Fumbling Perfect (Raymere Grove Series Book 1) Read online

  Jolee nudged Alice to a far-off corner, which only led to a greater sense of awe. Four long party tables were set up with an array of every snack imaginable, from sweet and salty, to cold and hot, to healthy and greasy, even to foreign and domestic.

  “This looks like something your mom would do,” Jolee pointed out.

  “Yeah, if I liked even ten percent of the amount of people here,” Lilah replied, all the while continuing to check out her surroundings.

  She stopped evaluating the place once her eyes landed on Kyler. He was talking with Miles and seemed to be enjoying himself. She rarely saw such a genuine smile on his face. With her attention also on Miles, she hoped that Kyler remembered to set Miles straight concerning any rumors about Simon and herself.

  As she watched Kyler from afar, it was then that she really looked at him. He was taller than most of his friends, easily six foot something, but she already knew he was tall just from standing next to him. His hair was more styled than when she usually saw him, given, she saw him fresh from a shower after practice. However, it looked like he had put effort into his appearance today. He had on a fashionable pair of dark jeans, not at all like the skinny or cut up ones that several of the guys had on. He paired it with a short sleeved grey Henley with just a button or two undone. It truly accentuated his arms, so much so that Lilah thought he could have used a bigger size.

  “Please tell me that you’re not drooling over one of them already,” Jolee sighed, breaking Lilah from her trance.

  “Absolutely not. Just watching them in their native habitat,” Lilah laughed, hoping that Jolee hadn’t seen that she had paid Kyler a bit more attention than she should have.

  Lilah was surprised that after an hour she wasn’t bored to death, but then again, she was enjoying simply spending time with her friends. They had found an empty bistro table just outside the doors so that Alice had a nice place to sample nearly every food available.

  From time to time Lilah looked around for Kyler. She assumed that since he had invited her, he’d at least have the decency to say something to her, but it was as though he didn’t even notice her presence. She told herself that it was probably for the best.

  “I am so stuffed,” Alice groaned, although she took another bite of some sort of flaky pastry.

  “I’m tired of sitting. Is it cool if we leave you and walk around inside,” Jolee asked.

  Alice nodded and continued eating, this time more slowly. Full or not, she intended to sample everything.

  “At least she’s enjoying herself,” Jolee said once they were back inside.

  The volume, as well as crowd size, had grown since they stepped outside.

  “And you’re not,” Lilah asked.

  Jolee shrugged her shoulders at first. “I’m just not friends with anyone here, and right now, you and I are a cross between invisible and the plague.”

  Lilah laughed at Jolee’s ever dramatic phrasing, despite its truth. It stung just a little. Even with her confidence and not caring too much about what people thought, she had not been able to speak to the person that was her whole reason for coming. She shook the thought. He wasn’t the reason she came, but he had been her invite. Every time she had seen him though, he was engrossed with some other football player. Well, there was that one time he was talking with Sarah, but it’s not like she paid too much attention to that. Either way, she felt like an outsider, and it was becoming clearer that maybe the whole ordeal was a mistake.

  Jolee excused herself to go to the restroom while Lilah hung around one of the pool tables. About half of the balls remained, but there were no signs of a game in progress. Bored with waiting, Lilah occupied her time with the dull act of rolling the cue ball around the table, never allowing it to leave her grasp and for some reason not allowing it to bump into any of the other balls; that was, until an unrecognizable voice sent chills down her spine.

  “Want to play,” someone breathed into her ear, far closer than her comfort level allowed.

  Lilah turned, almost to bump into Sean, towering over her. She backed into the table in hopes of creating a little bit of space between them. While he was about Kyler’s height, his size was much larger and bulkier. Lilah didn’t know what he did on the team, but she assumed he was one of those in charge of trampling everyone in his path.

  “No,” she answered, bluntly and coldly. She let the ball leave her grasp and she stepped to the side, looking behind Sean toward the restroom doors.

  “Come on, it’ll be fun. I promise to go easy,” he laughed.

