Page 21

CARSON

The thing about sharing a house with four other guys is that you don’t always get a say in what happens.

It’s been a tense week as Sienna and Zander get over what happened with Zoey.

The kid doesn’t seem too traumatized. I guess she trusted her Uncle Russell and didn’t realize he was being a deranged fruitcake until he wouldn’t let her run to Mommy.

Yeah, I’ve heard all the details. Zander’s version was slightly different from Grady’s, and Wily’s was a little different from theirs. It all depended on the amount of emotion involved. So I’m taking Grady’s as the most accurate account, because he’s the most levelheaded guy in the house, usually.

Wily also showed me the video, which I didn’t actually want to see, but he made me sit through it anyway.

Anger coursed through me, and I wished I could have been there.

I would have smashed Russell’s face in. That fucker, trying to take little Zoey away.

I was pissed. Maybe it’s a good thing I wasn’t there. Zander was way too nice to the guy.

If Zoey was my daughter, I would have cracked his skull.

Like your dad did?

I flinch, sitting up a little straighter and not wanting to think about my old man right now. It was self-defense. Fucking self-defense, and they treated him like a hardened criminal.

Snatching the remote off the coffee table, I switch the TV on.

I want to watch the next episode of Reacher , but I can’t do that down here when Zoey’s awake.

I can hear her singing in the kitchen while her mom prepares food for today’s lunch.

Yeah, the entire Hockey House crew is coming over.

Sienna wanted to thank them for helping get Zoey back, and rather than just meeting at Offside and buying them a beer, her genius idea was to invite the whole fucking crew to our place, girlfriends and everything.

It’s a pain in the ass.

Soon enough, this house is going to be crawling with people I barely know, and it’s not like a party where I can invite a girl up to my room and have some fun or hide in the kitchen or a corner of the living room, downing beers and watching the chaos unfold.

This is like some wholesome family picnic, and it’s making my stomach churn already.

Can’t believe Sienna and Zoey are moving in for good.

It’s not right.

This is a college house filled with college guys. It’s not a fucking daycare center. I can’t even fucking watch Reacher on the main TV. If I want to do anything, I have to do it up in my room with the door closed, and it’s fucking annoying.

My mood is turning darker and saltier by the second, but I know that’s not the only thing bothering me.

It’s Sunday.

I’m not supposed to go to the Lido this afternoon for another sci-fi movie, but of course I looked up the showtime. I know Nylah will be waiting for me, and I really shouldn’t go. But it’s all I can fucking think about.

Well, that and her luscious mouth and body.

That kiss. Those kisses.

They were fucking fire, and I want more.

But—

“Baybeeee shawk, do, do, do, do.” Zoey wanders into the room singing.

Great, now I’m gonna have the most painful song in the universe stuck in my head.

“Baybeee shawk.” She giggles and skips toward me. She’s holding a phone, which I assume is Sienna’s, and walking straight for me.

I glance at Grady, who’s sitting in the beanbag, texting. He’s fighting a grin as I squirm in my seat the closer Zoey gets. She keeps coming for me and, without missing a beat, climbs right up onto my lap.

“Seriously?” I glare at Grady when he starts to laugh. “It’s like cats who know you’re not a cat person.”

My supposed friend snorts and laughs again when Zoey rests her head back against my chest and holds up the phone. “Selfee!”

I force a closed-mouth smile, then flip the bird above her head just before she clicks.

“What dat mean?” She points at the image.

I shake my head, my lips twitching as I pick her up and pop her on the floor. Raising my chin toward Grady, I silently encourage her to go and invade his space instead. He doesn’t seem as bothered by the little earthling.

But Zoey doesn’t move. She keeps staring at the phone screen with a cute frown, obviously trying to figure out what I was doing.

Shit, I better delete that.

I’m about to reach for the phone when Sienna walks in. “Lil’ bug, do you have my phone?”

Zoey looks up with her most adorable grin and Sienna shakes her head, placing her hands on her hips. “Zoey Beth, you know you’re not supposed to play with my phone. Hand it over.” She wiggles her fingers, reaching out for the device.

“Actually…” I try to grab it, but Zoey walks out of reach, tottering over to her mom with her explanation.

“Selfees, Mommy.”

Sienna’s expression softens. “You were taking selfies, huh? Let me see.”

Shit.

I cringe but am also fighting the urge to laugh. I don’t know why. Sienna’s gonna flip, and that’s kind of entertaining to watch.

The second she spots the picture, her smile fades, replaced with a pissed-off scowl that is somehow still pretty. “Carson! Seriously?”

“What dis mean?” Zoey flips the bird around the room, and I snort while Sienna bulges her eyes and crouches down next to her innocent daughter.

Grady gives me a quiet “Dude? Really?”

All I can do is give him a helpless shrug while Sienna gently takes Zoey’s hand and folds her middle finger back into place.

“Lil’ bug, don’t do that. It’s something that’s not very nice. It’s like a rude word, but you do it with your hand instead of your voice.”

Zoey whips around to frown at me, her face a mixture of annoyance and betrayal. “You did me a woed word?”

Ouch. How can a two-year-old make me feel like I’m pure scum?

She’s so freaking adorable about it, and I actually feel kinda bad now.

Shaking my head, I try to placate her. “It was just a joke.”

Her pout gets deeper.

Shit. What is with this overwhelming urge to fix this and make her feel better? I should just shut up or tell her that if she wants to take photos of me, that’s what she’s gonna get.

But instead, my stupid mouth pops open, and I say in the sweetest voice I can, “Here let’s do another one.”

She shakes her head.

“I promise I won’t do any rude words. I’ll smile like a good boy.”

She eyes me up like a fucking detective before finally holding out her hand to ask for the phone back.

After a soft sigh, Sienna reluctantly hands it over. “You better be good,” she hisses at me.

I pick Zoey up and place her back on my knee, helping her hold the phone up and then smiling big and cheesy for the photo. Her cheek is squished against mine, and her smile is so adorably cute that I end up laughing.

She snaps a few pics and then looks through them. “Dat’s good.” She nods, then kisses my cheek before jumping down and running over to show her mom.

I don’t know what my face is doing as I watch her leave the room, but when I turn to glance at Grady, he’s grinning at me.

“Shut up,” I growl. “She still shouldn’t be living in this house.”

“They’re working on it.”

“Well, they’re taking too damn long!” I jump up, stalking out of the room and bumping into Zander as he comes down the stairs.

“You staying for lunch, man?” he asks. “Everyone’s gonna be here. It’d be great to have you.”

“Yeah, maybe.” I give him a noncommittal shrug and take the stairs two at a time, hiding away in my room while I wait for this lame-ass party to start.

What the fuck has become of my life?

Last year, I played hard, partied even harder, and was living it up.

This year, I don’t know what the hell is going on.

Pacing my room like a caged animal, I walk from wall to wall, psyching myself up for this barbecue and willing myself not to think about a certain movie theater where a certain girl will be waiting.

I seriously can’t fucking go.