Page 43 of Something So Strong

Quite drunk himself, Saxon is quick to respond. “You can help me out of it when we get back.” But his words are more confident than his cognizance, and he sways as he stands.

“Oh, the temptation.” Kai shakes his head and watches, rather unimpressed, as Saxon staggers towards the exit in a commotion of cursing and banging his shins. “You sure you don’t wanna leave him here?” he asks, looking back at Romeo.

I am not impressed.

“Fine,” he says with a roll of his eyes at my expression. “You can sleep in the van. But be a good boy and don’t vomit everywhere.”

“We’re a package deal,” I tell him, taking one of Romeo’s arms and laying it across my shoulders. “So you can quit playing now if you like. It’s not what I want but…” These two bellends mean more to me than my own flesh and blood.

I’m thankful when he takes Romeo’s other arm without hesitation, but I’d be lying if I said there was no caution in his movements. Even despite his tattoos and the darkness of the pub, I can still see the veins in his hand bulging from how tightly he’s gripping onto Romeo’s wrist like he’s terrified he could start swinging at any minute.

But I don’t mention it. It’s not my place.

He’s helping. And alone, I’m thankful for that.

“Hey, you sexy brunette,” he calls out to Saxon once we’re outside. “Grab the keys, would ya?” he asks, shaking his hip where the keys are in his pocket. And with a dramatic spin, Saxon struts back towards us.

“Is this your way of trying to get me into your pants?” he flirts, stopping dead in front of Kai—his stance swaying and his eyes heavy. “You’re just lucky I like chicks, cause I’d wreck you.”

“Pfft!” I splutter.

“Oh, you sweet, sexy thing.” Kai looks at him with smug pity. “It’s a good thing you aren’t going to remember this in the morning.”

“Yeah?” Saxon slurs. “Well, I know what you’ll be thinking about tonight.”

“I really don’t think you do.”

With more confidence than I’ve seen him possess in years, Saxon steps closer to Kai. “I can’t figure you out, Mate. But… Why don’t you like me? I mean… Like you do Jess. You flirt with him differently and it’s hurting my feelings.”

I know that somewhere in Saxon’s muddled mind he’s trying to be funny, and typically I’d be here for it. But Kai and I are still holding up six feet and four inches of Romeo’s dead weight.

“You’re just not pretty enough for my personal taste…”

Saxon tries to follow Kai’s words, but they go in one ear and out the other.

“...You see, Saxon. Your biggest problem is you remind me far too much of the jocks from my hometown. You are sexy, but the only thing you can ever hope for is to be my friend. Now, if you can break the jock stereotype for me—that’s great. But you’re certainly not gonna make me stray from pussy, that’s for sure.”

From behind Romeo’s back, I feel Kai’s hand rise and take hold of my forearm. His thumb moves back and forth as Saxon continues to try to convince him of something neither of them is interested in.

“Look, babe,” Kai finally interrupts, shaking his hip again. “Let’s chat about this under more sober circumstances.”

Sighing with an eye roll that almost sends him off balance, Saxon retrieves the keys from Kai’s pocket. Still trying to prove something—though I have no idea what—he slinks backwards towards the van and destroys all his hard work when he fumbles with the lock and drops the keys. When he finally gets it unlocked, Saxon throws the side door open—offering no help as Kai and I struggle to pull him inside.

It’s not pretty, but we prop him up against the window well enough for me to put a seatbelt around him. Then Kai grabs the keys and heads to the front.

“Shhh,” Saxon whisper yells with his finger to his lips. “Jesse, bruv. I think Kai wants to bone you.”

My heart stops and there’s a whooshing in my ears as all ambient noise disappears and the only thing I can hear in surround sound is Kai climbing into the driver’s seat.

“You and Romi have always been prettier than me,” he continues, “And I see how he looks at you. Don’t worry… I don’t care.” Throwing himself back into his seat, Saxon tosses up his arms. “We all need somebody to love.”

My eyes bulge out of my head, and in complete abashed silence, I reach for the side door because there is no way I can sit next to Kai right now.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I look at the rearview mirror, meet his eyes, then dart mine away. “I’m not a taxi driver.”

Completely spineless and at the whim of my hormones, and Kai’s husky voice, I climb out of the van and slide the door shut. Choosing to walk the long way around the back of the van, I pause and fantasize about bashing my head against the rear window. I could knock myself out, then maybe the ground would swallow me up whole. That, or I’d end up in the hospital, in which case Saxon might forget about announcing his views on Kai wanting to dick me down…

The van remains silent as the lights of town disappear and the only thing visible is the road just in front of us.

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