His lips quirk. “Clearly, that was advice you didn’t take.”
I roll my eyes. “That wasn’t by choice.”
His brow curves upward. “So, you’re saying that, if we hadn’t cornered you in the school, you would’ve just backed off and ignored us? Even if Zay told you to get out of his seat again?” When I hesitate, he grins. “Face it, little raven, you’re a feisty little shit, and if we kept crossing paths, you would’ve mouthed off until we tried to teach you a lesson.”
“Maybe,” I admit. “But in my defense, you’re not the first people that have come after me because I smarted off one too many times.”
“I already assumed that.” His gaze strays to my side, making me too aware that I’m wearing nothing but a shirt and my underwear. “Did those scars get put on you because you smarted off one too many times?”
“Honestly, it was a combination of a lot of things.” I huff out an exasperated breath. “Look, I really don’t want to talk about my scars, so why don’t you tell me why me jumping off this bridge now makes me the fourth member or your … whatever the heck you guys are.”
He glances one more time at my scarred side then focuses on me. “Jumping off that bridge is an initiation into our circle, which we now have to retitle The Raven Four.”
“So, you, Zay, and Jax all jumped off that bridge so you could be part of a group ran by yourself?” I ask dubiously.
He lifts a shoulder, giving a half-shrug. “It was a long time ago when we did it. And really, it kind of started out as a dare that we ended up turning into an initiation. Although, none of us jumped into that water when it was as cold as it was today.” He combs his fingers through my hair and smiles. “You little show off.”
“I’m not a show off,” I promise. “And how has no one else done it before? I mean, I know I’m a bit crazy, but I’m not an anomaly like you all say I am.”
“Um, yeah, you sort of are,” he insists, rotating on the sofa until his leg is pressed against mine. “We gave at least ten guys the opportunity to do what you did today and none of them ever did it.”
“Maybe I was just too stupid to realize I was going to get hypothermia?” I suggest, trying to get him to stop looking at me like he is now.
Like I’m completely fascinating.
“No, you knew what you were getting into. I could see it in your eyes. It just looked like maybe you didn’t care all that much about what happened to you.” He searches my eyes. “Is that what it was?”
I remain indifferent so he won’t be able to see the lie. “Nah, I’m just a thrill seeker.”
His frown deepens. “Fine, I won’t press you for the truth. Yet.” He sits up straight, removing his arm from my shoulders and plastering on a smile. “But whatever the reason you did it, you are now officially one of us.”
“And what if I keep refusing to be part of your circle?” I ask. “What will you do to me?”
“Nothing. And you want to know why? Because you’re not going to refuse.” He laces his fingers through mine and stands up, pulling me up with him. “Not after you hear the benefits.” He pauses, as if waiting for something, then his head bobs back as he lets out a frustrated groan. “Oh, come on, you’ve got to give me something other than silence.”
“Okay… But I’m not sure what you want from me.”
He groans again then looks at me, wetting his lips with his tongue. “Do me a favor and try not to say stuff like that to me, okay? Jax is gonna make up these stupid rules that won’t let me answer that kind of question truthfully. At least not with you.”
Catching on to what he’s saying, I nod. “I’ll never ask it again.”
“Don’t say never, little raven.” He grins impishly.
“Good God,” I groan. “Stop calling me that.”
“But it’s so fitting.” The corners of my lips twitch as I narrow my eyes at him. “Oh come on. Stop giving me that look. Deep down, you know you’re meant to be one of us. Not just because you’re crazy as hell, but because of your name. I mean, it’s like fate brought you to us or something.”
“Yeah, I don’t agree with you.” I pause, wondering something. “Why did you guys end up calling yourselves The Raven Four?”
His eyes sparkle mischievously. “I’m going to let you in on a little secret, but you can’t tell Zay, okay?” He waits for me to nod, then leans in. “When Zay was little, he was really into birds. He would make Jax and I go bird watching with him for like hours every day. It was the most boring thing I’ve ever done, but I did it for him because while Zay and I aren’t technically blood related, he’s my brother in every way that counts.”
