Page 26 of Reviving Kendall

“What do you expect?” I say sarcastically. “I’ve been out here for like thirty minutes waiting on you guys.”

When we make it up the hill, the others are all still hanging around the front of the Rover.

“Mav, you need to leave the keys with Kendall next week,” Goose says. “She can warm up the car while she waits on us.”

His eyebrow quirks up, but it’s Lucas who says, “We good?”

I nod at him and Teagan says, “Well, let’s go party then.”

Lies Are For Cowards

The party is in full swing, and we have to park at least thirty deep on the side of the road leading up to the main house. We get out of the car, and I take an extra few seconds to stretch out the tension in my body. Riding with a silent, semi-pissed Maverick is not good for stress. He didn’t speak one word on the way here, and even now, he’s already half-way up the road with Lucas right beside him. Teagan and Goose hang back with me.

“What’s his problem?” I ask inclining my head towards Maverick.

Goose follows my eyes, but I know he doesn’t need to, “Let’s just say that Mav is one of a kind. He’s got some anger issues. Maverick is just…”

“Maverick,” Teagan finishes for him. They laugh as we start walking.

The bass of the music thumps all the way out of the house and into my chest as we get closer. I know I said I wanted to come to this thing, but if I’m honest, I’d rather not go inside the house at all during the party. Lucky for me, someone is thoughtful enough to have started a bonfire close to the lake. That’s where we find Maverick and Lucas already sitting. Goose leaves us to take up the spot beside Maverick. I sit down in the closest spot to the fire and Teagan looks like a lost puppy for a second as he looks from them back to me.

Never in a million years would I want him to choose between his friends and me, so I say, “You can go sit with them. I just want to be closer to the fire.” I’m even nice about it, and don’t mention that I’d rather sit on a bed of nails than to go sit next to Mr. Pouty Pants.

He sits down, “Nah. They’re ok. I’m a little chilly myself.”

“Umm, what was that speech you guys gave me the other day about wet hair in the cold?” I tease. “Shouldn’t you be wearing a hat?”

“Well, I would,” he retorts, “But someone never gave mine back.”

“I’m sorry,” I laugh reaching in to the inside pocket of my jacket. I haven’t wanted to give it back. Even after me wearing it, it still has the smell of him on it. I’d really hate for him to get sick, though. “Here,” I say handing it back.

His hand brushes against mine as he takes it, “Thanks. I know you haven’t found yours yet, so I’ll give this one back to you later.”

I nod to keep the butterflies from escaping my stomach. The girl beside me passes over a bag of marshmallows and I watch as she skewers hers and begins to roast it over the fire. It brings back memories of the other night, sitting around the fire with Teagan, when he first kissed me. When I look up to him, I can tell he’s thinking the same thing. My face flames as hot as the fire and I pass the bag to him without taking any. In my peripheral, I can see that he’s still smiling down at me. The bigger problem is that my eyes lift to see Maverick watching us. I could be wrong, but I think that he saw the entire exchange.

He stands up without breaking eye contact with me and heads inside the house. Teagan says he’s going to get us a drink, and leaves me with a promise that he’ll be back in a minute. Lucas and Goose follow the other two inside quickly thereafter.

Fucking boys. What am I even doing here? I’m restless, and I decide now is a good a time as any to take a stroll down to the dock on the lake. Teagan can find me when he gets back.

Once I’m alone, it’s so much easier to breathe. In the darkness, the lake water looks black, and reminds me of a mirror, with the way it reflects the stars in the night sky. Absently, I notice some of the stars are covered by clouds. A storm must be rolling in. Damn I hope it waits until I get home to rain. I love the sound that it makes as it hits the trailer’s tin roof.

“What are the chances I’d find you here, trailer park?” Derrik’s voice says from behind me.

I startle so much that I’m scared I’ll fall into the lake, but I try not to let it show in my voice, “Pretty good since I’m here, huh Dick.”

His face drops from fake friendliness to pure hatred, “Found you some Prim Wood boys to whore out to I guess. There’s no other reason for you to be here. Do they know what you are, white trash?”

He’s got me cornered like a cat and mouse. I can’t move around him, because I know for a fact that he’ll push me in, and I’d rather not go for a swim. So, I do what I should have done a long time ago, and ask, “What’s your fucking problem, Derrik? I’m sorry that Will kicked your ass over me, but that was years ago. Why can’t you just move on and leave me the fuck alone?”

The laugh that he lets out is rough and it gives me chills. “You’re nothing but a fucking whore, trailer park. Why would you ever think that fight was about you?” he sneers.

This throws me for a second, and he inches closer.

“Then why?” I ask. “I’ve never done anything to you.”

“Yes, you have. You lived when it should have been him,” he says harshly.

The words strike home harder than I’d like, and I have to put a hand against my heart to make sure that I wasn’t actually stabbed.

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