That night Keeley was fast asleep when an unfamiliar ringtone played in her ear. Eyes still closed, she reached under her pillow and grabbed the phone. “’Ello?”
“Your brother is annoying,” Talon mumbled, his voice rough with sleep.
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Wants you to pick him up from some chick’s house. Chloe-something-or-other.”
“He’s at another party?”
“Said he snuck out with one of his buddies.” What was Zach thinking? He was grounded. There would be hell to pay if their parents caught him. They’d all but threatened to take him off the football team if he broke another rule.
She rolled out of bed, reached into her closet and grabbed the first thing she could find — a blue Edgewood High sweatshirt. It clashed with her orange polka-dot pajama shorts, but she was too tired to care. She went to slip on her flip-flops, but they were gone. Tucker must have buried them in the backyard again. All she could find were the rain boots her father had given her for Christmas last year. She slipped them on, then crept past her parents’ room and down the stairs.
“You still there?” she whispered. “What time is it?”
“Two thirty. Why is he even calling you?”
“He’s drunk.”
“So?”
“He can’t drive.”
“Let me get this straight. He calls and you drop everything to help him out?”
She frowned at his tone. “I’m his sister. Wouldn’t you do the same?”
“He got into the situation. He can get himself out.”
Keeley grabbed her car keys off the kitchen table and tiptoed to the front door. “You’re an only child, aren’t you?”
“That’s irrelevant. You need to stop acting like his personal chauffeur and show him some tough love.”
“I’m not —” Tucker rushed after her, thinking he was going for a walk. He whined when she opened the door, pushing himself in between her legs. Shushing him, she glanced up the stairwell to see if her parents had woken up. Their room stayed dark, so she waved Tucker away. “Go to my room,” she ordered quietly.
“I thought you’d never ask,” Talon replied. “I knew all that protest was just an act. No one can refuse my charm.”
“I was talking to the dog,” she hissed as she silently closed the door and hurried to her car. “Although there is an uncanny resemblance.”
“And how would you know? You’ve never seen me.”
“Maybe not physically, but personality-wise. I mean you both love to chase and you sulk like children when your favorite toy gets taken away. Not to mention needing constant attention and stroking.”
“You’re right. I need lots of stroking.”
“I’m talking about your ego, pervert.”
Talon laughed. Unbelievable.
“Shut up, dude!” a voice yelled in the background. Talon must have covered the phone with his hand because all Keeley could hear was a few muffled noises. There was some white noise, then Keeley heard a door close.
She hesitated before asking, “Talon?”
“Sorry, my roommate’s being an ass and kicked me out.”
“I’m surprised you let him.” Talon didn’t seem the type to let himself be pushed around. Keeley turned on the car and switched him to speakerphone. She pulled out of the driveway and waited until she was at the end of the street before turning on the headlights.
“Coach is doubling up practices so everyone’s exhausted.”
“You should get some sleep then.”
“I’m not that tired. Besides, I’m talking to you.”
“So, I’m your shot of caffeine?” she teased. She froze when she realized how flirty that sounded. In fact, the whole conversation had a playful undertone. She wasn’t sure how she felt about it.
“Something like that,” he replied. “Explain to me again why you’re always running to the rescue. What does your brother have over you?”
“Nothing! I do it because I have his back, and he has mine.”
“What has he done for you?”
“Why do you care? It’s not like it affects you,” she replied.
“I’m curious.”
“And curiosity killed the cat.”
“Good thing I’m a dog then, huh?”
His answer was so unexpected she found herself cracking up. “Well, at least you admit it.”
She parked a couple houses down from Chloe’s house. “As stimulating as this conversation is, I have to go.”
“You there already?”
“Unfortunately,” she sighed, sidestepping a pile of puke on the sidewalk. She hated going to parties like this, where everyone was drunk and sloppy.
“You don’t sound too thrilled. I completely understand.”
“You do?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t be thrilled to say goodbye to me either.”
She rolled her eyes. “Good night, Talon.”
“Don’t miss me too much.”
After hanging up, Keeley hopped around the red plastic cups littering the entryway and poked her head into the family room. Several couples were making out on the couches and chairs. She raised an eyebrow at one particular pair: Randy, her ex, and Allison Lineberry, the captain of the girls’ soccer team.
“Keeley!” She looked over to see Cort, Zach’s best friend, stumbling toward her. Her hands automatically reached out to steady him. “What’re ya doing here?” he yelled over the music.
“Looking for Zach,” she told him, taking in a whiff of beer and rum. Cort placed both hands on her shoulders and laughed. “What?” she asked.
“You look funny,” he said, eyeing her up and down.
Right. Her rain boots and polka-dot PJs. She completely forgot. But she wasn’t there to impress anyone. Keeley held her chin up and said, “Thanks. So have you seen Zach?”
Cort pulled her into the kitchen and pushed her in front of a group of football players. “Look who’s here,” he announced, showing her off like a carnival prize.
“Keeley!” they greeted her, shouting like they were at a concert instead of a house. She lifted a hand in a silent hello. These kids had been to her house countless times over the past three years. Cort shoved a red cup at her, but Keeley didn’t take a sip.
“Did ya see Randy?” he asked.
“Hard not to.” Just seeing him had brought back a flood of memories from when they were dating. He’d been easy to talk to and fun to be around, until they started hanging out with his friends. Then he started pressuring her to attend parties and told crude jokes that shocked her. When they were alone, he was different again, so Keeley stuck with him. But then one night, she overheard his friends trash-talking her, and Randy didn’t say a single word to defend her. She ended it the next day. But she still thought about it. What is wrong with him? she wondered. And what’s wrong with her?
“Dude, football is going to dominate this year!” someone yelled. As usual, the mention of football caught everyone’s attention.
“Edgewood for the win!”
“This year is going to be epic!”
Keeley had to find Zach and get out of there. Things could get crazy once they got going.