Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

H e’s My Brother’s Best Friend

Ruby

Knox invited me to a bonfire close to the beach and since I’ve never been to a bonfire before, I asked if Briar and Annie could tag along.

“Didn’t he want to drive you to this thing?” Briar asks of Knox, who did want me to go with him. But since I invited my friends along, I felt it was only right to show up with them.

“He did, but I wanted to spend time with you guys,” I reply. “Things have been so busy with school and track. I wanted us to have some time to just talk on our own.”

“Where is Charlie tonight?” Annie asks.

“The library,” I answer dryly.

“Why is she spending so much time at the library?” Briar inquires, since it is very unlike Charlie to spend so much time there.

“Pretty sure she is avoiding being in the hockey house,” I explain. “She works with the guys, and she’s become friends with them, but she is also trying to keep a professional distance,” I answer because my best friend is keeping a secret and it’s not up to me to share.

“That must be so hard. They are all so hot,” Briar says and her eyes gleam.

“I hope my brother is excluded from that statement,” I snort. Growing up, I always had friends who crushed on my older brother, but it always felt awkward. Hayden never went for any of my friends. I made it clear that if he did and it didn’t work out, then it would also be friendship suicide.

“Yeah, sure, okay, Rubes,” Briar says sarcastically. I get it, my brother is handsome and the female population at Riverside U is very attracted to him.

“Is the hockey team going to this thing?” Annie asks.

“No clue, I didn’t see my brother all day and none of the guys were home right now,” I explain.

“You do realize you’re calling the hockey house home,” Briar notes.

“Huh, yeah, well, the guys have all been very welcoming,” I reply. It’s a bit of a lie. Macklin has not been welcoming at all. He’s kept his distance and when we do bump into each other, he seems irritable and ready to bolt. I don’t share this with my friends because they know I grew up with Macklin and we are supposed to be close. If I suddenly tell them my brother’s best friend is being a big A-hole it will raise questions. I have my own theories as to why he’s pushed me away, but I’ve chosen not to focus on him.

“So how are things going with Knox?” Briar asks.

“Must be good if she is going to this bonfire and bringing friends to meet him,” Annie answers for me.

“I’m not sure, honestly. He’s a nice guy, he’s good-looking. He has an amazing body, but something is missing,” I share.

“Missing how?” Briar says.

“I can’t explain it, but he’s willing to move at my pace and I like hanging out with him. Like I said, he’s nice and respectful. But. . .”

“Sounds like you’ve friend-zoned him,” Annie chirps.

“Not exactly, we’ve kissed,” I confess.

“Wow, he must really like you if you’ve been on what, seven dates?” Briar asks as we pull up to the area of the beach where the bonfire is happening. There are a lot of cars parked off a dirt road. There is a fire going and lots of people hanging out in groups.

“I wouldn’t call them dates, per se. Sometimes we just grab coffee. He’s a cool guy,” I say.

“Yup, she’s definitely friend-zoned him,” Briar agrees with Annie’s earlier assessment.

I laugh and shake my head. We all leave Briar’s SUV and head toward the crowd. I text Knox I am here but before I press send, I spot him in the distance. He smiles as an acknowledgement that he sees me. Knox is a tall guy. His hands are tucked into his pockets, and he makes his way over to us.

“Hey,” he says, leaning into me and giving me a peck on the cheek. I hear Briar sigh beside me.

“Knox, this is Briar and Annie,” I say.

“Nice to meet you both.” He shakes their hands.

We head deeper into the party where music is playing, and a crowd is sitting around the bonfire. Knox walks up to a cooler. “Would you ladies like something to drink? There’s beer and Mike’s Hard Lemonade.”

“Ooh, I’ll have a Mike’s Hard Lemonade,” Annie says.

“I’ll have one too,” I say.

Knox passes each of us a bottle. Briar passes on drinking since she is driving.

“Come meet my friends,” Knox urges.

We follow him to meet his friends and Briar mouths, “He really likes you.”

A part of me feels bad I am not feeling the same, but this is what usually happens to me. I either meet a guy who’s only interested in sex, or I meet a guy who’s willing to take things slow and I don’t feel a fire down below.

After introducing us to a group of girls and guys, we take a seat on lawn chairs sitting in a circle around one of the smaller fires that were made.

“I say we play a drinking game,” one of the girls suggests.

“Oh boy,” Briar mumbles from beside me. “Glad I’m not drinking.”

“This could be fun,” I tell her. “We never do anything like this.”

“I’m game,” Annie says and a guy sitting across from her smirks at her.

I realize I may be in trouble here because I am probably the only virgin in this whole group.

I give Annie a side glance and shrug.

“We don’t have to play,” Knox says, being the nice guy he is.

“I’ve never played a drinking game before. It’s something I can check off a bucket list,” I whisper.

He smiles at me like he thinks I’m cute. “Okay,” he agrees, and he gives my lips a small peck.

“Okay, so we’re playing never have I ever. I’ll start,” a girl with jet black hair sitting a few seats away from us says. “Never have I ever made out at a bonfire before.”

“You’re such a bitch, Krista, at this rate we’re going to be wasted in a half an hour,” the girl beside her says.

“Isn’t that the point?” Krista laughs conspiratorially.

