Good Girl (Playroom) (22 page)

“I’m sorry,” Devon whispers in my ear and I jump so high my head almost hits the car roof. He manages to get in
to my personal space and warm me with his body heat, but not even a brush of his clothing touches me. Devon’s perfected this maneuver over the past week.

“For what?” I murmur back. I push the friend lines by leaning into him and whispering so close to his cheek that my breath flutters back and warms my lips.

“For bringing Kieren. I thought you knew he was my best friend…. I… I know Kieren treated you poorly. That’s not the real Kieren. I want you to like my brother because if we’re going to be a part of each other’s lives, then you need to get along.”

Devon leans
away from me and the movement lashes out and stings my ego- so much for trying to flirt. I should have known better. “I trust you. If you want Kieren to join us, then I will treat him like I treat everyone else.” Devon strings tight when I say that and I can’t help but laugh. “Devon,” I chuckle. “I can’t treat Kieren like a little prince. I won’t be mean to him, but if you think I can contain my snark, ya got another thing coming.”

“Willow,” Devon
shakes his head and laughs. “I’ll take that, I guess. It was more than I expected. You have a huge apology coming from Kieren, and I want you to know it won’t be bullshit. He really means it.”

A snort erupts and I roll my eyes. My bullshit detector is screaming at Devon. He and I have spent countless hours together every day f
or the past week. I can read Devon and he can read me. We both say stupid shit that offends the other and we make no apologies for it. That’s what friends do…now if I could only turn off my throbbing female parts, we’d be great.

***

Burning Garbage
is an indie band, so the venue isn’t a big, fancy stadium in the middle of the city. Hell, it’s not even a fairground. We’re in the middle of a field in the throes of a Massachusetts’ winter. Believe it or not, Calico’s is a big venue that houses small, unknown up-and-comers and the huge mega-bands. Guitar riffs screech from the wooden stage- the stage is so rickety that I’m waiting for it to erupt into a mass of rubble, but that’s what’s fantastic about Calico.

Three thousand hyped-up fans jump to the beat
, and the frozen ground rumbles beneath our feet. Acres of people sing and dance to keep warm- but the majority use what I’m thirsting for to keep their warmth and to dampen their inhabitations.

“Are you doing alright?” Devon has to press his lips to my ears to be heard over the band and its squealing fans. I shiver in delight that his skin is touching mine. Goosebumps break out and prickle my nerves, but I don’t feel cold- hell no, my body flashes hotter than the sun.

Clouds part and angels descend to the field where a group of rowdy music-whores worship their rock God, and it’s all because Devon pulls my side against his chest and leaves his hot, moist lips where they rest against my ear. I bite my lip to contain the moan that’s bubbling to the surface.

“I am now,”
huskily slips out before I can stop it, and Devon’s resulting chuckle vibrates my ribs. “I… mean…” I stammer. “Jesus, the smell is intoxicating. I really hate Auggie right now.
‘Willow, you’re a teenager- act like it, but don’t drink or smoke.’
Fucking hypocrite! Teenagers drink and smoke. Auggie doesn’t want me to act like an adult because he’d have to treat me like one. But he doesn’t want me to act my age because that’d mean I’d be sucking on a bowl right now like a pot-head after harvest.”

“You do realize my name is Officer Mason, right?” Devon snickers. “You just admitted to not one, but t
wo illegal activities: Underage drinking and the use of illegal substances.”

“Oh
, the smell,” I dreamily whimper and shiver. “It was a mistake coming here. My sobriety is at risk just by being here. I hate beer, and the smell of stale, cheap beer is making my mouth water. What I wouldn’t do for half a dozen shots and three or four hits of hydroponic.”

“I don’t know which is scarier, Auggie or my dad. At least Auggie doesn’t drug and alcohol test you when you come home from a party. The Chief can’t have his underage cop son drinking and smoking. But
… oh my God, it smells fantastic,” moans from Devon’s lips and sends a quiver down my spine.

