Songs for Cricket by Laine, E. (best books to read in your 20s TXT) 📗

not have been my favorite person at the moment, but he was my brother. I didn’t like the look in Kevin’s eye.

“Come on,” I said to Tori and followed on the heels of everyone else who had felt the tension change in the air.

I made it in time to see Emily standing in front of August. Cooper and Shepard had already flanked him.

“You don’t understand—” she said.

“What is your problem? She and I were just talking,” August said, sizing Kevin up. “It’s not a crime.”

“She talks to whomever I want her to talk to, and that’s not you.”

I couldn’t stay silent. I jumped to stand next to her. “What did you just say?” The crowd watched, and I made myself more clear. “As far as I can tell, she’s not property. Right, Emily?”

Emily’s voice vibrated with something, either fear or anger.

Billy reached for me. “This isn’t our business.”

Shepard leaped forward, and I was quickly sandwiched between two angry guys.

“Don’t touch her,” Shep said, pushing his hand away from me.

I glared at Billy and then Shepard. “Back off.”

They stepped back.

“Emily, are you coming with me?” Kevin asked, as stern as a father, having completely ignored the near fight between Billy and Shepard.

“You don’t have to go,” August said with pleading eyes.

I glanced over to where the redhead stood patiently waiting without an ounce of jealousy. That could be a good or bad sign for my brother, but I refocused my attention on Emily.

“You deserve better than this,” I said quietly.

I didn’t want to force her into a decision she didn’t want to make.

“I’m not going,” she said as quiet as a mouse. When he didn’t seem to hear or believe her, she straightened and repeated herself a little louder.

“Fine,” he said. “Your loss.”

He walked away, which wasn’t what I expected. Billy glanced at me, but I shook my head and wrapped a weeping Emily in my arms. The crowd dispersed, leaving Emily, Tori, and me with my brothers and Shepard not too far away.

When I let her go, Tori was there.

“Has he ever hurt you?” she asked Emily.

Emily sniffled and shook her head. “No, I swear. He’s controlling, but that’s it.”

She nodded. I wanted to say more, but August came over.

Tori and I gave them room, but we overhead their hushed conversation.

“Can we finish talking?” Emily asked him.

August looked over her shoulder at the redhead who hadn’t inserted herself into the situation.

“There isn’t really much to say. You never once responded to my letters, and we both have moved on. That doesn’t mean I want some asshole to hurt you.”

Her mouth trembled. “I really need to tell you something.”

August seemed almost sad when he spoke next. “It’s too late for that. But you should stay away from that guy,” he said before sidestepping Emily and wrapping an arm around the redhead to lead her inside.

Emily covered her face and sobbed. When she took a breath, she said, “I need to leave.”

“I can go with you,” I offered.

She shook her head and disappeared into the house presumably to leave. I made a mental note to text her later to make sure she was okay.

Cooper walked over, making it clear he wasn’t there to talk to me by focusing on Tori.

“Do you want to . . . um . . . get something to eat? They have the grill going.”

I pursed my lips because poor Cooper was clueless and super nervous to trip over his words like that.

She grinned at me. “I won’t leave without you,” she said before walking away with him. I glanced over at Shepard, wondering what he felt about it when Billy appeared.

“Come with me,” he urged. “Please.”

His eyes danced, and it didn’t take a genius to know he wanted us to find a spot where we could be alone. Did I want to go? I asked myself as I let him lead me away. Maybe he wanted to apologize. I’d hoped that was it, at least.

I wasn’t in the mood for anything more. It wasn’t like his kiss had been bad, soft lips and just enough pressure. But I couldn’t help comparing it to Shepard’s pity kiss, which I’d felt that one all the way down to my toes. I could have lifted off like a rocket ship during those fleeting seconds.

Kissing Shepard had caused sparks of electricity to dance over my skin and twinkle behind my lids. Or maybe I’d seen stars and gotten more than light headed from hovering in space. How could Billy possibly compare?

I was shuffled to a stop in a short dark hallway in one of the many nooks and crannies the frat house had to offer probably by design.

“I’ve wanted to get you alone all night,” he confessed.

I pushed at my hair nervously and still undecided. Billy was the kind of guy who was used to getting more than I was sure I could offer.

“Really, you seemed like you were having a good time without me,” I joked.

He took the lock of hair I’d been twirling from between my fingers. “My eyes were always on you.”

Then the moment happened. We stared at each other for a breath’s time. He leaned forward, and I held there waiting . . .

“Finley.”

I snapped my head around to see Shepard and rolled my eyes. This was familiar ground. Throughout high school, he and August had perfect timing for interrupting me and another guy, no matter what my intentions were.

“She’s busy, Connelly.” Billy said with half amusement and half growl without taking his eyes off me. But I was drawn to Shepard’s unfocused eyes.

“Please.”

That time Shepard spoke with a faint undercurrent of a slur. He hadn’t seemed drunk outside. He’d held himself together pretty well.

I faced Billy. “Could you get me another drink?”

It was as much of a test as it was a request. Though it was hot on paper when a guy was uber possessive, in practice, Kevin was proof of that. I needed someone sure of himself and of me to have enough trust to