. “No, he didn’t.”
“He likes you.” Lucy’s gaze connects with mine in the rearview mirror.
“Are you crazy? He hates my guts.”
Rebecca recently said the same thing, but it can’t be true.
“Shit!” Jamal squawks, flailing an arm around.
“Jeez Louise.” I press my hand to my galloping heart. “Give me a heart attack, why don’t ya.”
“Sorry, but you’re not going to like this.”
“What now?” I blow out a breath.
“The fight is on Instagram and already has hundreds of views and comments.”
I lean forward and peek over his shoulder. “So much for being discreet.”
The tension in the Jeep on the drive back to my house is palpable, but no one says a word. I stop next to Dee’s car in the driveway. Nix clears his throat and turns towards me.
“Don’t.” My hands tighten on the steering wheel.
His fingers thread through his hair. “Mav—”
“I. Said. Don’t.” I clip out each word.
“Your obsession with Cocoa is getting out of hand.”
I recoil at his accusation. “I’m not obsessed with her!”
“You’re in denial.” Dee calls me out on my bullshit.
“Drop it, goddamn it.”