  Lilah narrowed her eyes and did a brief evaluation of Sean. Nothing about him appeared to be trustworthy, but she didn’t know what he was getting at. Generally, the only time she had any interaction with him was when he was sneering at her in class for answering correctly. Something was off about him today.

  “Actually,” he continued. “If you don’t know how to play, I could–”

  “I know how to play,” Lilah spat. She might not have a game room like Dawson, but there was a pool table in her home.

  Sean clapped his hands and reached for the rack. “Eight-ball good for you,” he asked as he began placement of the balls.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  “Okay, okay,” Gavin said as he motioned with his arms. “And then, you’ll never believe what happened. Are you ready?”

  He was a horrible storyteller and Kyler and Miles had a difficult time following along. For Kyler, it soon became less about Gavin’s ability and more about the scene across the room.

  “Dude,” he insisted with a nudge when he realized Kyler’s attention was elsewhere. “You really have to listen to this part.”

  Kyler was somewhere else entirely. While Gavin didn’t seem to notice, as his best friend, Miles picked up on it immediately.

  Miles interrupted Gavin once he saw what had captured Kyler’s attention. “What the hell is that about?”

  “I don’t know,” Kyler growled, taking one foot in the direction of the pool tables, only to be jerked backward.

  “And worse, what do you think you’re doing?”

  “He’s clearly annoying her!”

  Miles’ brows shot up questioningly while Gavin proceeded to look around in confusion. “Since when are you her protector?”

  Kyler scoffed. “All Sean is doing is trying to get a rise out of me,” he responded, dismissing the question.

  “Obviously it’s working. Now my only question is, why would you care if he’s talking to Lilah?”

  Kyler clenched his teeth and stared at Miles for a moment. He had this playful and knowing grin on his face that Kyler didn’t like.

  “Whatever you’re thinking, you’re wrong,” he insisted, leaving before Miles could say another word.

  “And yet, he’s still going over there.” At this point Miles was talking to himself, as Gavin was already on Kyler’s swift steps toward the pool tables.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Sean’s persistency greatly annoyed Lilah, so much so that she soon gave in to his request for a friendly game, completely aware as to what he must be thinking.

  He handed her a cue stick and laid out some rules, or lack thereof. “So, you know how eight-ball works?”

  Lilah didn’t want to appear overly confident or cocky, but internally rolled her eyes. She probably knew more than him. “Stripes or solids, eight is the last one in,” she shrugged, putting it as simply as possible.

  He grinned. “We’ll keep it easy. You don’t even have to call your shots.”

  Upon evaluating Sean, Lilah wondered if that statement had more to do with the fact that he probably wasn’t as good as he claimed.

  Both Jolee and Alice were nearby now, quietly waiting, not saying a word. They knew better. They also disliked Sean just as much as Lilah.

  Lilah’s confidence faltered a bit when from the corner of her eye she saw Kyler finally approach her, along with a couple of his friends.

  “What’s going on,” he asked, feigning a calm and carefree demeanor.
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br />   Lilah wasn’t sure whether he was talking to Sean or herself. His eyes were very much locked on hers and they didn’t appear to be pleased. It was Sean that took the second of silence as his duty to answer.

  “We’re just going to play a round.”

  Lilah diverted her attention from Kyler to Sean. There was something calculating in his voice.

  Just as he leaned down to break, he rose. Lilah knew it. This wasn’t a simple game of pool. The twinkle in his eyes and smirk on his face meant that it was absolutely more.

  “You know what, how about we make a little wager?”

  Lilah swallowed heavily. Money. Of course. “How much?”

  “No, no, no,” he laughed. “We’re not bringing your daddy’s money into this.”

  That, Lilah was not expecting.

  “How about,” Sean began, leaning on his stick and pretending to think, although Lilah was beyond certain he had long ago had something in mind. “A kiss.”

  Lilah choked on her own spit and gave a deep cough. “Excuse me,” she managed.

  Sean only chuckled. “Yeah. If I win, I get a kiss, and not some innocent one on the cheek.”

