A Drop of Pretty Poison: A Brother’s Best Friend Romance (Pretty Poison Trilogy Book 2)

My mom always used to tell me that when there is a fork in the road, make your decisions wisely. Think things through, trust your gut, and act accordingly. Well, I didn’t do that. I chose my friendship with Cam over my relationship with Laiken out of fear.

Fear that Cam would hate me.

Fear that I will never be good enough for her.

Fear that I was destined to be just like my father.

I chose the wrong road and lost the one girl who means more to me than anyone. So, I turned the fuck around and chose again.

Every part of me meant what I said when I told Laiken that I don’t regret it. I don’t. There have been hookups in my life, girls I flirted with, and even someone I thought that I liked at one point. But there has never been anyone like her. She’s that once in a lifetime kind of person for me, and it reached a point where I knew that if I let her slip away, I’d live in constant regret.

But it still hurts as Cam hits the fuck-you button for the third time today.

“Hey, it’s Cam. Leave—” His voicemail starts to play, and I hang up.

It’s not like I blame him for not talking to me. If the situation were reversed and I found out he was fucking Devin, I probably would have stabbed him. Does that make me a hypocrite? Absolutely. But I can’t change it now, and I wouldn’t if I could.

I toss my phone on my bed and rub my hands over my face. There’s no point in texting him—they just go unanswered. Well, except for the one. Though I’m not sure a single middle finger emoji really counts as a response.

Exhaling slowly, I get up and head toward the bathroom. I have to take a shower before work, and responsibilities don’t stop because your best friend would rather eat glass than talk to you. At least there’s hockey practice tonight. I’ll try talking to him there.

EVERYTHING FEELS OFF. NOT in the way that it did when Laiken wouldn’t talk to me—that was worse. But still off. Like pieces of my life aren’t in the right place. I don’t have someone sending me random hockey videos throughout the day or asking me which breakfast shake looks better.

Neither. They all taste like chalk.

Honestly, in all the time I’ve known Cam, I don’t think we’ve ever gone this long without at least sending a text or two throughout the day. The summer before I turned sixteen, we spent every single day together. Either he was with me at my house, or I was with him at his. But I don’t think we spent more than a couple hours apart. Looking back on it now, I’m surprised we didn’t kill each other.

There were so many things different about that summer compared to this one—the biggest being the fact that Laiken hated my guts. It lasted a couple years, actually. See, Cam and I weren’t always friends. That happened because of a girl, I guess you could say.

I was the new kid. My parents moved Devin and me here under the guise of wanting us to go to a better school and be closer to the beach. In reality, my mom was just trying to get my dad away from his drinking buddies. Devin absolutely hated it, though what girl wouldn’t? She had gone to the same gymnastics studio since she was three. Grew up with all the same girls. And then she was ripped away from it all.

Me? I didn’t really care so much. My only concern was finding out where the closest ice rink was and seeing what kind of team they had. The NHL was my dream, but when your dad walks out the door without even a goodbye, hopes and dreams are the first things to go. This, however, was before. When everything was still…normal.

Being the new kid in school, you always seem to get the most attention. Guys want to know what your deal is, and girls want to find out if you’re datable. And one girl in particular was more interested than the rest. She invited me to be her date for her sister’s Sweet Sixteen, and I had no reason to say no.

I didn’t find out she had already asked Cam and then canceled to go with me instead until he came up to me out of nowhere and shoved me against my locker.

The two of us went at it, throwing punches and taking each other to the ground. No one tried to stop us; they just crowded around and watched as we beat the shit out of each other. To this day, I don’t think either of us knows who won that fight. By the end of it, we were both sucking in air like we were dying and throwing punches that barely made contact, let alone did any damage.

Finally, with the most respect I’ve ever had for anyone, we shook hands and walked away. The girl ended up not having a date to her sister’s party after I told her to fuck off. She tried going back to Cam, but he wasn’t interested either. And he and I somehow became friends.

But to Laiken, I was the guy who gave her brother a fat lip, and she hated me for it. It didn’t matter that we were friends, or that not even Cam’s parents cared much about the fight. After all, he started it. But Laiken cared.

And while she glared at me like she wanted to set me on fire and watch me burn, all I wanted was to see her smile. She’s always had such a pretty smile.

“H,” Laiken says, snapping her fingers in my face.

