Never His Girl: Dark High School Bully Romance (Kings of Cypress Pointe Book 2)

WEST

“Pretty sure this shit could’ve waited,” I grumble.

“You’re right. We could’ve waited until Christmas Eve and grabbed Mom whatever bullshit is left on the clearance rack,” Sterling shoots back with sarcasm.

Frosty the Snowman is every-damn-where, holiday music is blaring through the mall’s loudspeaker, but I’m still not in the mood for any of it. Especially not since meeting up with Ricky a few days ago.

That conversation’s been practically all I can think about, wondering how to figure out my dad’s role in all this without calling attention to myself. Or anyone else for that matter. Shit got deep real fast and it feels like the world’s sitting on my shoulders. Which is why it’s been an even bigger strain than usual to get into the Christmas spirit.

Meanwhile, the two assholes I’m walking with are jolly as fuck.

I glance sideways and glare at Dane’s candy cane scarf, then over at Sterling’s lame-ass Santa hat. Needless to say, I want to punch them both in the dick.

They’re carrying bags from damn-near every store inside this place, loading up on gifts for family and friends, plus a ton for themselves, too. Meanwhile, the only thing I’ve bought are three giant, soft pretzels I refused to share.

“We’ve still got three weeks to get this shit done,” I remind them. “Our focus should be on the championship, seeing as how we leave tomorrow. Or do you assholes not care about winning?”

Dane rolls his eyes, and I don’t really give a shit if I’m getting under his skin.

“Yes, West, we care,” he says with an annoyed huff. “Just a few more stores to hit, then we can go.”

Sterling turns toward me, and I scowl the second his lips move. No doubt he was about to call me Scrooge again, but I’m guessing he changed his mind. Probably because he knows I’ll make good on my promise to lay his ass out, right here in the mall. I’ve got zero fucks left to give today.

“Think Joss’ll like the stuff I got her?” Dane asks, drawing a frustrated sigh out of me.

“Idiot, you bought her a game system—the one thing her parents don’t want her to have,” I point out, likely reminding him of their many rants about those things being a distraction from schoolwork and shit.

“Didn’t ask if they’d like it,” he counters. “I asked if you think she’ll like it.”

Frustrated, I sigh before grumbling a response. “Fuck if I know. I guess.”

It almost seems like he wants her dad to hate him. The guy’s been looking for a reason to set Dane’s ass on fire since day one. My guess? This will be the thing that’ll send him right over the edge.

Okay, so maybe I do sound a little like Scrooge, but both my brothers are ignoring me, so it doesn’t really matter. Whatever the case, I don’t really give a shit. I just want to get the fuck out of this place.

“Here, hold these. I smell cookies,” Sterling says, shoving his bags into one of my hands, before Dane shoves his into the other.

I’m not even given a chance to protest before they start toward the pastry shop a few yards away. I’m left to stand here, like the ugly chick at the club who gets stuck watching all the purses.

Fuck-ing fantastic.

I scan this place. It’s crawling with people. Most of whom are smiling, all of whom are spending money they don’t really have to impress a bunch of people who won’t even appreciate it.

I hear my own thoughts, so I know I sound like the fucking Grinch. But I have my reasons for hating this time of year and, of course, Vin’s at the root of it. He turns the holiday into a make-up day, thinking his habit of overdoing it with gifts makes up for falling short the other three-hundred sixty-four days of the year. Hence the reason I’m thinking about bailing this Christmas. Grandpa Boone has an open-door policy with his grandkids and I’m thinking about taking him up on that soon.

Basically, I just need a damn break.

Above the usual mall sounds—chatter and damp boots squeaking across the tile, I hear loud voices coming from the other direction. I turn and spot someone I don’t expect to see. But there she is, her reddening face framed in pale-pink hair.

At first, I assume she’s just hanging out with a group of friends, but half a second later, I realize that’s wrong. First clue is when one of the little punks gets in her face, then another shoves her. She nearly loses her footing, coming within inches of landing in the fountain, but I’m already on my way, rushing through the crowd, pushing those aside who aren’t moving quickly enough.

The second I step up, the little shits’ eyes are wide, a blend of guys and girls.

“Guessing you realize you fucked up,” is how I announce myself, causing the group of pissants to back off from Scar and the kid I remember being with her at the block party.

I pinpoint the ringleader and level a look his way.

“You the one who started this shit?” I ask, backing him down when I step closer. “What are you, ten?”

