Page 116 of Unraveled

My heart skipped a beat even through everything swirling inside, and I nodded, because we were.Perfectly fucking matched.

TUCKER

“Problems, Annie?” I smirked as I watched her hobble up the sidewalk to her house when we got home. I didn’t even have to ask if things had worked out. Jet’s shit-eating grin and swagger said it all.

That, and they’re completely covered in sand.

“Shut up, Tucker,” she snapped, shooting me a halfhearted glare. “It’s not like you’ve never screwed on a beach before.”

I chuckled and leaned against one of the posts along the porch rail, watching her wince as she climbed the steps to her front porch. “It’s called ablanket, Annie.” I looked at Jet. “Makes all the difference.”

Jet smirked and pulled Annie into his lap as he settled into the porch swing, his fingers going to play with the long strands of her sand-coated ponytail down her back. “I’ll make a note for next time.”

“If you get a next time,” Annie whined. “Seriously, babe. I have so much sand wedged in so many places. I’m gonna be walking funny for a week.”

Jet and I chuckled, and he leaned closer to murmur at her ear, the sound still carrying over where I could hear. “You’re not the only one that needs a shower, sweetheart. Just wait until we get upstairs, and we can clean up together.” He winked, every bit of insinuation there in his tone just as Kurt reached the porch steps.

“Ugh.” He groaned in disgust as his eyes landed on Annie. “Fuck, your neck. Okay, I was gonna check in with y’all, but I got my answer.” He visibly shuddered before looking at Jet. “Did you have to bite her so hard? I mean, we’re cool, man, but if I’m ever going to hang out with you and Tucker again, I can’t have front row evidence of how you defiled my cousin. I’m out.”

Annie clapped her hands over her neck, her eyes wide in horror as I smirked down at her, and she dropped her face into her hands as Kurt slipped inside. “Kill me now.”

“Nope.” Jet chuckled, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple as he tugged her hands from her face. “You wear thosebadges proudly, sweetheart. You earned every fucking one of them.”

I nearly choked on my own spit before bursting into laughter, and Annie turned beet red.

“Jerk.” She swatted Jet’s leg, then looked up at me with a defiant glare for laughing. “Where’s Izzy?”

The mood immediately shifted as my grin dropped, and I reached up to rub at the back of my neck. “Still in my truck. Talking to Nic…”

Annie’s brow shot up as Jet stiffened, his body going rigid. I watched Annie place her hand on his arm and how his grip then loosened around her waist.

“Look, you know she’s close to him, and until what happened tonight, which yeah, he told us about, you were trying to be, too. We all were. Except Annie.”

I shrugged when she looked away.

“Still,” Jet muttered. “A little loyalty would be nice.”

Annie whipped her head to face him. “What happened to hearing him out?”

My brow raised, surprised to hear that from her, and Jet’s jaw set.

“Might be a little harder than I thought.”

Doors slammed on my Chevy, and Jet’s gaze went past me to where it was parked. I shifted, watching Izzy walk up the sidewalk, her gaze locked on Jet’s, and I could see Nic’s silhouette in the faint lighting of the streetlamps as he leaned back against the front of my truck.

Izzy perched against the rail at my side as she reached the porch, and Jet’s gaze narrowed.

“Don’t even start, Jet.” She shook her head, her soft tone firm. “I’m not apologizing for talking to my friend. You haven’t even heard what he has to say yet.”

“Do I need to?”

Annie swatted his leg again.

But Izzy crossed her arms under her chest. “Did Annie need to listen toyoutonight? It might surprise you what he has to say.”

Jet’s expression shifted, considering.

Annie tapped his leg this time, bringing his gaze to hers. “As much as Nic and I don’t get along, I know you, babe, and it’s gonna bug you if you don’t hear him out. You promised me that you would. No new drama or demons, remember?”

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