Page 8 of Ivy's Venom

Tonight they look their parts. Carmelo is dressed in dark wash baggy jeans, a white v-neck, and his leather jacket. His black wavy hair is covered with a black bandana and his dark eyes hold a hint of trouble. He’s tall, towering over most at six and a half feet.

Cameron has on a pair of black fitted jeans, a white hoodie, and a black bandana tied around his neck. His blonde hair is combed back slick over his head and his bright blue eyes twinkle with mischief. Cameron sucks people in and Carmelo spits them out.

They make their way over to me and I chuckle when everyone stops to watch our exchange. This is me announcing my return and I have two of the most popular guys ready to take up my flanks.

Carmelo and I are in the same grade, but Cameron is a year younger. I actually feel bad for him next year when we’ve moved on to college and he has his senior year here without us. You better believe my ass is not sticking around here for college.

“Prima.” Carmelo leans in and kisses my cheek. “Que tal?”What’s up?

“Nada.” I shrug.

“Fuck,” Cam cusses as he leans in to kiss my cheek. Then he holds up his phone to an opened message. “Amelia is coming.”

Those three words almost have me catapulting off the hood of my car… almost. I hold myself still and concentrate on my breathing. Amelia Jones is my dad’s good friend Rodney Jones’ daughter and yes, you guessed it, Neil Jones’ younger half sister.

My mother apparently helped get Rodney Jones out of the street gang life and my dad offered him a job to work for him. At the time Rodney who already had a son-Neil-and another baby on the way-Charlotte-decided to take him up on the offer to provide a better life for his kids. He moved to Whitsborough and things didn’t work out with Neil and Charlotte’s mother, but they came to see him and us every other weekend. That’s how we became so close.

Rodney ended up marrying Shay, another family friend, and they had Amelia a few years later. I haven’t seen her since her sister’s funeral and I don’t know how the fuck she’s going to react to me.

“Tell me you’re not fucking her.” Carmelo groans.

“Nah,” Cam shakes his head, “not that she ain’t trying to tap though.”

“Gross.” I mutter. “We’re all practically family.”

Not that I have a fucking leg to stand on because… Charlotte.

“Lots of bitches here tonight.” Carmelo hums and I nod in agreement.

“Yeah, there are.”

“You still swinging both ways?” Cam hits my shoulder.

“I swing all over.” I shrug. “I like the soul, not the flesh it’s encased in.”

Even though most of those souls turn out to be too bright and too pure standing next to mine.

We stand in silence, watching the buzz around us as more people begin to roll up in their suped up cars, and I begin to feel the flutter of excitement in my belly. I can’t wait to feel Shelby’s motor vibrate and roar as I leave these fuckers in her dust.

“Who’s Amelia with?” Carmelo asks and I immediately tense.

I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand and the air around me is suddenly heavy and charged with an intense energy.

He’s here.

“That’s her half brother Neil. He hasn’t been around since…” Cam shoots me a look.

“Since Charlotte died.” I finish for him.

“Is he gonna be a problem?” Carmelo cracks his neck to the side and begins to fist his hands. “I kind of want a problem tonight.”

I don’t say anything because I don’t fucking know the answer and Carmelo is a fighter, it’s what he’s known for. He’s fucking tall and fucking wide, fighting is what he does and according to our family, it’s in his blood.

Amelia is fucking stunning. She has her dark mane of curls out and surrounding her face, the streetlight highlighting the blonde streaks. Her eyes, much like Neil’s and Charlotte’s shine golden, enhancing her deep gold skin. She looks like her half sister but she also looks a lot like her mother, and Shay is a stunner.

Walking right beside her, his stride lazy, and his face half covered by another hat, is Neil Jones. They are coming right for us and I have to tense every fucking muscle to stop myself from fleeing. I knew one day I would have to face the music of what happened, I just thought I had more time.

“Ivy,” Amelia’s voice is smooth and thick like honey. “It’s good to have you home.”

---