Free Forever Red by Carina Adams

off me. “Hey, Neil.” She bit her bottom lip and batted her eyes. “We’re gonna go dance. You wanna come?”
    I shook my head. “I’m good.”
    Jeremy kicked at one of the empty chairs. “Sit with us for a while.”
    Instead of taking the seat next to him, Missy pulled out the chair next to me, forcing Jules to sit across from us. As I watched the brunette ease down, the slit in her light blue dress gave me more of a view than I wanted and I quickly glanced up. The smirk she gave me – as if she thought I’d been checking her out – annoyed me.
    Carson leaned forward. “Where’s Lia?” God bless the QB. I’d already told him she was staying home, but that kid had a knack for innocently stirring the pot.
    Julie adjusted herself slightly as if she was going to answer, but Missy beat her to it. “She had plans tonight.”
    I peeled the label off my Coke, eyes locked on the bottle in front of me. “I thought all y’all had plans together.”
    Missy giggled obnoxiously. “All y’all? I love how you talk!” Her hand moved from the table to my thigh, making my head snap toward her.
    “Kelly, let’s go grab the girls some drinks. Jules, you want?” Mike pulled the back of my chair slightly, and then pulled my shoulder, rescuing me before I said something I’d regret.
    We were all the way across the cafeteria before he said anything else. “Did Lia ever tell you that she and I used to be best friends?”
    I shook my head.
    He nodded with a slight smile on his lips as he continued, “My grandmother lives in Two Lanes. A few lots down from Lia and her mom. My mom and dad were in college so I was with my gram most of the time. When we were like three, we started playing together and were inseparable for a long time. Her, Julie, and me.”
    He didn’t say anything else. “What happened?”
    “Junior high. When what you wear matters more than who you are. And then Missy moved here. She was with Missy and Jules all the time. But, mostly ‘cause I started dating Ally.”
    “Ally Jackson?” The disbelief oozed from my voice. Never in a million years would I have pictured the two of them – the goofy, nice kid and the rich bitch from hell – together.
    “Yeah.”
    The cheerleader and the football star. I got it. That had been me once, too. If Mike met April, I’m sure he’d have the same reaction.
    “Girlfriend didn’t like best friend, so best friend had to go.” 
    “Okay?” I had no clue where this conversation was going.
    “Listen, you’re my friend. Lia’s my friend. But if two of the trifecta are here, you’re being played, man.”
    I narrowed my eyes, voice cold as ice. “What you talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?”
    He nodded back to the table. “The trinity has set its sights on you. This is what they do. They play this warped game. It’s like they have some competition to see who can fuck the most people or some shit.”
    I stared at him, waiting for him to finish.
    He sighed and rolled his eyes. “Look, I don’t know the details, man – none of us do. But when all three of them start paying attention to one person, it’s just a matter of time. No matter how much he resists, they wear him down until he gives in. Then, one of them always fucks him, literally and figuratively. Ask Boner; he’s still tore up over Julie. He thought he was gonna marry her.”
    “You’re talking in circles, QB. What in the hell are you tryin’ to say?”
    “I’m saying that they”—he pointed at the table—“are fucking trouble and that I don’t think it’s a coincidence that they’re here and Lia isn’t. Maybe Lia’s in on it. Maybe she’s not.” He shrugged.
    Mom’s words from the other night came back. “You don’t think they’re playing me. You think she is.”
    He at least had the sense to look uncomfortable. “She’s great. You and I know that. But seeing how her other two-thirds act, I gotta wonder how much of what we see is really her and how much is a performance. I wouldn’t