Page 23 of Blade

“What the fuck, man?” Romeo glared at Cash.

“Yes, Beck went to DC high,” Jack answered for me.

I looked back and forth between Romeo and Cash, seeing rather than hearing a conversation between the two.

The table got quiet as we ate our dinner. Then suddenly, the front door crashed open, and a girl flew through the room, headed for the kitchen.

“Did I miss it? Is it all gone?”

She couldn’t be over nineteen or twenty and was a blur of golden hair as she ran through the main room to the kitchen. Moments later, she hurried back with a plate full of food and charged right to our table.

“One of you better move or I’ll sit on your lap. Romeo will enjoy it, and Ben will die of embarrassment, and you, Ace, are just gross.”

Ace stood and quickly grabbed another chair, placing it between him and Ben. “Do Mom and Dad know you’re here without them?”

“Of course they do. They know I come here every time Grams is making dinner. They would be here as well, but they were having dinner with the Michaelsons. Oh, hi. I’m Lily.”

The girl leaned over with her hand stretched out.

I reached out and shook her hand, questioning her, “Are you Ace’s sister?”

“Not biologically, but yes. Our parents were best friends, so Ace became the brother I never wanted,” she teased as she bumped his shoulder. Lily looked over at Ben. “Hi, Ben.”

Ben glanced over and nodded his head. The man hadn’t said a word since I sat down.

“Hey, Ben.” Crystal, the red-headed club girl from the kitchen, slid onto Ben’s lap. He looked uncomfortable, but didn’t push her off. She wrapped one arm around his neck and with her other hand swirled her finger on his chest.

“Want some company tonight?”

Ben looked over at Lily.

That was interesting, and before he could reply, Lily spoke up.

“No one wants your company,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Lily,” Ace admonished.

“What? I’m just saying what everyone is thinking.”

“No one asked for your opinion, bitch.”

“Crystal, don’t start.” Rachel had now gotten involved in this turn of events as I sat there and watched everything unfold.

Until now, I hadn’t seen Crystal act this way toward Rachel, myself, or the other club girls, and I wondered what was different about Lily.

“Rachel, she started it by jumping into a conversation that didn’t include her.”

Lily stood suddenly and turned toward Crystal just as Ace grabbed her by the middle and moved her to the opposite side,so she was now between him and Romeo, just as Ben stood up and ushered Crystal away.

Lily slammed herself down into the chair.

Seeing the defeat on Lily’s face as she watched them walk away was heartbreaking. Rachel must have seen it too, because she tried to bring her spirits up. “Lily, I’m inviting Beck to have brunch with us tomorrow. Our circle is growing.”

Lily immediately grinned. “Really? Yay! You are going to have so much fun. Grace is meeting us there as well.”

“What circle? What brunch?” Jack asked.

“Never you mind. This is girls only.”

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