I jump as she gets my attention. “I didn’t even hear you walk in.”

She leans over the counter and kisses me hello. “I’m not surprised. You were really zoned out. You okay?”

“Yeah, I was just thinking about when Cam and I had that fist fight and you hated me for it.”

Her nose scrunches in disgust. “You were the worst.”

I chuckle as I watch her look through the jewelry. “I’m still the same shithead. What changed for you?”

She looks back at me and smirks. “Puberty hit you like a fucking truck.”

A bark of laughter emits from my mouth and she shrugs.

“You and Cam came back from hockey camp when you were seventeen, and you had grown your hair out and got muscles,” she explains. “I was done for at that point.”

My mind clings to each one of her words, specifically seventeen, and I can’t believe how long this has been a thing for her. “That was three years ago.”

She looks anywhere but at me as she sighs. “Yeah.”

Walking over, I wrap my arms around her from behind. She spins around, and I gently press my lips to hers. It’s always the best feeling when she melts into me.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to come around,” I tell her.

She reconnects the kiss once more and smiles. “It’s okay. You fell in love with me eventually.”

I pull her just a little closer. “Hard and fast.”

“Mm. Just how I like it.”

My head falls back as I laugh, releasing her for the sake of not giving Marc’s cameras a show. Any sexual innuendo that comes out of her mouth, or any mention of sex at all, and I seem to lack all control for what I do next. And being as I’m at work, it’s the wrong time and place for that.

“By the way,” Laiken says. “I meant to ask you if you plan on coming to the bonfire this Friday.”

Ugh. I knew this topic would come up, but I was hoping it would be through a text, where I could pretend it doesn’t sting, and where she can’t coerce me with her puppy eyes and pouty lip.

“I don’t know, Lai.” I run my fingers through my hair and put my hat on backward. “He clearly doesn’t want me to come. He won’t even answer the damn phone. I just don’t think it’s the best idea.”

She takes a deep breath and comes over to sit on the counter. “I get it, but he’s going to have to get over it at some point.”

“Uh, have you met your brother?”

The only person I know that holds a stronger grudge than Cam is Laiken. They’re both so stubborn that her even suggesting Cam will just get over it makes me laugh.

“Right, you don’t have a vagina,” she murmurs. “Well, still, you’re his best friend. He doesn’t like the other guys enough to replace you.”

I place my hands on either side of her and lean in to kiss her. Her arms rest on my shoulders as she lightly plays with the hair sticking out under my hat.

“I’ll think about it,” I tell her, kissing her once more before stepping away.

And thankfully, she accepts it.

FOR SEVEN YEARS, I have played on the same hockey team with Cam. He has come to practice with the flu, hungover, still drunk, and with a sprained ankle. He even came the morning of his assault trial. But he finds out his best friend has a thing for his sister, and he’s nowhere to be found.

According to the guys, he sent out a text saying he has an appointment and won’t be here, but I know that’s bullshit. Unless it’s a certain kind of appointment, specifically with Mali, there’s no way he wouldn’t schedule it for a time he doesn’t have hockey.

I’ve been trying not to overstep. I don’t want to make him uncomfortable or give him a reason to hate me even more. But as I skate around the rink and run drills without him, I’m starting to think Laiken may have a point.

It’s too easy for him to ignore me when I’m not in front of his face.

I have to go to the bonfire.

I NEVER THOUGHT THERE would be a day when I would pull into this driveway and feel uneasy. Sure, when Laiken and I weren’t talking, I had a range of emotions running through me, but I still felt welcome. I guess my mind just always associates it with being Cam’s place instead of Laiken’s. But when Cam is the one who doesn’t want me here, it feels like I shouldn’t be.

A knock on the window catches my attention, and I turn my head to see Laiken standing there. She smiles sweetly at me, giving me no choice but to unlock the door. It’s not like I can drive away now, not with her standing there looking at me like I’m her favorite person in the world.

I should’ve thought this through before I agreed to come. Realized that it was a stupid idea before it was too late. But as Laiken opens the door, I know the chances of her letting me change my mind now are slim to none.

“Come on,” she tells me. “It’s going to be fine.”

I snort as I climb out. “You do know I can tell when you’re lying, don’t you?”

Her eyes roll. “Okay, then tell me this: what is the worst possible thing that could happen?”

