I groaned. “Not tonight. I need sleep.”

Brazil’s muffled voice filtered through the wall. “Because you can’t ride around with your ex-boyfriend, that’s why!”

“Maybe if you had taken me to work . . .”

“Nuh-uh, don’t pin this on me! If I had done the same thing . . .”

“Who says you didn’t?”

“What does that mean? What do you mean, Raegan? Has someone said something to you?”

“No!”

“Then what?”

“Nothing! I don’t know what you do when you’re out! I’m not even sure I care anymore!”

It got really quiet then, and after several minutes, they continued speaking in lowered voices. Ten minutes later there were no voices at all, and just when I thought to go check on Raegan, I heard her moaning and yelping, and her bed was knocking into the wall.

Ugh. “Seriously?” I said.

“Living together is sounding better all the time, isn’t it?” Trenton said against my neck.

I settled in next to him. “It’s been less than four months. Let’s pace ourselves.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s a big deal. And I barely know you.”

Trenton touched my knee, and then let his hand slide upward until his fingers were touching the cotton piece of my panties. “I know you fairly intimately.”

“Really? You want to get it on with Buffy and Spike next door?”

“Huh?”

“They’re fighting, and then they . . . never mind.”

“Not in the mood, huh?” he asked.

Raegan’s yelps were becoming shriller.

“Not . . . right now, no.”

“See? We’re practically married already.”

“You got jokes!” I said as I dug my thumbs between his ribs. He tried fending me off, grunting and laughing as I tickled him. Eventually, he began emulating Raegan’s high-pitched cries. I covered my mouth, giggling incessantly. Raegan grew quiet, and Trenton fist bumped me. Then we settled down again.

Half an hour later, Brazil and Raegan crept down the hall and then the front door opened and closed. A few seconds later, my bedroom door flew open and the light turned on. “Assholes!”

I covered my eyes until I heard Raegan gasp.

“Holy shit, Trenton, what happened to you?”

I turned to look at him. Three bloody scratches were on his cheekbone, and his lip was split. I jerked to a sitting position. “What happened to your face, Trent?”

“I haven’t thought of a good lie to tell you yet.”

“I thought you went to Chicken Joe’s with Olive tonight? You went to that biker bar, didn’t you?” I said, my voice thick with accusation.

Trenton chuckled. “No, I went to Chicken Joe’s. So did Chase and Colin.”

Raegan gasped, and so did I. My eyes filled with tears. “They f**king jumped you? When you were with Olive? Is she okay?”

“They tried. She’s fine. We went outside. She didn’t see much.”

Raegan took a step. “What happened?”

“They won’t try to jump me again, let’s just put it that way.”

I covered my face. “Goddammit! Damn it!” I picked up my phone and sent the same text to Colin and Chase. It only said one word.

ASSHOLES

Trenton’s phone buzzed, and he picked it up, and then rolled his eyes. I’d sent the text to him, too.

“Hey. They came after me.”

“Are they okay?” I asked.

“They’re hurting. They’ll hurt worse in the morning. But it’s done.”

My face compressed. “Trent! Damn it! This has got to stop!”

“I told you, baby, it’s done. Coby was with them. He didn’t jump in. He tried to talk them out of it. I beat their asses. They agreed to back off.”

My phone chirped. It was Chase.

Sorry. We worked it out. It’s all good.

How does your face feel?

Not good.

Good.

Raegan’s eyes widened a bit before she backed out and walked to her room.

I glared at Trenton.

“What did you want me to do? Let them beat my ass?”

My face smoothed. “No. I hate that it happened in front of Olive. I’m worried about her.”

Trenton climbed out of bed, flipped off the light, and then crawled back in beside me. “You’ll see her tomorrow. She’s okay. I explained it to her, and then I explained it to her parents.”

I cringed. “Were they mad?”

“A little. But not at me.”

“Do you need an ice pack or anything?”

Trenton chuckled. “No, babe. I’m good. Go to sleep.”

I relaxed against him, but it took me quite a while to fall asleep. My mind wouldn’t stop racing, and I could tell from his breathing that Trenton wasn’t asleep, either. Finally, my eyes got heavy, and I let myself drift off.

When my eyes finally opened, the clock said 10:00, and Olive was standing next to my bed, staring at me. I held the covers against my chest, aware that I was nearly naked beneath them.

“Hey, Olive,” I said, squinting. “Where’s Trent?”

“He’s bringing in the gwocewies.”

“Groceries?” I said, sitting up. “What groceries?”

“We went shopping this mowning. He said you wuhr out of a few things, but he has six sacks.”

I leaned over but only saw the open front door.

Brazil stepped into the hallway, his dark bronze skin covered only by a pair of green plaid boxers. He yawned, scratched his ass, and then turned around to see Olive. He crossed his hands over his groin that was just waking up as well.

“Whoa! What’s she doing here?”

“She’s here with Trent. You’re back already?”

“Got here as Trent was leaving.”

“Put your damn clothes on, you don’t live here.”

Olive shook her head, scolding him with her sparkling green eyes.

Brazil retreated to Raegan’s room, and I nodded toward the door. “Beat it, kid. I’ve gotta get dressed, too.” I winked at her, and she grinned before skipping into the living room.

I shut my bedroom door and dug into my drawers for socks and a bra, then slipped on a pair of jeans and a cream sweater. My hair still stunk like forty packs of cigarettes from working at the Red the night before, so I pulled it back into a tiny ponytail, sprayed some body spray on it, and called it good.