“You look beautiful, darlin’. I’ve never seen you without all your dark makeup before.”

“Hell yeah, you do, girl. Fuckin’ hot!” Cass added from her bed where she was drinking a Mason jar filled with her home-brewed moonshine. She was a redneck through and through.

Fidgeting with my damp hair, I mumbled a reluctant, “Thank you.”

I wasn’t beautiful. They were just trying to be nice. That’s all the more-beautiful-than-thou Ally knew how to be—nice. But I couldn’t bear to receive insincere comments. Couldn’t bear to be lied to.

“So what’s up?” I asked, moving to sit on the edge of Cass’s bed and moving the conversation on from the subject of my looks. I waved my hand in dismissal of Cass’s offer to take a sip of her moonshine.

“Rome’s throwing a party at his frat, and we’re going,” Ally said. My stomach churned. That would mean Austin would be there. He lived in the same frat house as Rome. Which meant I wouldn’t be welcome.

“I think I’ll pass, guys. I’m beat,” I tried to say, but Cass interrupted by shooting off the bed, stumbling as her feet hit the wooden floor.

Perfect. She was already halfway to trashed, which would mean a night of looking after her.

“Don’t even think it! You’re coming! Molly’s already bailed, choosing to stay here and study. Nothing Ally and me say is changing her stubborn English mind. So you’re not dropping out on us.”

Ally folded her arms across her chest, smirking at Cass, who reached out to hold her desk in support.

Rolling my eyes at her drunken state, I said, “Fine. I have to get ready.” I stood and headed out the door.

“That’s right, Sexy Lexi, Goth the f**k up! Tonight’s gonna be epic!” Cass shouted to my retreating ass.

Picking up my gym bag, I made my way to my room to get ready. Epic my ass, I thought. More like a damn catastrophe waiting to happen.

Chapter Nine

Austin

You terrify me, Carillo. I’m afraid of you. Are you happy about that?

That chick’s comment was running through my head as I lay on my bed, and I felt sick. She feared me and I didn’t even know her damn name. And I hated it, this whole shittin’ mess. My mamma had taught me never to do wrong by a woman, and here I was getting all up in that cheerleader’s face, stalking her movements, and grabbing at her arm. And all for the sake of the crew! My life was so f**ked up.

My mamma would rightly be ashamed. But I had to protect my family. The last thing my mamma needed was for one or more of us to get put inside. Who would look after her then?

Right after the game, I’d got a call off Axel. Mamma was bad. Real bad. He’d had her at the free clinic, and they prescribed more meds. She was having one of her bad spells. And we didn’t have the cash to cover the cost of the meds yet, so Axel had to bring her back in pain.

I’d waited until all the players had left the locker room, then tore the place apart. And then in she walked, the f**kin’ Goth cheerleader. Except she hadn’t looked too much like a Goth. I liked the Goth look; she was dark like me. But without makeup, she looked so different… She looked beautiful, and my heart almost exploded in my chest.

But of late, she was seeing too much of me and my family. And I’d had to scare her away. It was my duty as a Carillo.

A knock sounded on my door and in walked Rome. He nodded at me warily and took a seat on my sofa. The freshman were all downstairs in our frat house, getting set up for the party, so we as seniors could chill until folks started arriving.

Rome took the remote for my TV and turned it on; SportsCenter was his choice. With disinterest, I watched the presenters recap the NFL games from last Sunday.

“You gonna talk about what that call was over after the game?” Rome eventually said without taking his eyes from the screen.

I flashed a glance in his direction. He was wearing his usual sleeveless Tide shirt and jeans as he leaned on his hand. He must’ve felt me looking at him and he looked my way.

“Well?” he pushed, and I sat up on the edge of my bed, elbows leaning on my knees as I ran my hands over my head in frustration.

I couldn’t speak about my mamma. It was too damn painful.

“Carillo. C’mon, man. Something’s going on and it’s eating at you. Is it your mamma?”

Sighing, I looked over at my best friend and the concerned frown on his face. “Yeah. She’s getting worse.”

Rome’s face fell. He loved my mamma to death. She’d been a mother to him when his own didn’t wanna know him. She’d cared for him, listened to his problems, and watched every football game we both played.

“What needs to be done?” he asked bluntly.

I shrugged. “Don’t know, some wonder pill she needs.”

“So get it. What’s the problem?” he said plainly.

My gut clenched and I glared at him.

Rome leaned forward and said, “Austin, if this is a question of money, you know I’ll—”

“Don’t,” I snapped. “Don’t even finish that damn sentence. I’m not taking anything from you. I know you mean well and all, but that won’t be happening.”

Rome stood and began pacing the room. “Fuck, Carillo! Don’t be so damn stubborn! You know I’ve got the cash to spare. My grandparents left me millions… millions, eighty-three! And shit, but after all your mamma did for me as a kid, I’ll gladly give it. I ain’t got nothing else to spend it on. If my daddy has his way, I’ll be running Prince Oil before long, and I’ll be a goddamn billionaire!”