Sweet Forty-Two(13)

“The f*ck is that?” CJ paced toward me, pulling his hands from his pockets.

I lifted the bracelet. “Just a cuff I picked up at this second hand store down the str—”

“No,” he tenderly wrapped his fingers around my forearm and grazed his thumb across my purple wrist, “this.”

“A bruise.” I tried to keep my voice even, but knew CJ would tear down the facade in a second. He could see through any half-truth of mine as if I’d left the shades open and was walking around the inside of my conscience naked. I pulled my arm back and he released it without a fight.

CJ’s eyes darkened and narrowed at once, as if he were morphing into someone else. Someone only I knew. “That doesn’t look like just a bruise.”

“Whatever it is you think it looks like, it’s not.”

“That guy you left with last night. Him?” He crossed his arms over his chest, taking up a majority of the doorway with his massive shoulders. I sighed as I rolled my eyes. “Don’t give me that look, G. I’m not overreacting.”

“Actually, you are a little. This isn’t senior year. I’m not that girl anymore.” I squared my shoulders to his, my hands on my hips.

“Yeah?” he challenged. “Then, who are you?”

I smiled, trying to break the angry red cloud between us. “Come on, Ceej, you know who I am. We built us. Remember? We learned from each other. How to pick ‘em, how to bed ‘em.”

CJ would give me pointers on how to look attractive, rather than desperate. How to play hard to get. I taught him the same thing. Despite how piggish he might seem to some, he actually uses those techniques every goddamn night. It’s not that he’s a pig, really. It’s that the girls get mad they ever fell for it.

“It’s different for us, Georgia. I’m a guy.”

“Uh-uh, don’t you dare start that shit with me. It’s not different, that’s the whole goddamn point. Don’t go all gender roles on me now, Kane.” I waved my finger in his face and he took both of my arms in his giant hands, just like they were his sticks.

He sighed. “You’re right. Sorry.” The top of his left cheek twitched a little. He didn’t believe the words he was saying, but he wanted to. I needed him to, too. He cleared his throat. “You gonna tell me what happened to your wrist?”

I shrugged. “Guess Dex thought my bedroom walls were red.” I laughed at his confused look, trying to cover up the nausea I felt at constructing yet another lie. And, throwing Dex under the bus with it. “God, read a book once in a while.”

Just then, Lissa appeared in the doorway. “Knock, knock. You cleaned up, girl? You’ve got thirsty customers. Including Dex.”

I froze. Just for a second, but CJ’s grip tightened before he let go. He caught my reaction and seemed to file it away as he slid his hands into his pockets. I needed to keep CJ far away from Dex. Far away from asking about the reality of last night at all.

“Great.” I scraped some sarcasm from the back of my tightening throat and slathered it across my words.

I slid past CJ without meeting his eyes. I needed a shot, and for CJ to get on stage, and for Dex to eat and leave. All at once.

That way no one would get hurt.

No one.





Regan

Ember bounced her knee as her high heel dangled off the dowel in the stool. “God,” she groaned, “where the hell is CJ?” She’d been tense all afternoon. I didn’t know what was sticking to her, but Bo seemed to be checking her for live wires, as well.

Thankfully, CJ strode out of the back hallway a second later, just behind Georgia.

“Couldn’t wait until later tonight, CJ?” Ember did little to control the volume of her voice. Bo’s eyes widened as they darted between Ember and CJ.

Georgia stopped in her tracks and walked with baleful control toward Ember, who paid her no attention. Until Georgia was standing an inch away from her, angry eyes narrowed until I could nearly only see her pupils.

“Wait until later tonight for what?” Georgia’s chest heaved between her narrow shoulders. She’d changed out of her tank top and was wearing a black bar t-shirt that she’d manipulated to still show her belly button. I loved that her stomach wasn’t overly tanned or tight.

“Let it go, Georgia,” CJ grumbled as he pushed past me and settled behind his set. Georgia shot him a killer look. Turning around, I found him mirroring it back to her as he stretched his head from side to side, rolling his shoulders back. He shifted his eyes to me. “Let’s warm up.”

I turned back around and found Ember tying back her hair as Georgia continued to stare at her, taking one, two, three steps backward before she turned toward the bar.

“What the hell?” I whispered.

“What?” Ember shrugged. “She’s a bitch.”

“I swear to God, Ember, shut up.” CJ was speaking through clenched teeth.

“Oh f*ck off, CJ. She is. She’s given me nasty looks since she first laid eyes on me. She hangs all over everyone at this bar like she’s the damn ocean breeze, and she gets offended when I suggest she was fooling around with you in the back room? Please.” She turned and adjusted her mic stand.

CJ stood up so fast his stool crashed into the wall behind him. “I said shut up!”