Page 29 of Blood & Betrayals

“What did Zane do to get the bottom spot?” I ask with a chuckle.

“It’s because he sucks,” Zach answers for him.

Zane punches him hard in the arm again. “You’re a dick, but he’s right. Lukey is definitely Mom’s number one.” Zane clears his throat and sits up straighter, speaking in a falsetto. “Baby Luuuuuke!”

“My tiny baby, Luke!” Zach follows, using the same voice.

Luke blushes and looks down at his plate. “I am not. Stop.”

“Where is my baby boy?” Zach continues, poorly imitating his mom.

Luke pushes at Zach’s shoulder, forcing him against Zane, his cheeks scarlet. “Go away or the next time Alice stabs you, I won’t heal you.”

We all laugh, and Alice and I stand up. “Okay, I have to go think of more ways to antagonize your big brother.”

Alice’s phone alerts, and she grins when she reads it. “Thosethingsare here, Summer.”

I frown, trying to work out what she means.

“Thethingsfor thething.” She discreetly shows me her phone and the delivery confirmation for the jerseys we ordered. I smirk at her and the perfect timing of the message.

12

Summer

Alice rips into the package, her eyes lighting up as she pulls out the first shirt. The forest green is not a color I would normally wear, but at least it’s not a bright green. It’s not that I don’t like bright colors. I’ve just always been more into darker tones, but it will be so worth it to see the look on Morningstar’s face will make it all worth it. He thinks he can make me want to kiss him like that and just walk away? Dick.

Alice throws the other jersey at me, and we disappear into our rooms to change. The sound of Alice chuckling away to herself carries through the wall, and I can’t help but join in as I look at myself in the mirror. The dark green doesn’t do much for my skin tone, but it’ll do plenty to Connors. I can picture it already.

“You know, Rafe was crying with laughter earlier,” Alice comments. There’s a slight lilt of coyness in her voice.

I pause in the process of putting my mascara on and lift an eyebrow. “Alice?”

She pops her head around my door, her hair now in two low, spiky ponytails. “Yeah?”

I narrow my eyes at her. “Do you have the hots for the broody angel?”

“What?” Alice sputters. “No, I do not! We just…” she considers for a moment, “get along for some reason.”

I cross my arms, giving her a knowing look. “Please. You want to hop on that angel dick so bad.”

Alice rolls her eyes and inspects her nails. “Yeah, seems like you might be looking in a mirror there, Sum.”

I flip her off and turn my attention back to my actual mirror, putting another layer of mascara on. Alice walks over and rifles through my makeup. She holds up a dark red lipstick. “Can I borrow this?”

I nod and pick up one of the eyeliner pencils from my floor. Carefully, I writeHARon one cheek andOLDover the other. I sigh at the sight. “I wish he had a hotter name…”

Alice chuckles, applying the lipstick.

“Boots or sneakers?” I ask, fixing my own lipstick.

“Sneakers. You want to be able to move fast when Connor sees you in that. Always have an escape plan,” she advises, drawing on her cheeks. She writesMONTon one cheek andDICKon the other.

I laugh and pull my white sneakers from the closet. Carrying them and a pair of white ankle socks, I stop in front of the full-length mirror. The infinity slam jersey is massive, hitting me mid-thigh, and the subtle makeup just emphasizes the name on my cheeks. I sit back down and pull on my socks.

Alice turns to face me. Her lips quirked into a smirk. “Bird brain is going to lose it.”

“Maybe I’ll invite Harold to the party.”

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