  Something in Kyler snapped. There was no way that Lilah would play this ridiculous game. He was just about to step in between the two when Lilah’s next words caused his blood to drain, weakening him from head to toe.

  “Fine,” she said firmly. Behind her she heard Jolee let out a faint groan. “And if I win–”

  Her statement was briefly interrupted with laughter from Sean and his two ridiculous besties, Louis and Cash.

  She began again, more loudly. “If I win, you will never again speak to me, good, bad, or anything in between. I don’t want your breath anywhere near the space I’m occupying.”

  Kyler’s vision shot to Lilah and he couldn’t turn away. Her words were cold and bitter. Even when she was upset with him, she hadn’t spoken so harshly. The strange thing, she could have asked for or made Sean do anything she wanted, if she won of course, and yet, all she wanted was to have nothing to do with him ever again. He swore that a chill ran through the room just from her words.

  He didn’t allow himself to be affected and quickly brought himself back to the reality of the situation. The reality was, she stood a fifty percent chance of losing, probably even more so. He didn’t want to judge, but she didn’t look like the kind of person who would be good at any sports, pool included.

  His insides twisted as he heard the rattling of the balls being broken and a solid going into one of the pockets.

  Kyler made his way off to the side to Lilah’s two friends. Neither had said anything to sway her insane decision to go through with a game he desperately wanted to come to a stop. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad if Sean hadn’t brought that stupid wager into the picture, but now that he had, and it seemed like Lilah was a willing participant, he lost it.

  One of the girls was devouring a cone of ice cream, while the other looked nearly as unapproachable as Lilah. He wasn’t sure if he could make a good decision, but he went with the unapproachable one.

  “Jessie, right,” he began as a poor introduction.

  Jolee barely turned her head in his direction, although he could feel the daggers shooting from her eyes. “Sure, Tyler.”

  Great, he had already gotten off to a bad start. “I’m sorry, I just don’t–”

  “I get it. If we’re not out there shaking our pom-poms, you have a difficult time remembering our names.”

  Ouch.

  “Jolee!” He remembered. He knew it was a stranger name than Jessie.

  “What,” she hissed, now turning to him.

  “Look,” he began, stepping closer and lowering his voice. “Can you call her over and talk some sense into her?”

  Jolee’s eyes narrowed. “Why would I do that?”

  Kyler’s jaw nearly dropped. “Do you really want that scum taking advantage of her?”

  A villainous laugh fell from her lips and her eyes became unreadable, partly because of all the darkness they were lined with.

  “Lilah seems to be doing fine,” she calmly said, reverting back to her uncaring stance.

  That did little to ease any tension Kyler was experiencing. “Can you just call her over?”

  Jolee, now annoyed, stepped in front of him and crossed her arms. “Why?” She eyed him up and down and before he could answer, “If you want to talk to her so badly, why don’t you?”

  Kyler was quick in his response. “Because apparently no one else has a problem with this and I don’t want–”

  She stepped closer, now invading his space. “Why do you have a problem then?”

  He couldn’t answer. Words failed him. Breathing failed him. What was he doing? What was he thinking? Why did he have such a problem? There wasn’t any answer he could give that would satisfy Jolee, both of them knew that.

  Jolee continued to watch him suspiciously, but finally she gave in. “Lilah,” she called out, just as Sean sank his second solid after his break. Lilah turned and Jolee waved her hand, beckoning her.

  Lilah made her way over, and though she found it difficult, ignored Kyler’s presence. “What?”

  “He wanted to say something, but apparently he was too embarrassed in front of his friends.”

  Kyler’s face clenched and he narrowed his eyes at Jolee.

  Lilah turned toward him. “What do you want?” He knew she was still riled up a bit from Sean, but Jolee’s comment couldn’t have helped.

  “I just think that this is stupid, and you should–”

  “The game has already started,” she interrupted.

  Finishing off the last bite of her waffle cone, Alice now joined in. “You do realize if you lose,” she started, scrunching her face before continuing. “Sean will be your fir–” Her statement was interrupted by her own shrieks of pain as Lilah jabbed her in the foot with her stick.