“We’ll
be good together,” I promise. I firmly press my nose into the side of Devon’s neck and inhale the vanilla musky scent. I nearly purr when it hits my system. Fuck drugs, a hit off Devon’s neck is pure ecstasy. I’ve missed him touching me so much that my knees go weak.

“Okay, we
’ll call each other for support. But you do realize that if one of us falls off the wagon, we’ll undoubtedly take the other with us…”

“And it will be heaven until one of those bastards punishes us to sobriety. I th
ink it might be worth it,” I dreamily murmur.

“Ugh!” rushes out my chest when a solid body collides with mine. Large hands grip my hips and tilt my ass. I roll my eyes as Kieren molests me.

“Is our tiny brat cold? My brother isn’t big enough to warm you up, darling,” Kieren purrs into my ear while systematically dry-humping my ass.

“Get your dick off my girlfriend, Ren!
Don’t make me regret inviting you,” Devon warns, but he giggles.

“I’m showing Willow
how a real man does it,” Kieren chuckles and rhythmically pumps against my backside.

“Fuckface, I believe Auggie already beat you to it. We watched, remember?” Devon tries to sound angry, but laughter keeps bubbling up.

The boys press me against their bodies and slap-fight around me. The entire time they keep spouting out hilarious insults and jabs. I try to ignore the fact that I can feel Kieren’s hard-on against my ass and that it’s perfectly pressing into me. I tell my suddenly happy cunny to stop quivering with excitement.
Naughty, puss, that’s creepy Kieren rubbing on you. Stop purring, dammit!

“Auggie’s not the right man for the job, bro. He just popped and ran. Not cool,” Kieren hisses. He surprises me by sounding angry at Auggie.

“Oh, and you’re the right one?” Devon taunts. He picks me up off the ground and wraps an arm under my ass to keep Kieren off me. “Stop grinding on Willow!”

“Either of us- I’ll flip you for h
er…” Kieren presses his hips to my ass and Devon’s arm magically disappears in a heartbeat.

“Ren, you’re a perverted mother
fucker! Your dick touched my arm,” Devon makes gagging sounds and dry-heaves.

“Made
ya move, didn’t it?” Kieren arrogantly says, followed by a series of wicked snickers. Kieren’s hands drag me back up his body until we’re perfectly aligned again. I try to put a damper on my mind and body. For some unexplainable reason, I’m turned on by Kieren tonight. I don’t know if it’s him or the fact that Auggie and Devon have been stringing me along for a week straight. But knowing that I’m arousing Kieren is arousing me. My little boy body does nothing for most guys, but Kieren seems to genuinely crave it.

“Dude, you
’re just gonna let your brother molest the hell out of me?” I try to sound outraged, but my ragged breath catches in my throat.

“Willow,” Kieren sings in my ear. “I’m not doing anything to ya t
hat you’re not enjoying.  You’re positively glowing with pleasure.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” I tease, but don’t try to get down.

Devon’s fingers seek my chin and tilt my face until he can gaze into my eyes. We hold each other’s gaze for a few suspended moments in time. He flashes me a thrilled smile and snaps his fingers.

“Ren, set her down,” Devon
commands and Kieren immediately complies. “You’ve got your jollies off enough for the night.”

I stand on wobbly legs and look between the broth
ers- they share a secret smile I can’t decipher. “I think I could actually… ya know…” Kieren bashfully whisper, but it carries to our ears. He looks to the ground and his eyes snap back up to meet his brother’s.

“Seriously? Are you sure, or are you just fucking
with me to get my sympathy. Willow’s my girlfriend, man.”

“You’re not using Willow
,” Kieren mumbles.

“Ren, Willow
’s a person, not a fucking object,” Devon belligerently responds. “I won’t treat her like a damn pet, like that bastard does.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Kieren growls and stomps away.

“What the fuck was that about?” I demand of the strange exchange they just had.

“You’ll have to ask Ren.
It’s not my story to tell.” Devon thoughtfully cocks his head to the side, and a moment later he continues. “Well, if we ever get the balls to have that conversation it would be best if it’s the three of us. I don’t want to subject you to the grisly details twice.”

