“That’s what woke us up,” Maddie adds.
“See. I told you. He’s notwithher,” Alex says to me. “He’s just screaming at her.”
I ignore him.
“They’ve been quiet for almost half an hour. I wonder if she left.”
“I’m wondering if they’re finally having breakup sex,” Maddie announces, and glances at me for my reaction. I keep my face emotionless.
“He’s not going to touch her. Breakup sex is sloppy. Avery’s not sloppy,” Ty says quietly, his back still to us.
“Turn around already, buddy,” Alex says to Ty.
“Umm…I need a few more minutes,” Ty replies sheepishly, and I can see his eyes glance down. “Or a pair of pants. Loose pants.”
I burst out laughing and cover my mouth in horror at the same time. Ty’s got a boner. Of course he has a boner! He was just dry-humping Maddie and feeding her ice cream. I turn redder than he is. Alex groans.
“I’m going to bed!” I announce, and start out of the kitchen. “I’ll leave you two to your ice cream sex.”
“I’m too drunk and too tired to drive. Crashing here,” Alex declares, and jumps up and follows me. “Ty, wake me in the a.m. and drive me to practice with you.”
We get upstairs and I grab the extra blankets while Alex pulls out the couch on the cramped, drafty sun porch. I leave Larue alone and then head into my own room. Too tired and still drunk, I don’t even bother to change. I just slide under the covers. I find myself straining to hear any sign of Avery having sex with Liz. I can hear some thumping, like footsteps, and I think I even hear a door close, but that’s it. I don’t want to hear them having sex, but yet I’m listening for it. I’m fucking insane.
A few minutes later I hear someone walking up the stairs. It’s probably Ty. Or Maddie. Or Ty and Maddie. And then my bedroom door opens and there’s a tall shadow in the door.
“Rue?” I say quietly, and prop myself up on my elbows. “Is that you?”
“Larue?” It’s Avery’s voice. And he sounds startled and very, very pissed off.
Chapter 9
Avery
“Why the hell would Larue be in your bedroom?” I bark in a low voice. When she said his name, I felt like I was at the top of a roller coaster going down a huge drop. And I wanted to barf.
She flips on the light beside her bed and blinks. “Avery?”
“Why the fuck would Larue be in your bedroom?” I question, and then I see the Saints hoodie she’s wrapped up in with the number twenty-five on the chest. Now I’m going over the edge of a roller coaster and the lap harness has given way. I’m free-falling. “Why are you in his clothes? What the fuck, Stephanie?”
She smiles and almost laughs. “I’m only wearing his hoodie because I was cold at the beach. I thought you were him because he’s crashing on the pullout.”
“Alex is here?” I’m still startled. And I still don’t like the idea of him spending the night in this house. Or Stephanie spending it in his sweatshirt.
“How did you even get in?” she asks.
“Ty let me in. I think he and Maddie are having sex in your kitchen.”
“Yeah. Probably.”
“Why is Larue here?”
“Avery, why areyouhere?”
I take a deep breath and swallow hard. Her pretty blue eyes stare up at me, waiting patiently for me to explain myself.
“I don’t know. I just…” I stop. Here goes nothing. “Liz and her friend are sleeping in my guest room. For some reason I thought you should know.”
I shove my hands into the kangaroo pocket in the front of my hoodie and stare down at my bare feet on her hardwood floor.