Almost everyone in the circle drinks. When Knox realizes I am not drinking, he leans over into my ear. “We can fix that.”

I consider his offer. “Maybe later.”

We make our way around the circle, and I find myself drinking at every turn because I don’t want to be the odd one out. By the time we get to Annie, she says, “Never have I ever been drunk,” she says, and then everyone is drinking but her.

When Knox’s turn comes, I get a little nervous but I’m not sure why.

“Never have I ever skinny-dipped in that lake.” He points.

Everyone drinks except for me, Briar, and Annie.

“Well, we know what all of you need to do.” Krista laughs.

“Okay, blondie, it’s your turn,” she says.

“Her name is Ruby,” Knox clarifies.

There is some tension between those two and it makes me wonder if they dated.

“Never have I ever been to a bonfire,” I say proudly. Everyone drinks but I am the only one who doesn’t because I am also way beyond tipsy since I’ve lied about twenty things I haven’t done.

Some of the girls make some bitchy comments about me, but I don’t really care. They aren’t my kind of people anyway.

When Luc and Macklin walk toward us, my heart skips a beat. What are they doing here?

“Can we join?” Luc asks.

Krista stands and offers her chair and then Luc pulls her into his lap.

I don’t know why I feel slack-jawed, but I do.

A girl grabs a chair for Macklin to sit. He’s clearly drunk.

He takes a seat. “So what game are we playing?” he asks the circle.

A girl answers, “Any game you like.”

Macklin ducks his head, laughing like he is shy at her insinuation. When he lifts his head, his eyes meet mine. He hadn’t noticed me sitting here before.

“Ruby?” he asks, his gray eyes wide.

“Hi, Mack.” I wave. “You remember Knox, Annie, and Briar.”

He nods to them by giving them a head tilt.

We loop back around the group. When the girl sitting in Luc’s lap says, “Never have I ever had sex in front of a bonfire.”

I choke on the sip I took of the Mike’s Hard Lemonade, and I break into a cough.

“What, have you not had sex at a bonfire?” Krista asks me.

I freeze. I can’t move or speak.

“Buzz off, Krista,” Knox says.

“Since when do you like good girls?” she snaps back at him.

“Fuck off, Krista, this isn’t the time. And maybe I like someone who is nothing like you for a reason,” he counters.

I begin to feel uncomfortable.

Mack stands from his chair and walks over to me. “It’s time to go,” he says.

“Excuse me?” I ask, completely flabbergasted.

“We should leave,” he tells me.

“Mack, I’m here with Knox,” I remind, and it’s as if he suddenly remembers Knox beside me. Knox stands.

“Hey, bro,” he says to Macklin, extending his hand.

Macklin shakes his hand. “Looks like you’ve got some girl drama, bro.”

My jaw falls slack. What is Macklin doing?

“Nah, it’s nothing. Krista and I are old news, and she isn’t over it,” Knox explains.

“Ah, gotcha,” Macklin answers. “But I don’t see why Ruby needs to be in the middle of that chaos.”

Knox looks thrown.

“Mack, everything is fine. Would you stop?” I ask him while pleading with my eyes for him to just back away.

“Did you guys used to date or something?” Knox asks.

A loud gasp leaves Macklin. “Hell no, bro, I’m just looking out for her.”

Knox nods but he doesn’t look like he is buying it.

“Hi, Macklin,” Annie says, coming around to his side.

Macklin gives her a nod.

Luc walks up to our group. He’s pretty drunk too.

“Rubes, please don’t tell Finn we were out drinking,” Luc pleads.

“I would never,” I assure.

“Cool,” Luc replies, completely oblivious to the tension radiating through our little interaction.

“Ruby, you want to take a walk?” Knox asks.

I look over to Briar and Annie for permission because we are here together, and I don’t want to ditch them.

They both nod for me to go.

“Sure,” I answer Knox. I don’t know if I want to take a walk with Knox, but I do know I want to get away from Macklin. He’s behaving like a crazy person.

“Ruby, wait,” Macklin says, and Luc puts up his hand and places it on his chest. Then he whispers something to him.

“Have a good night, Macklin,” I say to him. I look at Briar and Annie, who both look a little stunned by Macklin’s odd behavior. “I’ll see you guys soon.”

I say soon because I don’t want Knox to think we are going to be a while.

When we get far enough away from everyone, Knox asks, “So, are you sure there is nothing with you and Macklin? Because that dude gives off some weird vibes.”

“Absolutely nothing.” I laugh because I am tipsy. “He’s my brother’s best friend, I just think that sometimes he forgets he isn’t my brother. He’s always looked out for me because Hayden asked him to.”

“Ah, gotcha,” he says. “Good, because I like spending time with you.” His arm encircles my hip, and he draws me into him.

“I like spending time with you too,” I tell him. “I take it you and Krista were a thing.”

“Yeah,” he says. “Until I found out she was also a thing with some other guys too.”

“Ouch.” I cringe.

“I’m a one-woman kind of guy. I expect the same thing in return,” he states, and he really is kind and nice. We kiss for a while, but I can’t get Macklin’s crazy reaction out of my head. I’m going to need to speak to him about minding his own business. He needs to realize he isn’t my brother, and I don’t need him screwing up my chances of finding the right guy to give my V-card to.