Gold (All that Glitters #2)(110)

“I don’t dress up for Halloween,” he told her.

“Let me guess. It’s supposed to be a sacred night for the dead to walk the earth again. All Hallows’ Eve and Dia de los Muertos and all that,” she said.

“No,” he said dryly. “It’s just dumb.”

“Did you have a childhood?” she asked. It was pretty sad when she was the one asking that question.

“Do you consider this childhood?”

“There’s candy.”

“Hey, man, I get it,” Eric said, breaking the tension. “I’m not dressed up either. It’s better to just have the women dress up anyway.”

Neal smiled at Eric, but Bryna wasn’t sure he agreed with that either.

“Why don’t we go get a drink?” Trihn suggested. She practically dragged Neal away from them.

“God, what a buzzkill,” Stacia said. “I mean, I’m sad, but he drains the life out of her.”

“And the rest of the room,” Bryna agreed.

“Oh, shit!” Stacia squeaked.

Bryna’s eyes followed hers, and she saw Pace walking into the room.

“Um…” Stacia mumbled. She grabbed the closest jock to her and ground her body on him.

Bryna wasn’t even sure she knew his name, not that it mattered.

Pace looked furious and stormed toward Stacia.

Bryna cut him off before he reached her. “No.”

“Get out of the way, Bri.”

“No. You need to let her be.”

Pace glared down at her. “Look, I didn’t know that shit with Cam was going to happen, and I f*cking took care of it.”

“What do you mean, you took care of it?” Bryna asked in confusion.

“I returned the favor from Eric.” He pointed at his eye where the bruising was still healing from where Eric had punched him.

“You beat him up?”

“Roughed him up a bit.”

“Why?” she asked, confused.

“You drive me nuts, Bryna. Our family is f*cked up. You put me through hell in high school. Being around you makes me want to tear my hair out, but…” He grumbled under his breath, looking away.

“Wait, what did you say?”

“You’re still technically my family, I guess, if only by marriage. I can f*ck with you. No one else can f*ck with you.”

Bryna stared up at him, perplexed. “You have a conscience?”

“Fuck no!” He glared down at her. “I just want you to talk to Stacia for me.”

“Are you kidding me?” Bryna asked. “After everything you’ve done, beating up Cam doesn’t change this shit. You threatened to come to school here if I didn’t sleep with you. You told Felicity about Jude. You plot to sabotage me over and over again when I have done nothing to you. You deserve what happened with Stacia, and you should stay away from her.”

He looked like he wanted to say more, but she turned and left. Eric gave her a questioning look, but she shook her head. He didn’t need to fight her battles for her.

Stacia seemed fine now that she was occupied.

Bryna downed the rest of her drink in a hurry. “Let’s go get another.”

When she threw back the second one just as fast, Eric got worried. “Maybe you should slow down.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t,” she said, pressing herself against him.

“You play dirty.” He ran his hands down her sides. “I want to get you out of this costume. People have seen us together. Can we leave now?”

She giggled and took another sip of her drink. “Maybe.”

“Eric!” Andrew called from behind them.

Bryna turned around and saw him strolling over to them with Marshall, and a few of the other guys from the team in tow.

“Hey, man,” Eric said without his normal enthusiasm.

“Dude, so this is really happening?” Andrew gestured between Bryna and Eric.

“Yep,” she said confidently.

“He laid Pace out for her, so I would say so,” Marshall said. His smile was genuine as he shook Eric’s hand. “Happy for you, man.”

“Yeah, but I just don’t understand,” Andrew said. He swung his beer around, clearly tipsy.

“Let it go, Andrew,” Marshall said.

“I mean, aren’t you all wondering how they’re actually dating when Bryna just likes to f*ck?” Andrew asked.

Bryna’s eyes darkened. She was truly the devil in that instant. “You’re right, Andrew.” She held her hand up before Eric could barrel into his friend. “I do like to f*ck. I just found someone better at it.”

“Oh,” all the guys said at once.

Andrew turned a deep shade of red at her comment. “Be ready for her to run scared, bro.”

Eric stepped forward. “I recommend that you leave. Bri is with me now. Anything else that you say about her will come back tenfold from me.”

“I mean…whatever, man. If you want my sloppy seconds…”

Bryna threw herself in between Eric and Andrew. “He is drunk and an idiot,” she reminded Eric. “Not to mention, jealous. Very unbelievably jealous. It is not worth your time or anger.”

Eric took a deep breath and then stepped back. “You’re right. Sober him up, and get him out of here.”