“Do you want me to go back home?” I joke. “Oh, I get it. You secretly love the way Lucas hits on you, and you don’t want your boyfriend to hear it.”

“Boyfriend, huh?” She smirks, raising her brows at me. “Last I checked, I was never asked to be anyone’s anything. And you can’t just skip steps, it’s against the rules.”

I move my hand to her back and pull her in as I snicker. “Is that right?”

“Mm-hm.” She’s fighting to keep a straight face, but I can see right through it.

My lips purse as I hum. “That information is going to make some women very happy.”

Her jaw falls open in disbelief and she pushes me away. “Jerk.”

“Hey,” I chuckle playfully. “You walked right into that.”

She glares back at me, but I’m more than used to that, so I kiss her anyway. No matter how much she tries to stop it, she can’t keep the smile from forcing its way through. But the moment has to end eventually.

Grabbing my hand with hers, she starts tugging me toward the back yard. My head falls back as I groan, but she’s not going to let me off.

“Nope,” she says as she pulls me along. “I was thinking about letting you change your mind, but after that little comment you made…”

Laughter bubbles out of me. “Oh, so this is revenge.”

“Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.”

Her teasing has a way of making me feel better, but as we get closer to the bonfire and I watch Cam glance back at me only to scoff and shake his head, that feeling fades. There’s never been a time where he looked at me like this. And the guilt that settles in my stomach is uncomfortable.

I wasn’t going to drop Laiken’s hand. I’ve done that enough to her this summer, and we have nothing to hide now. But as she lets mine go, I appreciate that she understands the last thing I want to do is rub our relationship—or non-relationship, according to her logic—in Cam’s face.

“Hey, man,” Owen greets me.

“Hey.” He and I exchange a bro-handshake, followed by doing the same with Aiden and Lucas.

Usually, I’d go to Cam next, but by the way he won’t even look at me, I don’t attempt it. Better to play it safe than risk feeling the rejection of that. I’m already hanging by a thread here.

I’d normally grab one of the camping chairs and set it up beside Cam, but something about being within swinging distance of him doesn’t seem like a good idea. Especially while my cheek is still sensitive to the touch. Let’s just say I know firsthand why that drunk bastard from the party hit the ground as hard as he did. His punch has improved since we were fourteen.

I should sit somewhere neutral, not close to Cam but not close to Laiken, either. I know she would be understanding of it. And yet, the thought of being even five feet away from her makes up my mind for me.

Hopping up onto the picnic table, I take a seat beside her. It’s a small move, but one that shows her I’m still serious about this, and she smiles down at her lap. The guys are too busy glancing between Cam and me to notice it, though.

“What’s going on?” Aiden asks.

Cam tosses a wrapper into the fire. “Nothing.”

I thought the tension was strong when Laiken and I were broken up, but it’s nothing compared to this. That was painful. Cruel and unforgiving. This, however, is the agony of knowing the guy who has been the closest person to me for a few years short of a decade wants nothing to do with me now. It wraps around my throat and makes me choke on it.

But as I subtly put my hand on the table, letting the edge brush against Laiken’s, at least my heart is back in one piece.

Again, worth it, no matter how shitty that may sound.

“You didn’t even say hi to each other,” Owen points out.

I roll my eyes and nod toward Cam. “’Sup, bro.”

“Bro,” he mocks. “That’s a bit incestual, don’t you think? Taking a page out of Owen’s book?”

Ouch. “Better that than not going after what I want when it’s right in front of me.”

Okay, so maybe that wasn’t the smartest thing to say, but I’m not the type to bite my tongue. I never have been. This is why I tried telling Laiken that coming here is a bad idea.

His brows raise in surprise. “Well, fuck me for having some loyalty. But I don’t expect you to know anything about that.”

“Oh, fuck all the way off with that shit,” I throw back. “If anyone has been loyal to your ass, it’s me. If this cancels all that out in your mind, then that’s on you.”

“Hayes,” Laiken whisper-shouts.

I know she’s right. I really should shut my damn mouth, but I’m not going to sit here and watch him act like I’m some piece of shit friend. And trust me, he’s had his fair share of those. I’m sure as fuck not one of them.

He laughs dryly, looking down at the ground in disgust, but says nothing. Silence falls around the entire group. Everyone now feels the same tension I did since I first walked up. We couldn’t even go three minutes without getting into it.