“N-no. I’m fifteen,” the kid stammers.

“Perfect. Just old enough for me to kick your ass and not feel guilty about it,” I growl. “Now, what happens next is up to you, but choose wrong and I swear I’ll be your worst fucking nightmare.”

Kid’s shaking in his boots, taking a few more steps back.

“We were only playing,” he reasons.

“Worst. Fucking. Nightmare,” I say again.

He taps one of his little friends. “Let’s take off,” he announces, prompting the others to parade behind him, but I don’t miss their conversation as they’re walking away.

“Isn’t that the guy from the porno with her sister?”

If I knew which one said it, I’d trip the little bastard, but they’re already pretty far away now.

I turn to Scarlett.

“You good?”

She’s still a little shaken, but nods. “I’m okay.”

I raise a brow at her friend, having a hard time reading him. “You all right?”

“I had it handled,” he snaps, and it takes a second to figure out why he’s pissed at me, but then I get it.

He’s got a thing for Scarlett and I just stepped on his toes.

My bad, kid.

“Yeah, I saw that,” I lie. “I just came over as reinforcement. I’m sure they would’ve backed off either way.”

He straightens his jacket, and his face turns bright red. Since he doesn’t seem to appreciate my clean-up job, I leave him alone and only speak to Scarlett.

“This kind of thing happen often?” I ask, recalling the situation from the other week, when Southside had to rush to her rescue.

She smooths her hair, taking a deep breath to calm down. “Only since, well… you know.”

Fuck. I do know.

She means since ‘the porno with her sister’, as that little shit put it.

I feel like the biggest fucking asshole right now, knowing this is my fault, so I’m glancing down at the bags in my hands.

“Here, take this,” I say, handing over the game system that was supposed to be Joss’s to Scarlett.

Next, I nod at the other kid.

“What size shoe do you wear?”

“Eleven,” he grumbles.

I glance down at Sterling’s size thirteens in the bag. “Here, you’ll grow into these.”

I hand off the gifts and know I’m kind of a walking contradiction right now—using presents to make up for shit I messed up. Like Vin does.

Scarlett beams from ear-to-ear when she realizes what I’ve just given her, and the other kid’s smiling a little, too, now.

“Holy crap! Thank you!” Scarlett screeches, coming in fast for a hug. I embrace her lightly, so I don’t smash the few bags I still have left.

“Don’t mention it.”

I scan the area after that, as discreetly as I can manage, but who the fuck am I kidding?

“Your sister here with you?”

I definitely just violated this whole ‘give her space’ thing by even asking, but damn. I’m over all the rules and gameplay at this point. I like her, want to be around her, but can’t even admit that shit for fear of scaring her off.

“No, we’re here with Shane’s Aunt Carla,” Scarlett shares. “Blue’s visiting our brother.”

That was about the last thing I expected her to say, but guess she’s on a quest of her own for answers.

“Should I tell her you say hi?” Scarlett asks, flashing a coy grin right after. Basically, she knows as well as I do that I’m obsessed with her sister.

“Sure. And if those kids mess with you again, Blue’s got my number. Call me and I’ll drop everything to come back up Shane.”

He seems to appreciate that I didn’t leave him out of that.

“Noted,” Scarlett pipes up. “Merry Christmas.”

She walks off the next second, grinning when she peeks inside the bag with her new game system in it.

I hear footsteps coming up from both sides, but don’t turn to face my brothers. Not while their gifts are still in sight, walking off toward the food court.

“Was that Southside’s sister?” Dane asks, popping a cookie into his mouth.

I nod. “Yep.”

“What was that about?”

“Nothing really,” is all I say.

He shrugs and then they both glance down toward the bags in my hands. It only takes a second to notice I’m carrying far less than when they walked away a moment ago.

“The fuck? You gave that kid our shit?” Sterling asks.

I sigh and my only response is to dig into my pocket, pulling out my bank card.

“I owe you shoes,” I say to him. “And… we might also need to head back into the game store.”

“What the—”

“Just go rebuy your shit so we can get out of here,” I say, cutting Dane off before he can ask too many questions. Before he can find out I have kind of a soft spot for Southside’s sister.

I know what I did here today doesn’t even come close to making up for what she’s been through on account of me, but it was better than nothing.

“Know what? I think I had a watch in that bag, too,” Dane jokes when we start walking.

“Well, if you did, fuck you and that watch,” I shoot back.

He shrugs, readjusting that stupid candy cane scarf. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”