Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 121916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
He’s no sooner gotten the words out, however, than a new song begins blaring in the adjacent party: none other than Cooper’s viral, smash-hit single that’s been tearing up the charts and wreaking havoc with Ruby’s nervous system for the past three days.
“Who the fuck put this on?” I roar, marching toward the door of the bedroom. “Whoever did this is about to get a beatdown from me!”
“Turn that shit off!” I shout as I barrel toward Rex the Soundman. All night long, our tour manager, Caden, has been manning the iPad that’s been cranking out party tunes. But now, it’s Rex the Soundman who’s standing in Caden’s former spot with a smug expression on his face and his phone trained directly on Ruby on the dance floor. Plainly, he’s hoping to capture her reaction in a video. Will he post it? Send it to Cooper? Fuck. I suddenly remember: Rex is close friends with Cooper, dating back to when his band opened for us.
As I cut through the party, on my way to beat the shit out of Rex—or at least, to scream in his face that he’s a massive asshole and this will be his last tour with us—Ruby races toward me, looking frantic. I don’t blame her. This party was supposed to be a safe space for her after the past few days chewed her up and spit her out. Doesn’t this motherfucker realize Ruby’s one-fifth of the reason for his paycheck?
Ruby is shouting something as she gets closer to me, something that’s getting swallowed by the loud music. But I don’t need to hear her to understand her body language. She wants me to make Rex stop playing this goddamned song—probably, to make him stop shooting his video, too—through any means necessary. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
Before I’ve reached Rex, Ruby cuts me off at the pass. And when she’s close enough for me to hear what she’s saying, it’s not what I’m expecting.
“Stop!” she screams. “KC, no! Your reaction is confirming the song is about me!”
Shit.
That didn’t occur to me before now. But I think she’s right: I’ve just handed Rex a viral video on a silver platter. Fuck.
“Kiss me!” Ruby screams above the music, right before she double-fists the front of my T-shirt and pulls my lips to hers.
When our lips collide, my drunken brain can’t make heads or tails of what’s happening for a second, but my body sure can. Instinctually, I slide my arm around Ruby’s back, pull her closer, and kiss the hell out of her, like I’m a soldier returning home from war. The result, at least for me, is fireworks.
As my tongue swirls with Ruby’s, my entire body explodes with elation, love, and lust. Euphoria that the kiss I’ve waited so long to experience is finally here—and it’s better than my wildest dreams. And best of all? Ruby’s unmistakably returning my kiss, her body making it clear she’s every bit as—
The song abruptly cuts off, right before it reaches its now-infamous line: “Why do you want to fuck your brother?” Apparently, someone got to the iPad and turned it off in the nick of time. And suddenly, it’s like a spell has been broken.
With our blaring soundtrack no longer goading us on, we’re suddenly surrounded by nothing but whoops and cheers, all of which are mingling with the loud thumping of my heartbeat in my ears.
Reality sets in again.
Abruptly, Ruby breaks free of my lips and lurches back, like she’s been zapped by an electric fence.
Flustered, I open my mouth to confess that kiss was better than my wildest fantasies about it—fantasies I’ve been having since age sixteen. But, thankfully, Ruby speaks first.
“That was perfect,” she whispers with a snicker. “Now, drag me out of here like you’re taking me somewhere to fuck me.” She grabs my hand and shouts, loud enough for everyone at the party to hear, including Rex, “Come on, baby! I can’t wait to give you your birthday present in private!”
[Click here to hear “Hate Sex High” in full]
11
KENDRICK
“Guys, hold up!”
It’s Titus, shouting down the length of the hallway after Ruby and I barreled out of the party. Ruby’s riding on my back. She immediately hopped aboard, like she always does, when moving from one drinking location to the next. It was a tad demoralizing—confirmation that nothing’s changed between us, despite that amazing kiss. For her, anyway.
As I come to a stop with Ruby on my back, Titus shouts, “Seriously, guys, don’t do this.” When I turn around, he adds, “You’re both shitfaced and might regret it in the morning.”
Ruby scoffs, and her breath flutters against my ear. “Are you serious? T, we kissed for Rex’s camera. He’s obviously going to send that video to Cooper, and I knew kissing Kendrick would give him the biggest possible ‘fuck you.’ Thankfully, Kendrick knew to play along.” When Titus looks skeptical, Ruby adds, “It’s like Dad always says: ‘If they’re running you out of town, get out front and make it look like a parade.’ So, that’s what I did.”