Page 24 of Whatever It Takes

I flip him off and then chug again, leaning against the window. Our friends John and Kyle are seated on the opposite side. Their faces begin to blur, which means today is better than yesterday.

I’m about to put the bottle back to my lips when noses suddenly press against the window, and girlsscreambloody-murder outside.

“Christ,” I curse before following their gazes across the store. Everyone here seems to freeze, comic books half open but eyes elsewhere. With their slack-jawed, wide-eyed expressions, you’d think an A-list movie star just made an appearance.

I’m not surprised by what I see.

Loren Hale and his half-brother, Ryke Meadows, just entered the main storeroom from theemployees’ onlydoor. Nathan, John, and Kyle purposefully escalate their voices and mess with the sugar packets, tearing them open and spilling white granules all over the table.

I can’t focus my gaze enough to make out Loren and Ryke’s features. But I’ve read enough descriptions on Tumblr fromobsessedgirls (and probably guys, to be honest) to have their faces forever imprinted in my fucking head.

Loren Hale is all sharp-edged, his jawline like ice and his amber eyes daggered and so scary. He will murder you with them. He wears a lot of red Vans and V-neck shirts. He’s so cool. His hair is shorter on the sides and longer on the top (guys take notes!)

How about no.

Ryke Meadows is all hard-edged, his scruffy jawline like stone and his brown eyes narrowed and so broody. He’s an animal. Beware. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was a werewolf in another life.

Tumblr girls are so weird.

And yeah, I read all of those in my free time. Internet culture is more entertaining than real life. Like right now, I immediately turn my head away from Loren. Because of what’s in his arms.

A baby—hisbaby. The thing can’t be more than two months old, and he’s crying hysterically at all the noise and attention.

I glance back, only once, to see Lily Calloway taking her son out of Loren’s arms. But he’s too busy to really notice. He’s glaring at Nathan, atme,and my friends, the table littered with sugar packets, their voices causing more havoc.

His amber eyes daggered.

He will murder you with them.

Part of me wants to glare back—to prove that he’s not murdering me with anything. But my neck grows hot, my stomach unsettled, and I focus on my vodka instead.

Another swig, I think before taking one.

I can’t even remember the last prank we did on Loren’s house. We’ve done so many, even in the past month. Even when they had a fucking newborn in there—stop.

Drink.

I do.

Not long after, I feel Nathan press closer to my side. Loren squeezes into my end of the booth while his brother squeezes into the other.

Tumblr is right, I think. Despite both brothers having lean muscles, runner’s builds, Ryke Meadows acts like the aggressive brute, his elbows on the table, the strong-hand that could literally drag any of us out of here if Loren Hale said so.

It always seems like Loren calls the shots though. He’s the talker—his features murderous and cold.

“Hey there,” Loren says with this irritated half-smile. It’s iconic, his dry smile that saysyou’re a piece of shit and you know it. I can’t even replicate it. I don’t think anyone can.

I hold his gaze this time. And I take the largest swig from my paper-bagged bottle.I’m not scared of you,I want to retort. I want him to feel it.

I’m not scared of you.

He tilts his head a little, unperturbed by me.His amber eyes are full of flashbacks, memories that contain all that I’ve done. The longer I stare, the more I see the paintballs I fired, blasting against the window—panic and shrieking from inside, from his soon-to-be wife.

Some people say that if you mess with Loren Hale’s girlfriend, you’re on his “metaphorical” kill list forever. That he has ways and means to do you in, to make life not worth living.

Too bad for him.

Because I’m already there.