Page 78 of Burnout
“That sounds fun. I’d love to meet your brothers.”
“Oh, I, uh…” He rubs at the back of his neck and one of his brows, the one with the scar cut through it, lifts. “You would?”
“Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
“I don’t know. Lots of reasons. We’re kind of a lot.”
“If I can handle you, I think they’ll be a cakewalk.”
He chuckles, that cocky smirk back on his lips. “I don’t think you know what you’re getting yourself into, princess.”
Knox pulls into the driveway of a small white house not far from the Valley U campus. I park along the curb and hop out. There are several other vehicles. His brothers’, I’m assuming.
I tug on the hem of my shorts as I walk up the drive, shove my hands into my pockets, then pull them out again. I’m nervous. Four brothers and if they’re anything like Knox, this could be interesting.
Knox waits for me a step outside of the open garage. There’s gym equipment taking up the entire space, except a workbench with tools on it along the back wall.
“We don’t have to stay,” he says. “I just need to check in with Flynn and shower. We could go to your dorm.”
“Trying to keep me away?”
“You should be taking me up on it.”
I laugh. “Quinn and some friends from her Spanish class are there studying, so unless you want to listen to their bad pronunciation of Spanish words, I think this is the safer option.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he says under his breath and leads me farther into the garage.
I showered after practice and then mostly sat around while I bossed Knox and Hope around the gym, but I would have brought something nicer to change into if I’d known we were going to hang out tonight. Naked hanging out, judging by thelooks he gave me during his workout. All I had were the jean shorts and shirt I wore to classes today.
As soon as he pushes through the entry door from the garage into the house, noise explodes around us. Male voices talk loudly over the sound of the TV.
I barely have time to process the layout or any other details before we step into chaos. The kitchen looks out onto the living area and the dining room off to the side. Three guys are sitting on leather couches in front of the TV, another is in the kitchen with a pretty blonde girl.
“Hey,” one of the guys in the living room calls when he spots Knox, then quickly turns back to the TV. He does a double take though and glances back again. His gaze goes past Knox to me. He stares really hard and for too long. I’m certain I turn crimson at his full attention. Especially when everyone else notices, and then all eyes are on me.
“This is Avery,” Knox says, hitching a thumb over his shoulder. Then he signs my name. Or I think that’s what he does. I learned the alphabet in elementary school, but I’m rusty with some of the letters.
He’s the only one that’s managing to act cool and collected. He glances back at me. “These are my brothers. And Hollywood. I mean, Jane. She’s Hendrick’s fiancée.”
Jane is the first one to approach me. The closer she gets, the prettier she is. She looks familiar, but I can’t figure out why. And she’s smiling at me with this big, disbelieving look on her face. I hope she doesn’t think Knox and I are dating or something. Maybe we should have chanced the Spanish study session at my dorm.
“Hi. Avery?” she asks like maybe she’s afraid she didn’t hear my name right.
“Yeah. Hello.” I lift one hand in a wave.
“Finally, another girl around here,” she says. “Thank god.”
“Do you want something to drink?” the brother in the kitchen asks. His smile matches hers.
“Umm…sure.”
I panic and glance at Knox for help.
Once again, he seems totally at ease, even though they’re all looking at me like this is a much bigger deal. With a roll of his eyes, he says, “Don’t be weird, Hollywood. She’s the girl that’s been helping me at the gym.”
Jane nods, eyes still wide and pinned on me. Something tells me she’s not really hearing him.
“O-kay.” Knox comes over and puts himself between us, then turns me by the shoulders.
