“You think you’re funny?” I growl, wiping my mouth with my sleeve. “What is wrong with you, Carter?”
“Will you stop being so ungrateful? I did you a favor.”
“How’s that?”
“Don’t play with me,” he teases. “I know what you want. He’s yours now, Nate. You can beat him, fuck him, kill him and be done with it if it’s gonna make you feel better. Just feel better so you can stop being such a moody prick and go back to being my best friend. You know, the one who knows how to have fun without acting like a mopey little bitch all the time.”
“You fucking cunt.”
“You wanna fuck my cunt?” he jokes. “I’ll be home soon, baby.”
“Carter—”
He hangs up on me, dismissing me. The whiskey leaves my hand before I’m thinking, the bottle hitting the wall next to the window with a satisfying smash, pieces of glass flying everywhere. Although it’s only satisfying for about three seconds.
“Fuck.”
Xavi’s head swings around toward the window, and I quickly jerk back into the shadows, closing my eyes as I knock my head back against the wall.
I changed my mind. I don’t want to see the look on his face.
CHAPTER 5
NATE
3 YEARS AGO
Carter moans into my mouth, holding my upper arms to steady himself as I push him into my bedroom. I squeeze his hip and pull his head back by his dirty blond hair, demanding better access. He gives it over willingly, stumbling when his foot gets caught beneath mine.
“Why are we doing this again?”
“Because I didn’t want pussy tonight and you were the hottest guy at the party,” I answer, playing his game and feeding his massive ego.
He grins and kisses me hungrily, wincing when I tighten my grip on his hair.
“Jesus, Nate, easy,” he rasps. “You’re being too rough.”
“Fuck off.” I laugh, knowing he’s messing with me.
He chuckles darkly, and I turn us around to shove him back against my closed door. His hands go for my jeans, and I bite his lower lip, dragging it out between my teeth the way he likes it. He moans again, and I pull back to take my shirt off, tossing it down on the floor. I go for his shirt next, smacking his fumbling hands away from my zipper because he’s taking too damn long.
We’ve done this a few times before, but we know it means nothing. It’s just a way for us to let off a little steam from time to time.
Once I’ve got my dick in my hand, I grab the lube and use it to get myself slick, amused at the way he’s grinding into me impatiently. I haven’t even touched his cock yet, but I can feel how hard it is, poking into my hip beneath his jeans.
“You ever gonna let me top you?” he asks, grunting when I grab a fistful of his hair and twist his head to the side, pushing his cheek into the wood.
“Stop playing and turn around.”
He smirks and does as he’s told, both hands braced on the doorframe, watching me over his shoulder as I push his jeans and boxers down over his ass. I squirt some more lube into my hand and find his hole with my fingertips, rubbing and pushing on it to open him up for me. I slide my middle finger inside and twist it around. I kiss him because it makes him feel less used, and sometimes I’ll let him suck my dick for a while before I fuck him, but other than that, I always make sure it’s quick and to the point. In and out. No strings, no drama.
Just as I’m about to line myself up, I hear a distant thud followed by a shriek. Carter’s eyes hit mine, probably thinking the same thing I am, and then we’re moving. He yanks his jeans back up and I quickly tuck myself away, wiping my lube covered hands on my thighs before I swing the door open. He’s hot on my heels as I all but run to her bedroom at the end of the hall, following the sounds coming from her en-suite bathroom. As soon as I step inside, I skid to a halt at the scene in front of me, frowning at the puddles of soapy water all over the floor.
What the fuck?
She and Xavi Hart are standing in the huge, clawfoot bathtub in the middle of the room, fully clothed and covered in bubbles. “Move Along” by The All-American Rejects is blaring from the waterproof sound system I got her for Christmas last year. She’s singing the words at the top of her lungs, using the open bottle of wine she’s holding as a microphone, laughing as he holds her arm up over head and spins her around like they’re on a fucking dance floor. I see red then, realizing that must be why she screamed just now. He let her fall. She looks unharmed and free of any cuts and bruises, but still. He let my blind little sister slip and fall in the bathtub.
God, I hate him.
The thick layer of black eyeliner she’s wearing is smeared all over her face, and I can’t tell whether that’s because she’s been crying or because they’ve decided to turn the bathroom into a water park. Her dark hair is soaked, sticking to her skin, and it’s only then I spot the faint outline of her nipples through the drenched white shirt she’s wearing. I immediately cut my eyes to Carter, finding him already looking up at the corner of the ceiling, but I don't miss the amusement on his face like he knows I’m about to lose my shit.
“Katy!” I bite out, but of course she can’t see or hear me over the music.
My nostrils flare as I walk over to the sound system in the shower, angrily jabbing the touch screen with my thumb until I find the stop button. Silence cuts through the bathroom, and Katy jumps with a gasp, both her and Xavi spinning in my direction, her back to his chest. His eyes widen when he sees me standing here, and judging by the look on his face, he already knows exactly what I’m thinking.
I’m going to kill you.
“Xav?” my sister asks, her voice shaking with fear.
He blinks and leans down to speak in her ear, gently taking her forearms and crossing them over her chest. Whatever he whispers to her makes her face go pale and then she blushes, tightening her arms over her body to hide her breasts. She looks guilty as fuck, as she should. Our parents are out of town this weekend for their nineteenth wedding anniversary. Katy told me she was staying at a friend’s house tonight, which I had no problem with. I dropped her off at the chick’s front door a few hours ago, meaning she played me and lied to my face, left her imaginary sleepover, met up with this little punk instead, and brought him home with her. Alone.
“Nate…” she says carefully, attempting to placate me with that doe-eyed look she’s been hitting me with since we were kids. “I—”
“Don’t even try it.” I shake my head, walking over to the bath to snatch the bottle of wine from her hand. “Get out of there and go to bed. You’re grounded.”
“You can’t ground me, you asshole,” she hisses. “I’m sixteen.”
“Exactly!” I yell at her. “You’re sixteen and you’re getting wasted on Mom’s stash and doing fuck knows what with this loser.” I swing the bottle in Xavi’s direction with a sneer, more for his benefit than hers. “What are you even doing with this guy, Katy?”
“He’s my friend,” she stresses. “He makes me laugh and he’s one of the only people who actually gives a shit. He gets it,” she adds, muttering, “unlike some people.”