Page 30 of Between Hate and Desire

“Gee, thanks,Mom.” Maddie groans.

“I know your dietary restrictions, and I’m pretty sure it doesn’t include alcohol anyway, so quit your whining. I’m doing you a favor.” I wrinkle my nose and taunt her. I know Maddie has a show to prepare for, and I’d rather her eat her calories than waste them on booze.

“I thought I moved out here to get away fromrules,” Maddie quips.

“We’re your big sisters,” Sophie interjects. “We’ll always look out for you even when you don’t think you need it.”

Maddie smiles and pretends to be annoyed with an over-the-top eye roll. “Fine.” She grabs her drink and pushes off the bar. “Get ready for me to whip your asses in darts then since I’ll be the only sober one.”

A half hour passes before Brandon finally arrives. He catches me off guard and wraps his arms around my waist just as I’m about to throw a dart, making me miss the bull’s-eye.

“Damn you,” I say, chuckling against his lips after he spins me around and pulls me close. “You’re supposed to want me to win!”

“Baby, you’ve gotme. You’ve already won.” He winks, which makes me laugh and playfully groan at the same time.

“That was so lame, it was borderline cute,” Maddie interrupts our moment with an exaggerated aww.

“Should hear what I said the first night we met.” Brandon smirks, tightening his hold on me. “She loves all my cheesy lines. Especially the ones about her falling straight from heaven.”

Maddie pretends to gag, but she’s smiling. She’s only giving him shit, but I think he likes it.

“You by yourself tonight?” Sophie asks once she throws her dart and completely misses the board. She’s so bad at this, especially when she’s distracted.

I turn to Maddie with a knowing grin and find her smiling too. Sophie would never admit it, but she has a crush on Mason. Since Brandon and I started dating, Mason and the guys have hung out several times with my sisters. Since I moved in with Brandon, the group of us go out more, but Sophie is too shy to make a move on Mason. She’s friendly and outgoing when she has to be, but when it comes to relationships, she’s on the timid side.

Another side effect of having parents who didn’t let us date.

“The rest of the guys are on their way. I told them to stop jacking off and get their lame asses out here. Maybe we’ll team up and play pool. Whoop your asses.” Brandon smirks, smacking my butt. “I’m gonna grab a beer. Need a refill, babe?”

“I do!” Maddie slides over with a sweet and innocent look on her face.

“Nice try, Tinker Bell.” He bops her on the head with a grin. “I’ll be happy to get you a Shirley Temple, though.”

“Hilarious. But yes, that sounds good.” She spins around, and I’m dying with laughter.

Moments later, Mason and Liam come waltzing in like royalty. You can almost hear them from a mile away with how loud and rowdy they always are. The fact that they live together humors me because I can only imagine what their place looks like, especially after a weekend of partying.

Sophie lights up and acts friendly, which has me laughing internally. Maddie’s ready to cozy up to anyone who’ll buy her a drink.

Looking around, I can’t help but smile like a fool at the people surrounding me. My sisters, boyfriend, and two of his guy friends who don’t annoy me every chance they get.

“Checkmate, assholes,” Maddie shouts twenty minutes later at the pool table while we play guys versus girls.

“Uh, wrong game there, Mads,” Sophie tells her, and I snort.

“Potato,potahto. We’re still kicking their asses,” she says. Mason and Liam’s jaws hit the floor at Maddie’s expertise playing. Dancing isn’t the only thing she’s talented in.

“Alright, Tinker Bell. Show me whatcha got,” Brandon taunts, but I already know it’s no use. Maddie lives for competition.

“I’m only sorry we didn’t place any bets.” Maddie calls her pocket and looks up at the guys with a devilish smirk. She angles the cue stick, then shoots the solid ball, and it smacks the eight ball right into the corner.

“Yeah!” Sophie and I squeal when it drops in. We throw our arms up and bombard Maddie with hugs. She’s a damn pro.

“Now who’s buying drinks?” She pops a brow at Liam and lives to torture him with her sex appeal. He pretends to be annoyed by her antics—has mentioned it to Brandon a few times now—but I think he secretly likes it. As the youngest, Maddie can be a bit much sometimes, but he likes to act as if she’s too obnoxious for him to handle. I think it’s his way of pushing her away, but if he knew Maddie at all, he’d know it only encourages her.

“C’mon, Hulk?” She pops a brow at Liam, who she’s nicknamed The Hulk because he’s huge and beefy, similar to Hunter. It’s probably why he used to be a bouncer.

Liam grunts, hating the name.

---