Devon
tosses me a sad smile and stalks off after his brother. The crowd swallows around me. I can just make out Kieren’s blond head above the crowd as it cracks backwards from a well-executed punch. The dark messy curls that block my view inform me that it’s brother against brother for reasons unknown to me.

I deeply breathe
and try to see the stage. The mass of writhing bodies blocks my view of the band, but the sound permeates my pores. It’s amazing that I’m experiencing my birthday gift completely alone. I smile to myself. A month ago I’d have thrown a fit for Essie leaving me alone and demanded that Devon explain what the hell is going on. But I realize that I’m not the center of anyone’s universe. Their business is none of my business. I’m fine with being alone. I like me.

I just hope that I don’t fall victim to the crowd. I shuffle to the left near a group of trashy-danci
ng girls. I blend into the throng and fall into the music. Friends or not, I’m here for
Burning Garbage
and no one else.

An hour into singing like a lunatic and jumping up and down with my new buddies
, I notice that Essie is next to me. I turn to her and smile. I can tell she’s been with me for a while but let me join the revelers in musical celebration. I grab Essie’s hands and hop around until she giggles.

Sweaty in the winter air and parched from excessive screaming, I’d kill for a beer, but I grab a bottle of wat
er from Essie and drain it. That wicked bitch is nursing a wine cooler. I lick my lips and pretend my tasteless liquid is peachy goodness with a fizzy kick to the ass. The fact that I’d kiss Essie’s lips to have a taste screams that maybe I am an alcoholic- Christ!

I look down from Essie’s shining eyes as she guiltily dumps her wine cooler and grabs her own bottle of flavorless wet.
I contemplate lying down on my belly and lapping the liquid off the frozen earth. I mouth
sorry
to her for being such a fucking buzz-kill. Movement over Essie’s shoulder catches my eye and all the blood drains from my face.

Slow
ly Essie turns to see what caught my attention. I’m speechless, but someone else isn’t, “Fuck,” is hissed near my ear, and for the first time I notice that Kieren has been next to me for quite a while, too.

The final nail in th
e friend coffin is firmly tacked into place. A leggy blonde, with voluptuous curves and huge ruby-red lips teases a fingernail up Devon’s chest, and he gives her a roguish grin. Those perfect lips descend on his and I look away.

I swallow what little pride and self-esteem I have left and face the stage. I may not have mile-long legs and jouncing tits, but I do have self-respect. I won’t throw myself at someone who doesn’t want me and I won’t fall into the nearest pair of waiting arms to prove my worth. The new and improved Willow is smarter than that. I grab Essie’s hand and avoid her crushed expression. I weave and sing to the haunting balled that Mick, the lead singer, is belting out.

~Chapter Seventeen~

“You,” is screamed at me as I’m sucking down a cigarette like it’s the last breath of oxygen on the planet. Devon took Essie to the port-a-john at her request. No doubt Essie wanted to grill Devon on the bitch who’s now pointing her talon at my face.

“Tin
a,” my smoking partner hisses. I ignore the pair of them. I’m just thrilled to feel the sensation of nicotine infusing my bloodstream. Auggie can fuck off if he has an issue with cigarettes. I can legally buy them. At a concert filled with every drug known to mankind, Auggie’s lucky I’m lucid. Ordinarily, I use work to distract me from my addictions.

“If Devon
hadn’t pointed her out, I’d have sworn she was Weston,” Tina, Devon’s lips sucker, insults me in the lowest form possible. After years of being called Seth, I’m about to fucking snap. One last drag and my smoke is down to its filter. I drop it to the ground and grind my heel on it, pretending it’s her face under my heel.

“Ah-
I wasn’t aware that big tits were a prerequisite to be Devon’s friend. I guess that makes you his BFF.” A taunting smirk flirts with my lips. I’m ready to brawl after all the shit I’ve dealt with since I turned eighteen. This skank has nothing on Violent Violet- “Bring it, bitch!”