But if he had answered his phone, or any one of my fifty goddamn texts, we would have had this out in private instead of putting on a show for all our closest friends.

As my anger fades, regret starts to take its place. Laiken may have been trying to help make us better, but coming here may have only made it worse. The truth of my words doesn’t make the way I said them okay. He has every right to be pissed at me. I just also have the right to defend myself when he oversteps.

And it’s Cam.

Overstepping is his specialty.

“What the fuck,” Aiden mutters.

Lucas minds his own business while Owen looks like he’s still trying to figure it all out, but Cam and I don’t even attempt to explain it. We can’t even look at each other.

Laiken is clearly struggling between keeping her distance for Cam’s sake and comforting me anyway. Her pinky carefully moves over my own, then more of her fingers slide until half her hand rests on mine. But she’s moving so painstakingly slow that when she hesitantly puts her head on my shoulder for only a second before she picks it back up, it doesn’t surprise me when Mali groans.

“My God! Stop acting like you haven’t tasted each other’s cum before!”

The sound of Lucas choking on his beer mixes with Cam’s whine. “Mali! What the fuck?”

Her words make all the pieces fall together for everyone else and Owen gestures between Laiken and me. “Wait, you two…?”

Lai looks over at me and scrunches her nose, feigning disgust. “Psht. I’m a total saint. A future nun. He’s just trying to steal my virtue.”

Just like that, all my problems disappear as I laugh and she smiles. “Is that right?”

Taking her bottom lip between her teeth, she nods.

“So, if I were to mention when you—”

I don’t even have a chance to finish that sentence because her eyes widen and she rushes to kiss me, effectively shutting me up. It’s obviously not the first time I’ve kissed her, but it’s the first time we’re kissing in front of everyone else. Hell, it’s the first time I’ve kissed anyone in front of them when I wasn’t actively trying to get laid. The setting is different. The reason is different. And as my hand comes to rest on her cheek, the weight of the moment only makes me even more confident in my decision.

She breaks the kiss, and I give her a smug grin. “Now who’s the one stealing virtues?”

Her shoulder shoves me away as she chuckles.

“This is bullshit!” Lucas yells, standing up and throwing his empty beer can to the ground.

Everyone else finds it funny, but Cam looks like he’d rather be anywhere else. “Sit down, Drama Queen.”

He grumbles to himself as he does what he’s told, but Owen’s attention is solely on Cam.

“So that’s why you’ve been so pissed lately?”

“How would you feel if you found out a guy you consider your brother was fucking your little sister?” he counters.

Technically, I never told him I was fucking her. If I had, he would’ve stabbed me for sure. But he’s known me long enough to figure that out for himself. And I find more comfort than I should in the fact that he said consider instead of considered.

“I mean…” Mali says with her shit stirring voice. “Before you knew who it was, you were fully on board.” Her finger moves to her chin as she pretends to think. “I believe the words you used were ‘Good pussy is hard to find these days.’”

Cam crushes the beer can in his hand, spilling beer over the edges and down the arm of the chair. Meanwhile, I focus on the girl who will be responsible for my murder.

“You want him to hate me, don’t you?”

She shrugs and smiles sweetly. “You took my best friend. It’s only fitting I take yours.”

Honestly, I’m sure Cam would love for her to do exactly that, just in a different way. Shit, if she had, we might not be in this predicament. But I came too close to exposing his secret earlier. I won’t walk that line again.

“Please,” I scoff. “As if we both don’t know she loves you more.”

Mali smirks, opening her arms and giggling at the way Laiken goes willingly. It moves her further from me as she cuddles against her best friend. And I can’t help but laugh at the way Mali winks at me because of it.

“So, what?” Aiden asks, still stuck on the topic. “You two just aren’t friends anymore?”

I don’t give him the chance to answer—partly because I’m afraid of what would come out of his mouth. “Nah, he just needs to punish me adequately and then he’ll get over it.”

Mali and Laiken whisper to each other and try to hold back their laughter, but I’m focused on the way Cam snorts.

“Are you kidding? You’re dating my sister. That is the punishment.”

I roll my eyes and glance over at Laiken. She pouts for a moment, but then glances over at Mali and it’s right back to trying not to laugh.

“Okay, what the hell are you two giggling about?” I finally ask with a sigh.

