Pizza Boy

TRISTAN

I shouldn't have allowed Evie to blackmail me into bringing her here.

Or better yet, I shouldn't have opened my fucking mouth about it in the first place.

But the second I’d met her after school, she’d interrogated me like a federal agent, demanding every single piece of information I had on Hunter Beaumont.

Why she was so obsessed with the guy, I had no damn idea, but she’d cornered me until I finally snapped and mentioned where he worked just to shut her up.

Naturally, that led to her dragging me straight here.

Whatever. We were here now.

Once she choked down the cheap pizza she claimed she couldn't live without, I was driving us straight back home.

I hated bringing Evie to this side of town. My reputation here was something I was ashamed of and I didn't need anyone seeing her with me or my fucked-up world touching her.

But I figured one quick stop wouldn't hurt.

Beside her insistence, Lucian drank again tonight.

Being around him when he wasn't drunk was already like stepping around a minefield. One wrong step and you set off a violent bomb that could rip you apart.

But Drunk Lucian was simply an unavoidable ticking time-bomb.

So it was better to wait him out until he fell asleep before returning home.

I was staring down at the laminated menu when I heard footsteps approaching our table.

My eyes lifted, instantly landing on the dark haired server who looked so out of place here.

At the sight of his face, something tightened around my throat and I immediately lowered my gaze to the menu again, pretending to study the fucking pizza options like my life depended on it.

It was nothing. Just surprise.

Even if it had been a month, it would still take anyone by shock to find him working in a place like this.

Evie, however, look delighted. She all but clapped her hands together when he got to our table.

"Hi, Hunter!" She beamed, her voice bubbling over with cheerful energy.

Beaumont froze dead in his tracks, and through my lashes, I found him looking at my sister with a weird expression.

Finally he blurted. "You’re that girl..."

"Yep!" She nodded brightly, cutting him off. "Your face looks better now. I'm glad."

My eyes narrowed into slits, a dark feeling rising in my chest. How the hell do they know each other?

Before I could demand an answer, Beaumont shook his head, a mocking smirk breaking across his face as he looked at me.

"Don't tell me this asshole is your brother." He said and Evie burst out giggling, actually blushing.

Ugh. She looked just like how those girls in my class had seemed when they saw Hunter earlier today.

No wonder why she made me bring her here.

My fists clenched around the menu, two strange feelings bubbling in my chest.

Clearly aware that my sister was smitten with him, Beaumont continued.

"How are you even related to him? You must’ve gotten the only pretty gene in the entire family."

Those two strange feelings inside me heightened, making me grit my teeth.

Refusing to name what the other was, I focused on irritation.

"Stop hitting on my sister, jackass," I snapped, basically growling at him. "She’s underage."

Under the table, Evie drove the toe of her shoes right into my shin. Hard.

Pain shot through me and I glared at her, but she wasn't even looking my way.

Her eyes were fixated on Beaumont.

"Ignore him," she said sweetly, leaning her chin on her hand with a mischievous glint in her dark eyes. "I’ll be seventeen soon. And since someone has decided not to confess their crush, I’m officially calling dibs on you."

My blood ran completely cold. What the actual fuck?!

Panic seized my lungs as I glared at the side of the face she turned to me.

Was she seriously going to do this right now? In front of him?

Hunter’s smirk broadened, his bright blue eyes flashing with dangerous amusement. "Oh, yeah? Who has the secret crush on me?"

I felt like I was going to throw up as my stomach dropped.

There was no fucking way she was about to say it. Right?

Okay, fuck I didn't know. Unable to risk the chance, I raised my palm and slammed it flat against the laminated table.

BANG.

The sound rattled the napkin dispenser and cut her off instantly.

Both of them looked at me.

I pulled my emotionless mask back over my face, even though my pulse was hammering against my throat.

"Does your job description include sitting down with the clientele and eating their food too, Beaumont?" I asked coldly. "Because you've been awfully comfortable standing here without taking our order."

The flush that crept up Hunter's neck was almost satisfying.

"You're such an asshole." He glared at me before turning towards my sister. What can I get you?"

As he ripped his notepad out, Evie gave him her order and I gave mine too, barely looking at him.

Jotting it down with aggressive strokes of his pen, he soon left.

The second his yellow pizza hat disappeared toward the kitchen, I rounded on my sister.

She had the nerve to look innocent.

"Before you start," she said, holding up both hands. "I was just joking and I swear I'd never actually tell him or call dibs on him. I was just joking, pinky promise."

I unclenched my jaw with effort, taking a slow, steadying breath. "Still. Stop making those fucking jokes dude."

She rolled her eyes, leaning back into the vinyl seat. "Whatever, whatever."

But a few seconds later that wicked little grin spread across her face and she whispered. "So you do admit you have a crush on him?"

I felt that stupid heat burn the naoe of my neck, but I looked straight head, ignoring her.

"Ugh there you go." She burst out laughing only quietening when Beaumont returned with our food.

He practically slammed my plate onto the table, sending my Diet Coke sloshing dangerously close to my slice of pizza. "Enjoy." He snarked before turning to Evie and carefully, almost gently, setting her food down in front of her.

Rolling my eyes at the petty display, I dug in, surprised the pizza was actually good.

Although it was hard to go wrong with a pepperoni and even the shittiest of pizza places served decent ones, they deserved their credit on it.

We ate in relative silence after that, although Evie kept occasionally shooting me knowing looks that I refused to acknowledge.

Ten minutes later, we were done eating and I was desperate to leave.

Beaumont wasn't here to take our tabs so I just dropped cash on the table, pulling Evie out of the booth.

After walking her out to my truck, which I’d deliberately parked a block away down a side street, I urged her to climb in.

And once she slid into the passenger seat, I hit the door locks from the driver's side.

"Forgot I need to grab an extra pie for Mom," I lied smoothly, leaning against her open window. "Lock the doors. Don't open them for anyone. I'll be back in five minutes."

"You're so paranoid." Evie rolled her eyes. "Fine. Hurry up."

I waited until the doors clicked before walking away.

I didn't head back towards the diner though.

Once I was far enough that Evie couldn't see me, out of her line of sight, I reached into my jacket pocket, feeling for the small taped package hidden in the lining.

It was still there.

My gut tightened anyway, the way it did anytime I stepped out for these deliveries.

I quickly swept my eyes over the streets as I slipped into the alley running alongside the pizzeria.

A few minutes later, heavy muffled footsteps echoed against the damp pavement and the pickup guy emerged from the gloom.

We didn't exchange words but he held out a thick stack of bills and I handed over the package.

Giving me a short nod, he turned around and walked back towards the street.

I let out a low breath, stashing the cash into my back pocket.

I'd better get back to Evie before she started wondering where the hell id gone.

But I hadn't even taken my first two away when a a familiar voice carried through the darkness behind me.

"Tristan?"

My heart skipped an entire fucking beat and I froze dead in my tracks, my blood turning to liquid ice.