3

The neighborhood streets were nearly deserted except for the occasional kid on a bike, and it wasn't surprising given the California heat; the beaches must be packed in the middle of June.

"Hey you," Nora tugged at my shirt and sidled up next to me, looking ahead. "If that hunk wants a wild night, let's make sure it's the best one he's ever had."

Oh yeah, it had to be the best if I wanted Jax Jones in my bed and making me enjoy. He could be everything the rumors said, and that phrase he liked so much about women only being good for screwing; I applied it to him in every sense. He could put more effort than anyone else into proving he was good at his crap, but the attitude he showed me swept away all his efforts, leaving him with... just a good physique and a dick he used on everyone.

I glanced sideways at Nora. I was pretty sure she would choose Trent as soon as she saw him at my house; Nora had never lost her mind as much as when she did when she saw that Jax's friend was in the same club as us; she literally lost her mind over him. First, she would scold me for not telling her that Jax's friend at my house was Trent, but then she would celebrate it in my room while snooping on Trent's I*******m.

"We could go to the drive-in tonight; I heard they're showing a good comedy at Paramount."

"It's a good plan," I nudged Nora's hips to get her to cross the lawn. My father hated it when I stepped on the lawn in front, but I usually didn't care. "We'll take a few bottles of vodka or something and have dinner there, then we can stay over at Bryce's."

I opened the front door and pushed it with more force than necessary, making it hit the wall separating the kitchen from the living room. I glanced at Nora when I felt her strong grip on my arm. Although I wanted to laugh at her dumbfounded face while looking at Trent, I didn't, but it was more because Jax was looking at me from the couch and whatever seemed to come out of his head about me wasn't very nice. His brown eyes seemed like alarms screaming at me: stay away, rich girl! But come on, if he was referring to me, he was mistaken.

"I'll kill you in such a way that everyone will hear you begging for your life, Andra," Nora whispered. She was pulling my arm to cross the living room, and I looked around at the other four missing people. "Let's go get ready, come on."

"Go up first; I need to talk to my sister."

I really hoped she hadn't left the rest of the idiots wandering around the house; I would kill them if I saw them snooping around. Nora nodded; she rarely saw me with my sister, basically because we didn't have the best or most expressive relationship. I spent the day out of the house, and she entertained herself easily with her hypocritical friends and studying.

"Be careful with your sister; she's angry," Nora lightly tapped Samay's cheek, who tightened the pen she was holding in her hand and stopped writing to look at me.

Nora always tried to scare my sister, and Samay didn't stop her, but I was more with my best friend than with my sister. I tried to do the best for Samay, teach her things about life that weren't in books, and I hoped with all my might that at some point she would let her hidden side out and stand up to me.

I threw the keys onto the pile of papers and books occupying the coffee table. I ignored Jax; his gaze couldn't intimidate me or hurt me in any way with all his words; he wouldn't be the last one to insult me, and he wasn't the first. In a way, I knew how protected Samay was between Trent and Jax, two strong guys against me? It was obvious they could handle me if something happened.

"Where are they?" I crouched on the other side of the table and looked over the notes they had on some math stuff. "You should know that if you let him go upstairs, he'll have rummaged through everything, Samay; you can't let them take your life and privileges as if they were theirs."

"Dakota, Rose, and Dominic have left, and Bella only went upstairs to the bathroom."

I nodded and leaned on the other edge of the table to tap her forehead gently. We always did that, and I already saw it as a greeting between us. My parents had insisted millions of times that I was the one who should change and let Samay help me, but I couldn't see her as an older sister; her shyness, simplicity, and how far she was from reality... it was impossible for me, no matter how much she was two years older than me.

"I'm going out with my friends; we're going to Paramount," I circled the table and locked eyes with Jax; he could have the best smile I had ever seen and be convinced that I should stay away from him, but I was ready to learn about him. "Do you two want to come?"

"Where are you going?" Trent asked.

Damn, if I got him to come, Nora would make me a sculpture, and all of it would lead me to one point: Jax and his mysteries solved for me.

I smiled and ran my fingers through my blond hair, looking at Trent's face with some freckles.

"To the drive-in; they're showing a comedy, and we'll stay late, then we're going to a friend's house in Manhattan Beach. He's throwing a small beach party; are you coming or not?"

"No way, blondie."

I glared at Jax. If he didn't want to go, it was fine, but if Trent wanted to come, then he should come! Nora would be happy, and so would I because at least he would let me get closer to his brother without pushing us apart because he didn't want me as his sister-in-law.

"Leave him, Jax. Just because you're a boring guy who doesn't know how to have fun if you're taken out of your comfort zone doesn't mean the same for others," I retorted.

"Sorry, dude, but I'm going," you could tell the great affection those two had because as soon as those words came out of Trent's mouth, Jax was already in on the plans.