Mali does everything she can to keep her composure as she answers. “Are you going to call him daddy and take your punishment like a good boy?”

And that’s when Laiken loses it, throwing her head back while she breaks out into hysterical laughter.

THANKFULLY, CAM DOESN’T HATE me enough to skip any more than the one practice. Though I’m not sure if that speaks more about his grudge against me or his love of hockey. If I had to guess, I’d probably choose the latter.

Last night wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been. We didn’t say much to each other after arguing, but Laiken and I also didn’t spend the whole night rubbing our relationship in his face. The kiss I all but tricked her into was only one of two for the night. But I still managed to subtly say I love you by writing it into the condensation of her beer bottle.

Yeah, that one may have scored me a few points.

I finish getting ready, making sure to keep my distance even though our lockers are beside each other, and head out of the locker room. I thought Laiken had left already, but as the rink comes into view, I see her gliding around the ice like it’s what she was born for.

I probably look like some lovesick puppy, standing here and watching her like this. But the same way as everything else with her, I can’t fucking help myself. Except now that the cat’s out of the bag, I don’t have to do it from a distance.

Stepping onto the ice, I have this image of catching her like something you’d see in movies. But what happens is not at all like what I pictured in my head. Instead of some romantic scene, we both go crashing to the ground. The only good thing about it is the way she lands on top of me, keeping her from getting hurt.

I chuckle as I groan. “I did not think this through.”

“You think?” Laiken replies, her voice laced with her own giggle.

I don’t even realize Coach is there until his voice echoes through the rink. “Smooth move, Romeo. Now get up. No banging on the ice.” Cam groans from the gate and Coach winces. “Oops. Sorry, Blanchard.”

Laiken stands up and puts out her hand to help me just as Isaac steps up next to Cam, placing his hand on Cam’s shoulder.

“Yeah, sorry bro. I told you your sister’s hot.” He turns his attention to Laiken. “Sweetheart, if he doesn’t make you happy…”

“Jesus!” Cam snaps, pushing his hand off him.

Isaac fakes innocence. “What? She isn’t off limits anymore.”

“Want to fucking bet?” I growl.

With every word he speaks, my rage intensifies. I try to move closer to him but Laiken puts her hands on my chest. Isaac smirks as he gets the exact reaction he was looking for.

Cam stares at Laiken. “Can you please go?”

She nods, knowing the last thing either of them want is for Isaac and me to go at it. With my hand on her lower back, we step off the ice and go over to the women’s locker room.

“I’ll see you later?” I ask, twirling her hair around my finger.

“Definitely.”

Her arms wrap around my neck as she pulls me in. Our mouths meet in the middle, and we kiss like any normal couple would as they say goodbye. Except, ours may last a little bit longer.

“I love you,” I tell her as I take a step back.

She smiles. “I love you, too.”

I go to head back over to the rink, but halfway there, I turn around to kiss her once more. She giggles into it, but the moment is ruined when Owen yells get a room loud enough for the whole rink to hear. And I don’t miss the way Lucas glares at me.

Well, at least Cam has some company in the Hating Hayes department.

IT’S HALFWAY THROUGH PRACTICE when I finally get my revenge on Isaac for his comments earlier. We’re separated into two groups, and we’re supposed to be passing the puck to each other. It’s a basic drill that we do every practice, and they always go without injury…until today.

The fact that Isaac doesn’t wear a cup is no secret. Coach has been on him about it for years, but the idiot claims his dick is too big for them. Cue massive eye roll. Owen fucked a girl Isaac used to date and said she was so tight, he almost couldn’t get it in. But that’s beside the point.

He stands across from me, not paying as much attention as he definitely should be, and I line the puck up with my stick. The second I send it soaring through the air, I hear Owen’s breath hitch. And then it hits its target dead on.

A high-pitched noise emits from Isaac’s mouth as he falls to the ice and curls into a ball. Coach pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes his head, while Aiden watches Isaac thoughtfully from beside Cam.

“You better hope that never happens to Hayes, or there will be no nieces or nephews in your future,” he tells him.

Cam looks like he’s living in hell as he deadpans at Aiden. “Must you?”

Lucas tilts his head to the side, admiring the sight of Isaac mewling in pain. “Nice aim.”

And nothing can wipe the smirk off my face.

Next time, maybe he’ll think twice before hitting on my girlfriend.