Mad Boys (Blue Ivy Prep, #2)(41)

Since it had to be dropped off at Ramsey’s suite, I just waited outside the front door to grab it. No sense in giving either of them ideas.

I couldn’t really figure out what to say beyond did she need another drink? That didn’t really seem like talking. By the time she disappeared into her room for the night, I was still looking for the words.

Why did they have to be so hard?

That night, after I got ready for bed, I heard her guitar. It was soft, but she was playing. I strained to listen if she was singing, but we both kept the doors to the bathroom closed. If I went in, I locked her door. If she was in there, she locked mine.

We communicated without words most of the time. Monday morning, Ramsey summoned me to his suite before breakfast. I walked down with KC, who was in her running gear. I waited for her to take off before I knocked on Ramsey’s door.

Unsurprisingly, Lachlan was also at the table in Ramsey’s little dining area. He kept his suite way more like an overly tidy little apartment. Yeah, I didn’t need to talk to Lachlan. I stared at our oldest brother. “I have things to do.”

“Yes,” Ramsey said, pointing to the table. “One of those things is talking to us. We’re settling this.”

“No,” I said, folding my arms. I didn’t venture deeper into the suite, nor did I sit down. “I have things to do.” Yes, I was repeating myself. “If you want to tell me something, just say it.”

“Told you this wouldn’t work.” Smug. Lachlan always sounded smug, even if his black eye was still swollen nearly shut and his busted lip actually looked worse. Maybe I should make his bruised face a permanent feature.

I grinned at the idea.

It made my day better.

Ramsey sighed. “Guys, you two cannot keep up this war.”

“Yes, we can,” I said in the same breath that Lachlan did. Then glared at him. I didn’t want to be on the same page with him. His arrogant smirk was beginning to grate on my last nerve.

Eyes rolling, Ramsey shook his head. “So you agree that you can keep up the war. Well, I guess that gets us started somewhere.”

“We don’t need to start anything,” Lachlan stated. “Jonas’ punk ass is gonna be a little bitch until he gets over being butt hurt where Ace is concerned.”

“Don’t,” Ramsey said through gritted teeth.

“She has a name,” I stated flatly. “She also doesn’t want anything to do with you. Maybe learn she isn’t all that into you.”

“Except, I’ve kissed her…”

That statement alone was enough to make me livid.

“…even better, she kissed me back.” He stretched his legs out in front of him. “I know when a girl wants me, little bro. You might struggle in that department—”

Ramsey cut me off as I started across the room. “I said don’t,” he told me, but then swung a look at Lachlan. “Either of you. Keep it up and I’ll be the one throwing you out next. Rooms are at a premium and Jonas can’t offer you your old one back yet.”

Mutiny filled Lachlan’s expression, and I savored it with a little vicious pleasure.

“And if you don’t get a grip, I will make sure KC is moved out of your suite.” The warning in Ramsey’s tone shut down my triumph. “You know the rules. Anything that upsets your recovery or creates a violent setback and we have to address it.”

“She has nothing to do with that.” I attended my therapy sessions regularly and took my meds. In fact, I’d been working on how to talk to her for weeks. I just hadn’t figured it out yet.

“She has everything—I said don’t, Lachlan,” Ramsey interrupted himself as he pivoted to face our brother. “I’m not kidding. I’m sick of this shit between the two of you. Hate each other all you want, but do it peacefully and without a bunch of bullshit insults.”

I almost wanted to ask “or what” but I didn’t. Not when he was already threatening to have KC taken out of my suite.

“Now,” Ramsey said as he yanked out a chair at the table. “Sit down, we’re going to talk and lay out some ground rules that you two jackasses are going to follow.”

I glanced at Lachlan, who was rolling his eyes at Ramsey. Our gazes locked for a moment and he practically dared me with his raised eyebrows.

“Whatever,” I said as I crossed over to take the seat. “Let’s make this quick. KC’s running and I want to go to breakfast with her.”

Lachlan twitched. He started to stand up, but Ramsey pinned him with a look until he sat down. Yeah, he wanted to run after her, but now he couldn’t.

That made the next twenty-five minutes of brotherly advice, bargaining, and bullshit tolerable. Especially since I said I wanted to go to breakfast with her. We didn’t have plans.

They didn’t know that.

As it turned out, Aubrey was waiting for KC when I got back up to our suite. So, I walked down with them to breakfast. While we went through the line together, I left them when they went to join friends. I wanted to find a peace offering for her. One that would say we could be friends, even if we weren’t.

It baffled me on what to say or even how to say it. By the end of the week, I was no closer than I’d been at the beginning. The music was done though. I’d finished composing a five minute piece.