Page 23 of Stone Rules

Chapter Eleven

“Oh my God, Charlie! What happened to you?” Baylor asks, shocked when she takes in my red, blue and purple bruised cheekbone.

I tried my best to cover it with makeup, and I did a pretty good job of it, but not good enough to keep my friends from noticing.

Skylar looks me over from head to toe. Then she grabs my left hand, eyeing the healing cut on my knuckles. “What the hell, Charlie. Did you get into a fight?”

“It looks worse than it is.” I walk further into Skylar’s townhouse and put the bottle of tequila and margarita mix on the kitchen counter. Five pairs of eyes follow me.

Piper is not a stranger to my black eyes and bruised knuckles. I didn’t always make the best choices in men when we lived abroad. Not to mention all the lovely marks my mother bestowed upon me. Still, she follows me step for step around the bar in the kitchen, her eyes burning into the back of my head. “Charlie?” she asks.

The tone of her voice tells me she’s not about to drop this. So I shrug and tell them the story I made up on the way over. “The punk who tried to grab my purse is far worse off than I am, I assure you.”

Gasps come from around the room.

“Someone tried to mug you?” Baylor shrieks.

“It’s no big deal,” I say, breaking the seal on the bottle of tequila. “Piper and I took self-defense classes in London. I think the kid will think twice before trying that again.”

“What did the police say?” Mindy asks.

I’m well aware of Piper’s laser focus on me, so I busy myself with mixing drinks so she can’t see my eyes. She knows me. She knows my every look, my every nuance. She can read me like a book.

“I didn’t bother,” I tell them. “You know they can’t do anything. I didn’t even get a good look at the guy because he was wearing a hoodie.”

I look up to see three sisters and their two friends staring at me in disapproval. “What?” I snap. “Don’t worry, he got what was coming to him. I kneed him so hard I think I may have seen his balls come out of his mouth.”

Mindy snorts her drink out of her nose.

Skylar pats me on the back and says, “Good girl.”

The blonde who must be Jenna, says, “It sounds like you’re a handy person to have around.” She extends her hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Charlie. I’m Jenna. It’s great to finally meet you.”

“You, too,” I say, shaking her hand. I nod to the drinks. “Margarita?”

“Hell yes. Long day,” she says.

I laugh. “Are certain prima donna authors driving you crazy with their outrageous demands?”

Jenna is Baylor’s agent and best friend. Baylor has written sixteen romance novels, one even based on her own love story with Gavin. He was her college sweetheart and her first love. They were ripped apart by a betrayal only to find each other years later. It’s the only one of her books I’ve read. I have to admit, she’s good. But that sappy love shit doesn’t do it for me.

“Hardly,” Jenna replies. “Baylor is by far my easiest client. She is the opposite of demanding.” She turns to Baylor. “In fact, you realize you could make a lot more money if you weren’t paying your agent and publisher so much, right?”

Baylor takes a drink from me, shrugging. “I’m perfectly happy making what I make right now. Too much money can change a person, you know?”

Jenna leans across the bar and hugs her. “That’s why I love you. You’re so grounded.”

Skylar looks around at the five of us and then to the drink in her hand. “I just realized we can all drink!” She glances over at Baylor. “Between pregnancies and nursing, it’s been a while since either of us could partake.”

Piper raises her drink. “A toast then. To none of us being knocked up.”

“Oh hell,” Mindy says. “Now you jinxed it.” She eyes each one of us carefully. “Who’s it gonna be? Which one of you will get knocked up next?”

All eyes turn to Piper.

“Whoa! Slow down, people.” She puts her drink down. “I’m not even married yet. Plus, I’m still getting used to the idea of being Hailey’s step-mom. She’s only two-and-a-half. I believe that’s quite enough for me to handle for a very long while. Not to mention I’m only twenty-two years old. What’s the rush?”

“You tell ‘em little sister,” Baylor says. “Enjoy Mason. Enjoy that precious little girl. It all goes by so fast.”

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