Replace Me (Kin #2)(3)
Author: Jennifer Foor

Parker continued telling us how amazing his life was. When he introduced us to his beautiful blonde girlfriend, I felt like my lunch was going to come hurling back out of my mouth. They looked at each other like Sky and Ford, as if nobody else in the world existed. As curious as I was to feel that for myself, I knew that this secret could destroy everything.

My dad would be so disappointed, in not only him, but me. Since we weren’t exactly close anyway, I didn’t want to picture our relationship once he found out. It would all be blamed on me. That was a definite.

We stayed at a hotel near the campus, and to make it easier on Peyton, I got a room for the two of us to share. I knew she didn’t want to be near my parents. Her animosity towards my father was annoying as hell. Them rooming together would have made our weekend, and our ride home, unbearable.

Once inside of our room, she plopped down on the bed. “What’s wrong with you today? You haven’t said ten words since we got here.”

I sat down and played with my phone. “Nothin’! I’m tired.”

She flipped over and leaned on her elbow to get a good look at me. “No. It’s somethin’ else. You still miss Lacey don’t you?”

I shook my head. “No! She’s just a girl I was f**kin’. Mind your business.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever! It was more than that and you know it.” She sat up and faced me. “It was always more for her, Shayne. If it wasn’t, she’d be here with you right now.”

I cocked my right eyebrow and sighed. “I ain’t talkin’ about this with you, Pey. It’s between me and my dick.”

She threw her hands up, like I was a hopeless cause. “Ugh! You’ll never get it!”

I turned off the light between us, so she couldn’t judge me for giving her a dirty look. “I’m goin’ to bed.”

The light came back on and she was standing over me. “Mom and Dad are goin’ to bed. I say we sneak out and find a party. Come on. You know you want to.”

I ran my hands over my face and thought about the last time I’d partied with my siblings. My brother had knocked up my cousins ex and everything went to shit from there. “That’s a bad idea.”

She grabbed her bag and started walking into the bathroom. “I’m goin’ with or without you. You can either come with me and keep me safe, or lay in bed wonderin’ if some stranger is havin’ his way with me.”

I hated that she knew how to push my buttons. It also sucked that I was obligated to protect her, even when I felt like it was the last place I wanted to be. “You’re the worst sister, I tell ya. Do you really think that sayin’ shit like that is goin’ to make me want to help you? Why would you even put yourself in situations that would endanger your life?”

She jumped on my bed and wrapped her arms around me, while sticking out her bottom lip like a little kid. “Please?”

Knowing that it was a terrible idea, and that I was just adding more reasons to be homeless once my dad found out, I patted her to get off of me. “A couple hours and then we both come back here and sleep. You got it?”

Peyton got up and acted giddy. “It’s a deal!”

Lacey

Ford and Sky had found the perfect place to move in together. It was part of a single family home, that had been converted into two apartments. They had two bedrooms, which meant I could come over and stay the night whenever I wanted.

After helping them unpack, we got some movies and vegged out in their living room. I had to admit that they really were cute together. Ford, who gave off this ass**le vibe, was like a gentle giant around her. He was so mesmerized when she talked to him and I could tell that she had his whole heart.

As much as I needed to get out of the house, I envied what they had so much that it became almost impossible to be around them without getting jealous. It didn’t matter how many days passed. Shayne was the only guy that I’d never been able to get over. Well, that was until Ford’s cousin Joey walked in. Then my thoughts of Shayne dissipated.

This guy was gorgeous and I was mad at Sky for not telling me about him sooner. He came right in, without being invited, and threw his keys on the table, before sitting down next to me, so close that our legs were touching. “Thanks for the invite, cuz.”

“I didn’t invite you, Joey!”

“Mom told me to stop by and see if you needed any furniture. She said she’s gettin’ rid of some shit and wanted you to have first dibs.”

Then he turned his attention to me. “So where were we?”

His cockiness caught me off guard. I should have known that he would be a total douche. Most hot guys were. “We weren’t anywhere!”

His raised his brows and smirked. “Not yet!”

Ford caught us off guard when he stood up and headed for the kitchen. “Leave it be, Joey. She doesn’t want what you’re offerin’.”

Joey didn’t look away from me. “I think we should let her make that decision.”

I was speechless, sitting there watching him f**k me with his mind. His eyes were a hazel shade of brown and his dark hair stubble across his cheeks made me curious as to how old he was. When he smiled, displaying his white teeth and perfect smile, I was taken back.

Sky stood in front of us. “Ignore your cousin. He’s being a terrible host. Would you like a beer?”

He still didn’t stop looking at me. “Yeah.”

I crossed my hands over my chest. “Staring isn’t going to get in anywhere near my underwear.”

He looked over to make sure they weren’t coming back into the room. “You can keep your panties in your dresser. There’s no reason to wear them around me.”

I was so shocked that he’d said it that I started laughing. “Are you serious? That’s the best you can do?”

Ford walked into the room with two bottles, handing us both one. “Give up, Joey. Lacey ain’t interested. She just broke up with Shayne.”

Joey looked at Ford. “Shayne? Your cousin on your mom’s side?” Then he looked at me. “You were with that player?”

My stomach knotted up. “Unfortunately!” I couldn’t let anyone in the room know how torn up I was over it. Had I been the only fool to trust someone like him? Did the whole universe know that he was a terrible boyfriend?

“Shit, you let me know when you want to experience what a real man can do to you. I don’t need to wear a pair of red lifeguard shorts to get pu**y, that’s for sure.” He took a drink of his beer and didn’t crack a smile. For someone that was so flip, he was definitely confident in himself.