Page 16 of Bring You Back

She jerks against the bar. “Hey!”

The bastard is moving around Reyna to get closer to Valerie, carrying on this conversation as if nothing happened, and I’m right behind him. “He still around?”

“He’s neverbeenaround.”

I don’t see the look behind Valerie’s silencing tone toward Reyna—who was just fucking touched by this asshole—because I’m in his face, my hand a vise grip around his wrist. “Don’t touch her again.”

He holds my hard stare, his face slack, his mouth open in shock. His eyes drop to my hold before sliding back up, his face forming a smirk. He rips his wrist from my hand and laughs. Helaughs. I want to break his fingers, but I feel Reyna’s fingers slip through mine in warning, then squeeze in thanks. I squeeze back.

“Randall,” Valerie lightly scolds. And that’s it. This low-life pulls her in at the hips and pops a wet sounding kiss on her lips. She sniffs around his mouth and praises, “Better.”

I’m going to be sick if I stay here another second, and from the looks of Reyna, so will she.

I keep her hand in mine as I pull her away and she follows me through the kitchen, out the door, around the house, and back inside my Jeep. We don’t say anything on the drive to my house, because we don’t have to. Whatever awaits me back there, Reyna will just have to deal with it with me, because she’s not staying at her house right now.

He touched her.Fucking slapped her ass. If her own mother won’t care. . .

That’s why she has her friends.

That’s why she has us.

5

Everything Is Wrong

Camille

We were simply the five. Or The Five, with capitals, if you want to get fancy. Me, Julian, Tommy, Reyna.The gang, according to the unfortunate last member of our group, Banks. There’s no random adjective tossed betweentheandfive, because we weren’t some weird ass cult or club; we were five friends who connected at different times as kids and came together as one.

Reyna and I were friends before we became friends with the guys. She picked me out—two solo eaters in the cafeteria until she filled the seat across from me. We were always so different. Reyna, the girl with the incessant smile and big heart who had every reason to hate the world but didn’t. Me, the girl with the scowl and hard heart who had no reason to hate the world but did.

And now, after a series of fucked-up, unfair events, I do have reason. My world has finally caught up with my personality.

Opposites attract, right? Reyna and I were interested in each other, intrigued by this odd creature we each thought the other was. We played well off each other for a while, accepted our differences, but over the years, we started driving each other crazy. We still loved each other. Always have. I was her first friend, and she was mine. Then Julian and Tommy came along. Reyna wanted to go where the boys were, and she forced me to go with her.

She didn’t force me. I followed of my own free will.

Contrary to fictional belief, no one can actually force you to do anything unless you’re tied up, passed out, or both. Those girls that get dragged to the party they so don’t want to attend, oh so against their will, are weak and full of shit. Sorry, fictional girls, you don’thaveto let your best friend pull your arm, no matter what you say. Stand your ground. Kick her in the shin. Fight.

I guess I can’t be too judgmental, though. I chose to follow these girls’ journeys, and come to find out, being a pushover is the best choice they’d ever made. Who knew that everything they’ve ever wanted could be found at a party. They are life-changers, those parties.

Being a follower in my own story that day ended up being the best choiceI’dever made. It wasn’t a party, but I found my place. My people.

Fast forward to now, and I have a blank slate. One I need to re-fill with the ones I let go.

My brother’s dead. I can’t change that.

Julian is seeing Reyna. Icanchange that.

I want my friends back. I want my chance with Julian back.

Our chance.

I’m not a jealous person, and I have no reason whatsoever to be jealous of Reyna. She hasn’t had anything I’ve wanted. Until now. I want them all, but I want Julian. I want what we would’ve had had I not left. He still wants it, too. He just needs to be reminded.

Julian and Camille.

Thomas and Reyna.

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