Page 2 of Exclusive

Many weeks before…

I don’t remember asking for confirmation that the timeless adage is true; but I got it anyway — everything does come in threes… the Kendrick Squad trio here to offer proof.

It hasn’t even been a full week since my big blowout with Sutton, immediately followed by my attempt at “laying low,” far from enough time to myself, yet here they are, descending upon my apartment like a pack of hungry wolves. Or the Three Stooges.

Not that I’m the least bit surprised. My family doesn’t exactly cooperate with a member’s need for solitude, and use their own annoying form of math — calculating any time spent “missing” in dog years. Rabid, blood-thirsty dog years. So really, considering all that… the Kendricks are late.

“You’re short a few,” I bite out as soon as I open the front door to them. Judd and Bellamy fall off the welcome wagon, or did they get lucky and draw the long straws?”

“Oh good,” JT sighs in mock relief, clutching his chest. “Despite the fact you’ve obviously forgotten how to brush your hair, or, ya know, decipher clean clothes, that fit, from dirty ones, that don’t, you didn’t lose that charming wit of yours. Brynny, go ahead and call to cancel the doomsday preppers; there’s still hope.”

“Not bad, smartass; not bad at all. And as much as I love these little verbal spars of ours, I’m not in the mood today. Or tomorrow.”

“Too bad. “ Skylar’s love comes cloaked in scorn. “Get in the mood, because we’re not leaving you like, like this.” She surveys my “situation,” top to bottom, failing to hide her concern… mixed with a small case of the heebie-jeebies.

“Really guys, thanks for checking on me, I love ya for it, but I just need to be alone. You came, saw, and verified I’m still alive, unharmed and not being held against my will in some underground sex slave camp. Your work here is done.” I turn, leaving them standing at the door, and drag my dejected ass back down the hall and to my bedroom.

“Or not.” Sky’s sass sounds from right behind me, meaning she followed me. Goodie.

I ignore her and retreat under “my Fortress of Solitude,” the more becoming title I’ve dubbed the pile of blankets, dishes, food wrappers, and wadded tissues that once was my bed.

“Oh. My…” she stops mid-gasp, unable to find the right words and obviously unappreciative of all the hard work put into my comfort cove. “Y’all, come look at this,” she calls to her siblings. “Presley, honey, this is, I don’t even know. Jesus, take the wh-”

“Save your breath; I already asked him. He declined. Hard pass. Said he’d rather walk,” I drone from beneath the covers, now pulled completely over my head.

“That’s not funny, and neither is your, uh, current state of…”

“Dayumm, P.” JT joins the party, whistling low in the pitch of unimpressed. “Seriously, what the entire fuck? I hope like hell you’re current on your Tetanus shot, ‘cause it’s a damn bio-hazard in here.”

“Both of you, stop it.” Brynn rescues me. “Sarcasm may be the language we were raised to speak, but now’s not the time, or place for it. Nor is ithelping. This isn’t a joke; P’s clearly hurting. And your ridicule is tacky and insensitive. If that’s the best you can do, maybe we should go; give her some peace and quiet.”

“Thank you, Brynny,” I mumble, burrowing deeper into my sanctuary.

But Skylar’s not having it, nor did she hear a word her sister said. As the oldest of the three, thus the natural leader, and damn close in rivaling my own tenacity, she’ll come, or be told what to do, about the time Hell freezes over. “I’m not leaving until I get what I came for.” The bed shakes as she rearranges my necessities, cleaning off a spot to take a seat. “Since you’ve entered some rare cone of silence where you share nothing with the class, let’s try this. I’m gonna tell you what I do know, then you’re gonna fill in the part I don’t. Sound good?”

No. Not at all.

“I’ll take your lack of response as a, yes, Skylar, that sounds great. Okay,” she clears her throat and firms up her voice, if any firmer is even possible. I heard what happened at the party, and I’m so sorry, P. I hate that you had such a rough night. Do you want to talk about it?”

Again, no. Not at all.

Her defeated sigh blends with my silence and more shuffling, Brynny now clearing space to join her on the bed. I know it’s Brynn by the gentle, quiet movements — JT would’ve thrown stuff any and everywhere, rattling the frame with his landing. “This lack of response I’ll take to mean, no need, you already know about that, so, move on, please. Which brings us to the part where they then mentioned how Sutton took excellent care of you after the ordeal, because you specifically asked that it be him who took care of you. The next morning however… that’s where things go fuzzy and we’re all clueless.”

“Yeah, P, real fuzzy. He called me, bright and early, grilled me for information on you. And pretty much threatened to kill me if I’d been holding any back, or lying to him. Any idea what the hell he was talk, no, yelling about?” JT asks with the same probing suspicion I’m sure Sutton used on him.

I stick to my silence — they’re doing just fine filling in the blanks for themselves.

“No? Nothin’?” JT scoffs. “Me either. Sky? Brynny? Either of you got a clue?”

“Nope,” Skylar pops. “Can’t imagine how things went from only wanting Sutton by her side, to what appears to be a huge fight between the two of them either. A fight big enough to send Princess Take No Shit, who hides from nothing, into hiding.”

“He told you we had a fight?” I ask before I stop myself, or my curiosity.

“She can speak. It’s a miracle!” Sky pokes harder.

All kinds of freakin’ feeling herself today. She’s lucky I don’t give a damn… about much at all.

“Just answer the question,” I hiss.

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