  “I’m well-aware of the circumstances,” Lilah growled.

  Kyler knew what Alice was about to say and his thoughts went back to when he overheard their conversation in the library.

  Alice shook her foot in hopes of easing the pain and grumbled a bit. “Fine, I get it.”

  “Are you going to shoot or what,” Sean called from behind her.

  Lilah directed her attention to Kyler. She couldn’t let him throw her off her game, but something made her want to stare in his eyes for just a moment longer, searching. The only problem was, she wasn’t sure what she was searching for when it came to him.

  Sean’s voice rang out once again, this time in a teasing and mocking tone. “Is there a problem, West?”

  Kyler let out a breath and tried to remain calm, but how he hated Sean.

  Lilah had to get back into her zone, and she shook whatever momentary spell Kyler had placed upon her and turned back toward the table. It was her turn.

  She didn’t want to be cocky right at the start. She’d allow Sean to have a bit of confidence. It would only make the end result that much more satisfying.

  Kyler positioned himself in the vicinity of Lilah’s two friends, along with Gavin and Miles, who looked quite uneasy as well, but still intensely focused on the game.

  “Isn’t this against some feminist belief of yours,” Kyler huffed, not being able to stand how calm Lilah’s friends were.

  “Not if she’s going to wipe the floor with him.”

  Kyler didn’t see that happening. Lilah only had one of her balls in to Sean’s two, and now it was his turn. He got another one in and then missed at a second.

  Lilah had her second go of it and missed. She didn’t even miss a little or miss to the point that a ball was almost near a pocket. She missed hitting any ball on the table.

  Kyler rubbed the back of his neck in frustration.

  While Jolee didn’t care for any of the football players, Kyler wasn’t the worst. She didn’t know what his motive was, and while she was a little bitter at him for inviting Lilah and then ignoring her, there was a sense
of warmth that she got at his concern for Lilah’s wellbeing. It was a very small warmth, and she hoped that he cared about what happened to Lilah and this wasn’t some sick game to him.

  “You need to relax,” she said quietly. “Lilah isn’t stupid.”

  “Somehow I don’t think being valedictorian is going to help her win.”

  Jolee held a satisfying grin on her face, and Kyler narrowed his eyes. He was missing something. “No, but being patient and incredible at geometry will.”

  “What?” He was beyond confused.

  “I don’t get it either,” she shrugged. “Lilah tried to teach me before. That’s what she always insisted. ‘It’s just like geometry.’ It wasn’t that easy for me,” she laughed, which was rare. Kyler didn’t think she could ever laugh, unless you call that evil cackle from earlier a laugh. She continued on. “Her parents have a table and, let’s face it, she stays inside, buried in a book most of the time. She had to find something to do for mental breaks. While she won’t be going professional, she easily has this.”

  Sean sank another ball and made his way closer to Lilah than Kyler would have liked. He watched her tense, knowing that she was bothered by Sean’s presence as well.

  “Get ready to pucker up, sweetheart,” he whispered, or so he thought. Kyler, as well as Jolee, Alice, and a quiet Gavin and Miles all heard the disgusting statement.

  Livid, Kyler turned to Jolee. “He only has two balls left, not counting the eight, and she has five. So, at what point…”

  He lost his words when Lilah turned back, a small smile hidden in her eyes just for her friends. When she briefly glanced at him, he thought that maybe there was something there for him as well.

  Suddenly her expression turned serious.

  “9, corner pocket. 14, side pocket.” She tapped her stick to the pockets she just called out.

  “Here we go,” Alice groaned.

  As soon as the two balls went into the exact places that Lilah called, Kyler fought to contain his smile as he watched the blood drain from Sean’s face. Per Sean’s rules, they hadn’t been calling their shots.

  The next shot took Lilah a little longer as she appeared to be evaluating it from all angles. Her surroundings were a now a blur. All that mattered was winning. She couldn’t wait to shut Sean up.