Page 7 of Crew Princess
Cross let out a brief laugh.
Z began snickering.
Jordan clapped Zellman on the chest with the back of his hand. “Keep chortling, asshole. You sound like a parakeet.”
Z only snickered louder.
Jordan shook his head, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “You all are dipshits. And yeah.” He shot me a look. “We’re doing nicknames now. Is that normal? I just slipped one night while I was in her.Baby. God, I hate nicknames. I’ve always hated them. My dad calls my momsweetheart,and she calls himcupcake. I never wanted to do nicknames, but shit—we’re here.” He groaned. “How do we get out of here?”
Z frowned, as if really pondering his dilemma. “Break up with her?”
“What?!” Jordan rounded on him, hitting him again. “What the fuck kind of suggestion is that?”
Zellman seemed undisturbed, just shrugging. “An honest one? I don’t think you can go no-nicknames once you’re there.”
Cross snorted. “Especially when your dick is inside of her.” He was speaking to Jordan, but his eyes were on me.
I knew where he was going with that one.
We’d been at “I love you” for a long while. The moment had come earlier than maybe it should’ve, but what do you do when your best friend/lover takes a gun to commit murder and you’re trying to stop him? The L word had come out, and it wasn’t one that could go back inside. And while we weren’t public nicknamers, we were private ones. Like when he’d called mebabylast night, and I’d gasped his name, driving my hips back against his. My nickname for him might’ve been along the lines of “Jesus, finish me, for God’s sake.”
“I hate you guys,” Jordan announced.
Zellman was beaming. He clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m kinda proud of you. Look at us.” He scanned the group. “I got a fuck-mate. Jordan’s wifed up, and you and Cross, you’re just you guys.” He nodded to himself, growing serious. “We’re all growing up. Holy shit.” His face cleared, like a lightbulb switching on. “We graduate in a month. What the fuck are we all going to do?”
Annnnnd…now the pin could be heard dropping.
We all fell silent.
This.
Right here.
This conversation.
This was the elephant in the room.
Or maybe it was my elephant in the room.
Graduation meant change. Growth. We were done. We were moving. We were staying. We were—I didn’t know what we were doing, and that was the problem.
Most crews disbanded after school, with only one still lasting, but even that one—and I’m talking about my brother’s crew—had branched off somewhat with their normal leader, Channing aka my brother, no longer official, but still there. It was a gray area.
But back to us and the conversation weweren’thaving.
On cue, Jordan coughed. “So. We’re going to the bonfire tonight?”
Z broke out in a wide smile. “Yeah?”
Cross nodded to Jordan, moving next to me. He brushed his arm against mine. “Yeah. I want to scope out this lady my dad’s with, see what she’s like.”
“Got it. We can do that. A drive-by or are you thinking something else?” Jordan’s gaze moved from Cross to me and back again.
Cross glanced at me too.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. “What are you really thinking?”
“Kade Enterprises is hosting an event tonight at their country club. I know about it because Race asked me if I was going. Both his parents are going. He was wondering if I could stop in since they’re forcing him to go before the bonfire thing.”
