Page 80 of What are the Risks
Not wanting to get in the way of Tori and her plans, I bid farewell to Coach then caught up with my cousin and the guys.
“Shotgun,” Evan shouted the moment Pat shoved open the door to head outside.
“You can’t call shotgun ‘til you see the car,” Kyler argued.
“I can see the parking lot. That counts.”
“Shouldn’t the birthday boy get the front?” Brady challenged.
“Tomorrow’s his birthday. He can’t play that card all weekend.”
“The fuck I can’t,” I said, shoving Evan out the way. “Enjoy the backseat, Malibu Ken.”
Grumbling under his breath, he let out an over the top sigh before giving in and climbing into the back with Kyler and Pat.
Checking the time when Brady started the car, it had just passed five-thirty. I wasn’t sure how this constitutedcutting it finefor an eight p.m. dinner, but arguing with Brady about Tori’s orders was a losing battle.
A nervous energy hit me as Brady turned out of the parking lot. Knowing I was so close to seeing Ruby again had me low-key hyped.
She would’ve seen the flowers by now. I’d purposely left them on the dresser so she couldn’t miss them. I had no clue what she’d make of them. Truth be told, I wasn’t sure what to make of them either. All I knew was that when I passed them earlier today, they’d reminded me of her and I found myself walking them to the counter without a second thought.
“How many people are coming tonight?” Evan checked, resting his elbows on his cramped thighs.
He’d somehow got stuck in the middle seat. Sucker.
“For dinner there’s us five,” Brady answered.
“Duh,” Evan muttered.
“Then Tori and Ruby.”
Kyler grimaced. “Sounds intimate.”
“That’s just dinner,” Brady explained. “More people are invited later for a drink.”
“Including Joey Nazaar?” Pat checked. “Tori asked me for his number this week. She said she wanted it for Ruby.”
“If I get to Ruby first, fair is fair,” Evan growled, before pinching the back of my neck through the headrest, like an annoying little brother. “Unless you think I’ll have competition before Nazaar arrives, Richardson?”
“Go for gold, man,” I snorted. “Watching Ruby shoot you down will make great entertainment.”
Had I considered him a threat, I would have told him to go and fuck himself. But Evan could hit on Ruby all he liked. There’s no way she’d go for it. She was too pure for a guy like him. I’m sure his threesome in Miami had been enough to freak her out for good.
“Did you invite Lindsay for me?” Pat checked.
Brady nodded. “Tori said she’ll be at the drinks, along with the girl Kyler hooked up with last week. They’re coming with Gretchen.”
My gaze snapped from the road to my cousin. “Tori invited Gretchen?”
“Is that a problem? She assumed you’d want her there considering she’s slept over every night this week.”
“She’scome overevery night this week,” I clarified.
She hadn’t stayed once. She was a platonic distraction, nothing more. Last night we’d played video games for so long my thumbs cramped. She had three older brothers and was surprisingly killer at Fortnite.
When we’d left Lastlings together after Pat’s birthday, I’d fully intended on hooking up with her, but nothing ended up happening. I hadn’t wanted it to. It felt... wrong.
Evan thrust his head between Brady and me, leaning on the centre console. “Sounds like a five-way date. Ryker and Gretchen. Brady and Tori. Pat and Lindsay. Kyler and whatever-the-hell-her-name-is.”
