Page 149 of Unravel Me

Jaxon crosses his arms over his green chest, and his green crayon-tip hat dips down over one of his eyebrows. “Yeah, well, Idon’tlike butterfly queens. Theyalsoremind me of puke.”

Skylar gasps, the tip of her tall butterfly wings smacking Jaxon in the chin when she twists and storms off.

“You fucking suck with kids,” I say under my breath as she tosses him one last glare over her shoulder, one he gives right back.

“I’m good with Ireland. She only cries, like, thirty percent of the time I hold her, and she laughs when I blow raspberries on her cheeks. And Connor’s, like, my best bud.”

This is true, but it might have something to do with the fluffy cat Jaxon brings over to my house every time he comes to visit. Jaxon loves showing off all the tricks he’s taught Mittens, and Connor loves to roll around on the floor with Mittens and Bear. He even calls his stuffed kitty Mittens now.

“Why the fuck am I dressed as a crayon?” Jaxon grumbles, tearing open a mini–Kit Kat. “And why the fuck am I the only one who wasn’t allowed to wear pants with my costume?”

I don’t know, but he looks hilarious in his green crayon dress, with his green crayon-tip hat, and his hairy legs on display. “It’s Carter’s world; we’re all just living in it.”

“Did he tell you what costumes he’s making us wear tonight for trick-or-treating?”

“He says it’s a surprise.”

“He said the same to me, but then he did this high-pitched giggle, promised it would be ‘spicy,’ and then ran away.”

I’m as scared as everyone else. We haven’t been home and game-less on Halloween in five years. That Halloween, Carter made us all dress up as Britney Spears. I still have nightmares of seeing him in his schoolgirl outfit. I was stuck in red latex, Garrett was dressed as a sexy stewardess, and Emmett was nearly naked with a stuffed snake around his neck.

We did win Best Group Costume that night, though, so…

“I heard about the Britney Spears debacle,” Jaxon whispers. Frightened eyes bounce between mine. “This year will be better, though, right? Because he has a kid now? So he won’t be so…Carter-y?”

Before I can answer, a microphone screeches. Jaxon and I look up, watching as Carter—dressed as a purple crayon and with his purple-crayon daughter strapped to his chest—steps onto the stage set up out front of the arena doors.

“No,” Jaxon murmurs as a screen is lowered behind Carter.

“He’s really doing it,” I whisper.

“I thought he was joking,” Garrett mutters, appearing on my left.

“Someone call Olivia,” Emmett mumbles, on Jaxon’s right. “He needs to be stopped.”

“Is everyone ready for Vipers Karaoke?” Carter calls out at the gathering crowd. To our horror, they explode with cheer. “Twenty dollars gets you the song of your choice here on stage with a Viper of your choosing—”

“What?” Jaxon gasps.

“I didnotagree to this,” Garrett growls.

“No,” Emmett groans.

“Holy fuck,” I sigh.

“—and all the proceeds go back into the community to help fund sport programs for underprivileged youth. So multiple songs are not only welcome butencouraged.”

Jaxon pins his arms across his chest. “Nobody better pick me, ’cause I ain’t singing.”

A small girl wearing a sparkly pink dress with a fluffy skirt and a tiara approaches Jaxon, tugging on his crayon gown with her gloved hands, batting her blue eyes. “Excuse me, Mr. Riley. My name is Mia and I’m a princess. I wanna sing a princess song with you.”

His eyes melt as he stares down at her, and when she clasps her hands and hangs her head in defeat, Jaxon groans. He takes her hand in his, pulling her toward the stage where Carter waits with a shit-eating grin.

“C’mon, Princess Mia. Let’s go pick a princess song.”

* * *

Thirteen. That’s the number of songs Jaxon’s sung this afternoon.

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