Page 8 of On The Edge
Reis, Markus, Kai and Adam were thick as thieves. Then, there was me.
The new girl who showed up to the small-ass Haven High School on the first day of freshman year, having moved from Connecticut and knowing absolutely no one. I sat down at ‘their’ table at lunchtime and instead of making the dorky new freshman leave, they let me sit with them. From then on, the rest was history. I ended up having at least one of them in each of my classes and they took me under their sophomore wings.
It was safe to say I developed a crush.
But I developed a crush onall of them.
“What about me, doll?” Kai slides in, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. I reach back, wrapping my arm around his neck and hugging him as best I can.
“Kai!” I cry with a smile. He’s looking at me with interest and a cocky grin on his face, but under it, I can see he’s holding back. I turn to assess him head on and try to school my features so I’m not completely drooling over him.
What the hell is going on—did they all make some hot-rocker demon deal? Jesus fucking Christ. Kai’s got this gorgeous golden hair which he’s styled in a perfectly-imperfect way that just begsfor fingers to thread through it. His dark-brown eyes sparkle with sex and mirth, but under it… I can see how he’s angry, too. At what, I’m not sure.
He smiles fondly at me, though, and brings his fingers up to brush a strand of my hair back gently.Fucking swoon.
But then Reis walks in, resting his back against the wall and crossing his arms with hostility.
What the fuck is his problem?
He’s the one that pulled me back here. He’s the one who was nice before and now looks like he’s sucking on a tack-filled lemon. I don’t know why he’s acting like I did something to personally piss him off when all this animosity is because ofthem.
Anger floods my senses as memories fill my eyes, the hurt of being abandoned thick in my heart and my nostrils flare. The hugs, seductive eyes, and long-buried feelings vanish as I rememberexactlyhow mad I am.
“All fucking four of you just up and leave Haven without me, without saying goodbye or a single word? Fuck you!” I snap, slapping them all one after the other in a line.
“Well, that was a delightful four seconds,” Kai mutters, rubbing his cheek.
“Melody…” Reis pulls me to him; I must be imagining things because I swear his fingers grip my hips possessively, not just to pull me away from hitting them again.
They all share a stupid fucking look, one I would understand too if they hadn’t left me and made me lose seven years with them. “I got this, guys. Go get ready,” Reis orders the others. They all nod, varying looks of concern and humor flashing across their faces.
“Melody, look at me,” he says, spinning me in his arms so I have to look him in the eye and my breath catches at the intensity in which he’s staring at me. “Come out with us tonight.We’re all going to a club downtown for business. You owe us that.”
I can’t get a read on him at all. For no reason other than pure curiosity—because Ineedto know why they left—I decide to let myself relax.
“Fine.”
THREE
“Really?”Don’t fuck this up, Mathers.
“Yeah, sure.” Melody shrugs and offers a nervous little smile. I haven’t had time to fully look at her; I was too worried about her health, then about getting back to the concert. Then I was trying not to kill my friends for hugging her, before kicking myself for feeling any sort of sympathy for herat all.
Back in high school, we used to all hang out together, essentially adopting Melody as the fifth member of our little pack. Very quickly, the guys and I discovered just how fucking amazing she was; before we knew it, all of us admitted to wanting something more with her. Safe to say, feelings were hurt andwordswere had. But after the first punch had been thrown, we decided to let her choose. If she ever swayed one way and definitively made a move, the rest of us would respect and support that. Respect her choice—respecther.
But she never did.
Even though our feelings kept growing, Melody never leaned toward one of us more than the rest. So, we kept glaring at each other as we tried to sway her, but she never made a move.
“Good.” I roll my eyes. “I just, uh, I need to shower and then we’ll go.”
“You guys don’t have to take turns? Wait in line for a turn in the shower?” She chuckles, but her eyes darken a little.What is that look for?“Or do you all shower together, like in high school after band practice?”
“They have individual showers here at the venue, but nice to know where your head is at.”
She smirks at me, unashamed. “Well, go shower. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you guys, and it's completely your fault.” She narrows her eyes at me and I feel her anger pointing at me like a knife.
“I think we’re remembering the past differently,” I reply angrily, crossing my arms over my chest. When her eyes trace over my form, I smirk with pride and my chest puffs up.
