Page 29 of Free Fall

“If by fun you mean torture,” Lex says.

Cade makes a non-committal sound and shrugs. “Whatever.”

I shake my head. I have no idea what they’re talking about and the only thing I can think about right now is food. My stomach growls, reminding me of my quest. I find some cereal and a bowl and fix it myself before sitting at the kitchen island. “Just where is Lucky Number Seven this morning?” I deadpan.

“Talking to Sasha out front. They had a bit of a fight last night.”

“I can’t imagine why.” I roll my eyes. “And you guys say I’m a bitch.”

“She’s jealous,” Cade says. “You should go out there and let Reid know you’re up. He wanted to know.”

“No thanks. Reid doesn’t need to know my whereabouts all the time.”

“Aw, come on. It’ll be fun. Plus, you’ll probably be getting her back for dumping gravy all over you.”

I lift my gaze to meet his. “How so?”

He smirks. “I don’t think you understand how you look right now, Briar. Trust me, she’ll want to kill you showing up in Reid’s jersey like that.”

A small smile flits across my face. I shouldn’t be so petty…but I am. I finish my cereal up, wipe my lips with the back of my hand, and stand. “This look okay?” I ask the two of them.

“You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into,” Lex cautions.

I turn toward Cade. If he approves, I know I’m gold. “You look perfect, Shortie.”

I strut toward the front door. I look through the glass and see that the two of them are talking a little way down the sidewalk. They’re separated by about a foot, and I can only see their profiles. With a deep breath, I pull the front door open and lean out. “Hey, Reid.”

They both turn. Sasha’s face goes from surprise to fury within a nanosecond. After I’m satisfied with that reaction, I turn toward Reid to complete the reason for coming out here. His look takes my breath away. His stare is all consuming, eating me up from my head all the way to my toes.

I force words from my mouth. “The guys said you wanted to know when I was up, so…I’m up.”

“What the hell is she still doing here?” Sasha cries.

Reid’s already walking toward me. “Got to go,” he calls out over his shoulder to his supposed girlfriend. “Talk to you later.”

He moves inside, making me step back. Just before the door closes on Sasha, her mouth is open wide, and staring daggers at both Reid and me. Reid blinks as he locks the main house door behind him. I can feel the eyes of both Cade and Lex on us too.

“What the fuck are you wearing?” Reid asks.

I shrug. “I found the old jersey in your closet and the shorts in your dresser. The clothes I wore yesterday either smell like gravy or an ale factory. I didn’t think you’d mind.”

“He doesn’t,” Cade says.

“Fuck you,” Reid spits back at him, glaring at his friend over his shoulder.

Then, Cade just laughs and slips back into the living and dining room. Lex stays there for a few moments longer. He shifts his weight from foot to foot until Reid gives him a look, then he swears and walks away, his neck splotchy red.

“I hear you and Sasha got into it last night,” I say.

Reid just keeps staring at me, his eyes wide as he mostly zeroes in on the jersey of his I put on. I cross my arms in front of myself, trying to shield me from his stare. What’s his problem?

He shakes his head. “Yeah. We did.”

“Isn’t she a little too bitchy for you? I mean, not that you’re the King of Nice, but she’s just…mean.” This isn’t a new thought for me. I’ve been thinking this ever since he and Sasha started dating. I know my brother was wary of her at first, too, but then I think that they’d all pretty much gotten use to her. He’d still complain about her from time-to-time, but not like in the beginning. She was just a necessary evil when she was around, but she wasn’t hardly around either. Not until Brady died. Now she seems like a permanent fixture at his hip.

“You need to take that jersey off, Briar.”

I blink at him. “Why?”

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