“Shut your evil mouth, and get the f**k on before I do somethin’ I regret,” Romeo warned with a no-nonsense tone.

She laughed patronisingly. “I’ll give it a month and then we’ll see what your folks do. You’ll be back in my arms in no time. Your momma’s gonna flip!”

“I’d never touch you again and wouldn’t be with you if you were the last person on Earth. You’re a bitter, vindictive bitch. As for my folks, I’m quickly learnin’ to not give a shit what they say anymore. I want Mol and she wants me. End of discussion. Nothin’ you or my folks do will make a damn bit of difference to change that. Now leave us the f**k alone.” He twisted his body and addressed the rest of the teaming Quad. “That applies to everyone—leave us the f**k alone or deal with me! The next person who interferes or even breathes wrong in our direction, I won’t be so f**kin’ lenient with!”

I sighed and closed my eyes. I abhorred violence.

Shelly straightened her hair and, seeing hundreds of eyes staring nervously at our display, stormed away. I watched as she pulled out her pink covered iPhone—it didn’t take a genius to guess who she was calling.

Romeo bent his head to my ear. “Don’t listen to her, okay? What she said, they’re just words; don’t mistake them for truth.”

I moved to sit on the other side of the tree, slumping dejectedly to the ground. I couldn’t shake my unease at what Shelly had said and hated, only hours after announcing we were together, the amount of trouble we’d had thrust our way. I couldn’t help but wonder if Romeo’s parents would think I was with him for his money? Would they try to make him leave me for Shelly?

Romeo quietly crouched before me and pressed his forehead against mine, his hands lying lightly on my shoulders. “You’ve gone all quiet on me, Shakespeare. I don’t like it.”

I forced a smile. “I’m good, baby. Don’t worry.”

My friends headed over to us, anxiously watching us both, clearly checking we were okay. I smiled in assurance that all was well.

Romeo eyed me sceptically one last time before announcing, “I’m gonna take you out on Saturday after the game. A real date. No more hidin’. ‘Bout time I show all of Tuscaloosa you’re mine.”

Our friends smiled in delight at his obvious affection towards me, but I shook my head.

“What?” Rome said as he tensed his shoulders. He thought I was rejecting him.

I put my hand on his arm and squeezed gently. “I’ve already agreed to go dancing with this lot, babe.” I gestured to the group.

I watched his shoulders relax. “Then I’ll take you dancin’ with your friends. We’ll all go,” he asserted, ending the conversation once and for all.

“Okay, it’ll be fun,” I said somewhat calmer, but I quickly lost my smile. “Oh, I’m still twenty, though. They won’t let me in, will they?”

Jimmy-Don tipped his hat. “Get me a photo by tonight and I’ll get you a fake ID, okay, sugar bean? I know some people ‘round these parts.”

“Okay, sure.”

Rome took my hand, pulling me to stand, and threaded my fingers through his. “It’ll be all good. By the way, d’you know how to two-step?”

“Erm… no.” I replied, not even knowing what the heck a two-step was.

Laughter broke out around me, and Cass sang, “Saturday is gonna be so much friggin’ fun!”

12

“What about this one?”

“It has tassels on the ni**les, for God’s sake!”

Cass shrugged, putting back the ridiculous black lace all-in-one on the rack and moved to the next line of lingerie. “What about this, then?”

I looked over to my good Texan friend and gaped, Ally and Lexi breaking into fits of giggles behind me.

“Crotchless knickers? Jeez, Cass! I want to look pretty, not like a hooker!”

She slammed the panties back on the shelf, muttering under her breath. “I have these in hot pink and neon green, and I’m no friggin’ hooker! Jimmy-Don loves them—easy access, anytime, anywhere! They’re just practical!”

I slumped down on the plush red velvet seat in the opulently decorated lingerie shop and threw my head in my hands. Lexi sat beside me and bumped me with her shoulder. “You doing okay, Molls?”

Slipping my hands down my face, I turned to look at her. “What’s wrong with my normal underwear? I’m sure when I finally sleep with Romeo, he won’t exactly care what I’m wearing beforehand.”

“Probably. But treat yourself anyways, girl. Just get something you feel comfortable in. Maybe a night robe or something for afterwards?” She smiled, eyes bright. “You wanna feel sexy, don’t you?”

I sighed. “Yes, of course.”

“What about this, darlin’?” Ally held out a mid-length black silk robe for me to see. “It has a matching chemise too. It’s sexy without being… well…” She signalled to Cass, who was pressing a braless basque to her chest, nodding her head in approval. “Well, frankly…  p**n ographic!”

I stood and Ally lifted the item for me to inspect. It was beautiful—soft, subtle—and if I was going to get something a little bit sexy, this would work nicely.

I nodded and smiled. “I like it. I’ll get it.”

“These too,” Lexi said as she handed me three sets of matching black underwear—one lace, one silk, and one satin. I took the items and headed to the till.

Cass walked by me, jumping in my place, waving pink fluffy handcuffs, a large bottle of lube, and a tube of edible chocolate paint in the air. “I’m getting these. Unlike Sandra f**kin’ Dee here, I like my sex wild and untamed.”

Ten minutes later, we were all weighed down with our new purchases, giggling and having a great time strolling down the street, when Cass stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, causing me to smack right into her back.

She whipped to face me suddenly, looking panicked. “Hey, I-I need to go back this way. I-I forgot something.”

“What, girl? What did you forget?” Lexi moaned. We’d planned to go for food.

Cass’s eyes widened in alarm. “I need… I need…” She snapped her fingers in triumph. “Condoms. I need to go to the pharmacy to pick up condoms. Need them to go with this lot.” She lifted her handcuffs and paint, followed by the wiping of her brow. “Jimmy-Don and I ran out last night. It was a friggin’ good time!”