Page 19 of Get Even

I sighed, maybe I needed to use the roller on the wall to let out some frustration. A knock sounded from the front door and I shot Liv a questioning look but she just shrugged. The people who had my address were a very small list and two of them definitely wouldn’t be coming around any time soon –so if Liv wasn’t expecting anyone it had to either be Kat or a neighbor.

I plodded through the hall, wiping my paint smeared hands on the holey, rough t-shirt I’d stuck on just for painting. I’d opted for bike shorts, it tended to get hot in the apartment and painting made me sweaty anyway. It was a choice I regretted as soon as I opened my front door to the three ridiculously gorgeous guys stood there waiting, taking me in from my messy hair to the pink paint smeared on my kneecap.

My body instantly perked up at Ry’s crooked smile and stayed on high alert as I recognised the blue-haired hottie from the other night and his broody friend next to him.

“What are you doing here?”

Ry leaned against the doorway, his blue eyes surprisingly warm and the bruise on his face from Aaron’s fist had already started to lighten to a green that should have been off-putting but just made his brown hair look deeper. “You really do have the warmest greeting, Jamie,” he grinned but I just folded my arms across my chest, glaring. Ryan sighed, “We were invited.”

“You most certainly were fucking not.”

“Actually…” Liv said from behind me and I whirled on her with wide eyes.Traitor.“Well, you were becoming unbearable!” she whisper-shouted at me. “I swear your left eye was twitching and your vibrator is not as quiet as you think – you clearly like him.”

“I don’t even know him!” I whispered back just as furiously, ignoring the boys still stood on the threshold, unsure of whether they should come in or not. “How did you even get his number?”

“Well here’s your chance,” Liv said smugly and stopped whispering. “And get his number? I looked him up on FacePage like a normal person, or at least, like any person who doesn't currently have to avoid social media because of their leaked nudes.” I huffed and Liv smirked, “So just get it over with and screw already. The tension is making me break out.”

Ryan’s friends chuckled and I shot them a glare as I turned around, “Well? Are you coming in or not?” Ryan’s grin widened as they walked in and Broody shut the door behind them. “I hope you don’t mind getting messy.”

“Not at all,” Ryan said in a low voice as he followed Liv into the living room. I ignored the thrill his words sent through me and handed out rollers and brushes to the boys before connecting my phone to the bluetooth speaker sitting on top of one of the sheet-covered tables and turned the volume up so I didn’t have to talk.

Doja Cat was interrupted by yet another social media notification plinking through the room at triple the normal volume and I winced. Ry glanced up at my phone from where it sat near him and he frowned. “What the fuck is this?”

I rolled my eyes, striding over and snatching the phone from his grip. “Hello? Ever heard of privacy?” I frowned over at Liv, this was all her fault, and she dutifully ignored me as she painted clean lines around the outlets in the wall.

“Yeah and normally I’m all for it, but it’s pretty hard to ignore the massive dick-pic blowing up my girlfriend’s screen.” A muscle in his jaw popped and I shook my head, re-focusing and then choking on my spit when what he’d said registered.

“I’m sorry,what?” Pink paint dripped onto my leg from my brush and I cursed as I set it down on top of a sheet.

“I said there was a massive co––”

“I’m not your girlfriend,” I said, narrowing my eyes and knowing I needed to nip this in the bud. Was he just trying to piss me off or was he serious?

Ryan stepped closer, clasping my chin in one warm hand and tugging my face up to meet his eyes as he murmured, “Oh, so you didn’t agree to date me?”

“That’s different––”

“And youdidn’tkiss me back at that party?”

“It doesn’t count when it’s a fake kiss,” I folded my arms across my chest and ignored the way Blue, Broody and Liv were watching us and pretending not to.

“That’s easily rectified,” Ry said, mouth tugging up on one side in a way that was entirely too captivating, so I turned away and scooped up my brush as I walked back to my wall.

“Are you ever going to actually introduce your friends? Or should I continue to refer to them as Blue and Broody?” I said into the tense silence a minute later.

A short laugh echoed from the wall closest to me and I glanced up to see Blue grinning, “I’m Broody, right?”

I smirked and shook my head as Broody, well, brooded. He had dark eyes and long black hair that fell over his forehead and full lips that seemed to be in a perpetual frown, saved only by his cute chin dimple. I’d noticed the way his eyes had followed Liv around the room and knew he was going to be in for some disappointment when he realized she didn’t play for his team.

Blue on the other hand was like a ray of positivity, his hair was short and the color of a light summer sky. He had a range of piercings, the most interesting of which was a black bar with an arrow’s head tip that went through his bottom lip.

“I don’t get a nickname?” Ryan stuck out his bottom lip and I flicked a bit of paint his way and Liv tutted.

“Oh, I have one for you, but it’s not made for polite company.” Blue let out a roar of laughter and I couldn’t hold in my own chuckle, his laugh was that infectious. “Seriously Blue, what are you doing hanging out with these two?”

“You really don’t know?” he asked, raising an eyebrow and shooting incredulous looks at the two boys. “We’re all on the football team.”

“You are?”

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