Page 71 of Stealing Second

She rolls her eyes. “It’s taken care of.”

I look at Hudson, who holds his hands up.

“Not me.”

“Watch the video and turn up the volume. Totally worth it.” Danny chuckles.

I glance at CeCe, whose lips twitch up briefly.

“Just watch it.”

I hear Jillian’s voice say, “Wow, you’re definitely someone he’d want to bring home to meet his mother.”

“Right?” CeCe’s voice.

“Basic bitch say what?” some rando wearing a Locke jersey screams.

Francesca is doing something odd. “Oh no, she didn’t. One of you’d better hold my pumps.” Taking off her shoes, apparently.

“I’ve been called worse by better,” Jillian says.

“I’ll need receipts as confirmation,” one of the other females, not with Cecilia and my sister, hisses.

“Put your fucking shoes back on!” another girl, one from the concert—Fawna’s sister—says. “Do you know the kind of foot fungus you’ll get in a place like this with thirsty trash like that walking around with their dripping, diseased snatches?”

The rando girl in the Locke jersey lunges at her, and Jillian jumps in. Cecilia does, too, and the other girl sucker-punches Jillian and body-slams her, taking Fawna and Francesca down with them.

“Fuck!” I lean back when she gets the elbow to the eye, and then I see red. “That cunt had her hands around your neck, Red. That?—”

She covers her ears. “Ew!”

Chloe falls back in a fit of laughter, and Gwen does, too.

Elle jumps on Cecilia’s knees and starts whining, and Cecilia picks her up, laughing into her fur.

And then, “Roman Anthony Hart!”

“You’re fucked, bro. Mom heard you.” Hudson chuckles.

“Where the hell is she?” I ask, looking around. Then I spot her carrying a tray across the yard. “Sorry, Mom.”

“You’re only forgiven because of what that trollop did to Cecilia’s neck. Did you see it, Roman? Did you see the marks?” Mom sets the tray on the small side table. “Eat, all of you.”

I stand in front of CeCe, fists clenched. “Show me.”

“Your mom told you to eat.” She pulls up her hood. “Eat.”

“I used Cecilia’s brisket,” Mom says.

“Eat,” Cecilia mouths.

“Tacos?” I ask, looking Cecilia up and down.

“Of course, tacos. You’d eat nothing else if you had your choice,” Mom huffs.

I wink at Cecilia and turn around as a man I’ve never seen walks out of her house.

Who the fuck is that? I think.

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