“Hey!” She carefully climbed out and scooted on her butt down a foot. She’d hung out on his roof several times, but it always took a few minutes to get comfortable. One wrong move and she could slide right off. Though she knew Ghost would never let that happen.
He didn’t offer any greeting as she sat beside him except offering a bottle of amber colored liquor. Bourbon. She’d had a taste and wasn’t a fan, but it didn’t stop her from taking the bottle and sucking down a mouthful.
Her nose pinched, and she closed her eyes, feeling a tremble flutter through her body and giving in to the shudder. Her lips twisted. It was awful. She handed it back to him, and Ghost lifted the bottle.
“Happy Birthday.”
She stroked the beads on her wrist and smiled. “Thanks again for the bracelets. I love them.”
Ghost gave a curt nod and took another sip.
“So what happened?” He pointed to the front yard. It was filled with cars, and without any real light it was difficult to see. But she made out the two figures walking down the driveway, stumbling on the gravel.
“Well” —She licked her lips— “Someone must’ve moved my flowers for the party. I found them in the game room, and when I was leaving two girls grabbed some from the vase. Three to be exact. I asked them to give them back. And I was nice, Ghost.”
Ghost laughed, offering her the bottle. “Well yeah, ’cause do you even know how to be mean?”
She stared at the bottle, hesitating. She’d probably regret it in the morning, but she took it anyway. If this was the only celebration she’d get, then she’d take full advantage.
She took a long swig. This time it went down smoother. “Anyway, they wouldn’t give them back, so I asked Wraith if he could help me.”
“Oh fuck.” Ghost laughed, shaking his head. “That explains it.”
“Explains what?”
Ghost grabbed the bottle, waving his hand toward the front of the house. “I watched those two bitches run out like their asses were on fire.”
Cleo clamped her lips, concealing her smile.
“Then what happened?”
Cleo shrugged. “I don’t know. He told me to come upstairs. I think there was a fight, though.”
Ghost lips twitched. “Over you?”
“I don’t think so.”
Cleo jumped from the sudden loud banging coming from below. She slid slightly, but Ghost shot out his arm in front of her. He leaned forward. From her view she couldn’t make out what was happening.
“Lucky to fucking be alive, asshole.” Cleo didn’t recognize the voice, but seconds later two guys were thrown from the porch to the ground, one slamming his head into the bumper of a pickup truck.
Cleo squinted and leaned toward Ghost. The two men on the ground were being helped up by two other guys and a woman.
“You know them?” Ghost asked.
Again, it was hard to see in the dark, but when the two guys were pulled up to stand, she got a clear view of their faces. They had been the guys who suggested she fight. She slowly inched back and remained silent, hoping to keep that part of the story to herself. But Ghost wasn’t having it.
“What?”
Cleo cleared her throat. “Everyone thought it was funny that the girls wouldn’t give my flowers back, and those two” —She pointed to the guys being carried to a car— “suggested we physically fight for the flowers.”
Ghost’s jaw squared, and his face lost all traces of humor. He slowly turned in the direction of the group. She had no idea what was going through his mind, but she knew it wasn’t good. She tapped his arm, gaining his attention.
“What do you think happened to them?”
Ghost snorted. “Wraith beat the shit out of them.”
She gasped. “You think Wraith did that?”
