Page 10 of Sweetest Hate

Shawn nodded. "Thank you. So, she brought a friend who apparently noticed you. Want me to call her over?"

Quinn was the only person present who knew I was gay. I didn't exactly hide it at college, but I wasn't overly open about it either. But around these parts? My friends, who'd grown up in small-town Georgia? I was more hesitant to let the cat out of the bag, which sucked when it came to moments like this. Considering our surroundings, I wasn't about to out myself.

"I don't—" A heavy weight fell on my lap, interrupting me, and I grunted as Quinn's ass squished my dick, and not in the good way. "The fuck, man?"

"I'm Quinn," he slurred, completely ignoring my discomfort, and reached out, taking Sophie's hand to inspect the ring. "Nice. Well done, Shawn. Figures you'd land a hottie."

"Quinn," I reprimanded my clearly drunk best friend. "Get off me, asshole." I pushed him until he fell off my lap and landed on the unforgiving ground. Quinn only threw his head back, laughing like a moron. I glanced down at my wasted best friend before looking at Shawn. "How much has he had to drink?"

He shrugged. "I wasn't babysitting him."

I sighed. "Someone should keep an eye on the idiot before he rolls into the fire pit."

Shawn chuckled and mock-whispered to his girl, "He's just jealous. Quinn is Kellan's husband. They've been married since they were like four years old."

She giggled, and I scoffed. At the moment, I actually wasn't jealous. I didn't particularly like it, but it was the norm. "Nope. We got divorced when I found him in the science lab closet with Gia." I glanced at Shawn. "You remember that?"

Shawn snorted. "Mrs. Lloyd's daughter?"

I nodded, and he burst out laughing, looking down at Quinn. "Holy shit, I forgot about that. You have to be a special kind of stupid to sleep with the teacher's daughter in her own damn classroom."

"You know you love me, K," Quinn crooned from where he'd stretched out on the ground beside my chair.

I winced and hoped it wasn't noticeable. Even knowing he was just being a smart ass, I worried he'd figure out it held a little more truth than he was aware of one day. I glared down at Quinn. "In your dreams, dumbass."

"Speaking of love…" Shawn kicked my chair. "Before Quinn's rude ass interrupted, I was going to ask you if you wanted to meet Laura, Sophie's friend. She's into it." Shawn brought up the girl again, sending Quinn into a fit of laughter because he knew that was never going to happen unless she turned into a hot guy.

Grunting, I turned and stared off into the fire. "I'm good."

"Wow, really?" Shawn sounded surprised, and why wouldn't he? "I thought she was your type." He paused. "Actually, I don't really remember you with a lot of girls. Whatisyour type?"

Quinn cleared his throat, and I glanced down at him, sharing a look with a slight shake of my head. He'd been trying for years to convince me to come out and swore he'd have my back. But now was not the time.

Reading my need for a rescue, Quinn stood on unsteady legs. "I need help starting up the grill. Let's go,husband."

"You have no business being near a grill right now," Shawn observed, and I had to agree, especially with no hospital for an hour in any direction.

Quinn grabbed my arm, attempting to pull me to my feet, but he was too hammered to manage the task. "Exactly why I need help. Move it, K."

Before I could stand, an army of headlights pierced through the trees, drawing nearer and blinding everyone as they came to a stop. Quinn stumbled forward, narrowing his eyes in the newcomers' direction when the lights flicked off one by one. "What in the actual fuck?" he whisper-snapped.

Confused, my brows raised. "Who's that?"

I didn't recognize the group of vehicles, and the one leading the pack would have stood out in my memory. That one was some kind of classic sports car with a loud engine. It could have belonged to anyone in our group that had maybe run into town or was late to arrive, I supposed. But the number of cars made me think otherwise, and by the look on my best friend's face, whoever they were, they weren't welcome.

Squinting, I could just make out the shape of a tall guy unfolding from what looked to be a classic Mustang. He stopped momentarily to stretch just before the door was slammed shut.

"Quinn, who's that?" I asked again as I studied him, who was glaring daggers toward the rapidly growing number of people climbing out of their vehicles.

Ignoring me, Quinn squared his stiffened shoulders as the lead guy strode purposely toward us. When the glow from the fire lit up his face, I swallowed hard.Holy motherfuck. The dude was hot as hell. Hair the color of midnight, was styled in a careless I-don't-give-two-fucks way. And his lips were so full, I immediately imagined sucking on them or how they'd feel gliding down my body. His sharp cheekbones and scruffy jawline gave him a fierce look that his slashing dark eyebrows over his piercing eyes only made worse. Or better, in my horny opinion.

The stranger's gaze whipped over the crowd until he paused on Quinn then he closed the distance between them, and the deepest, raspiest—sexy as fuck—voice I'd heard in my life said, "What the fuck is going on?"

"Arsen," Quinn answered in a stony tone.

My eyebrows shot up.Arsen? This was the stepbrother?Jesus. Who cared if he was an asshole?

Arsen's narrowed eyes scanned the crowd again, jaw ticcing, and then flint-colored eyes locked on mine, making me swallow hard. He held me captive under his hard gaze, and I quickly realized I'd severely underestimated the intensity hiding in their depths. Firelight flickered in his steely, cold orbs but it did nothing to warm them. I shivered despite the heat. When he looked away first, I let loose a breath I hadn't realized had been lodged in my lungs.Intensewas too weak of a word to describe the foreboding figure that stood before me, towering well over six feet.

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