“So you named your group The Raven Three because Zay was really into birds?” That’s really the entire story?
“Not completely.” He hesitates. “Zay actually used to have a pet raven.”
“Is that even legal?”
Hunter gives me a really look. “Does Zay seem like the kind of guy that’d care if it wasn’t?”
“Good point.”
He offers me a small smile, but then it fades. “But anyway, Zay had this raven that he called Raven.”
“No way,” I say. “You’re messing with me.”
He looks at me in all seriousness. “I swear I’m not. He named it Raven because his dad told him that giving something a name, or nickname, made them more important to you, and that made you weak, so Zay rarely uses people’s names, or gives people nicknames. And his dad used to—and still does—refer to Zay as Kid. It’s really messed up… But that’s kind of the story of all our lives… But anyway…” He clears his throat, looking a way for a second before glancing back at me. “To make a long story short, Zay’s dad killed his raven on the same day we created our group. Zay was upset, but he wouldn’t admit it. So to honor the bird, we decided to name our group after it.”
So many questions fill up my mind, like why did Zay’s dad kill the raven? And why is Zay calling me princess if he doesn’t give nicknames?
“That’s really messed up.” My heart hurts a little for Zay. “I mean, that his dad killed his bird.”
He offers me a sad smile. “Messed up is what we are, little raven. And I think, deep down, you’re just as messed up as us.”
I want to argue, even though it might be a lie, but then some old clock chimes off the time, making me aware of how late it is.
Crap. I can’t even text my aunt to let her know where I am. Not that she’ll be worried. No, she’ll be irritated that I wasn’t home in time to clean the house, something she makes me do whenever I misbehave like I did this morning … So, yeah, I clean the house a lot.
“I need to get home, like, soon, especially since someone threw my phone out the window.” I narrow my eyes at him, but it’s kind of a playful move.
I’m not sure why I can’t be mad at him. He’s just too smiley and it’s kind of contagious.
“Hey, I didn’t toss out your phone,” he protests with exaggerated offense. “That was all Jax.”
“Yeah? So? I still don’t have a phone.”
Worry creases his face. “Are your aunt and uncle gonna freak out on you for being out so late?”
I chew on my bottom lip. “They might freak out, but not over that.”
His brows knit. “What’ll be over?”
I sigh heavily. “This morning, I may have called my aunt a skank after she told me I was an idiot or something like that. I honestly have a hard time remembering our little bitch-fests. They’re such a common occurrence.”
“So, your aunt’s a bitch then?” he muses, scrubbing his hand across his jawline.
I nod. “Basically.”
He bobs his head up and down understandingly. “My mom’s a prick, so I get you.”
“A bitch and a prick,” I muse. “Maybe they should be friends.”
He smiles brightly. “Nah, I wanna be your friend.”
“What are we? Like in middle school or something?” Strangely enough, the last time I actually had a friend was in middle school, right before my parents died.
“Oh, totally,” he says in an off-pitch falsetto tone. “You got those friendship bracelets I told you to make or what?”
“You only told me that hours ago, so there’s no way I could’ve possibly made them yet,” I point out, the corners of my lips twitching. “But I’ll put it on my to-do list.”
He playfully narrows his eyes. “You better.”
A quiet laugh escapes me, a foreign sound and one I never expected to hear after what happened on the bridge. I didn’t expect to hear anything other than the silence of death.
“What’s so funny?” Jax enters the room with an irritated-looking Zay trailing behind him.
At the sight of him, my thoughts drift to the story of the raven that Hunter told me, and for the slightest instant, I feel pity for Zay. Yeah, he’s intense and bossy, but no one deserves for their parent to kill their pet. And to refer to them as “Kid”… Even my aunt and uncle call me by my name.
Then again, my uncle has given me cruel nicknames that he’s carved on my side, so…
I really miss my parents. God, do I.
“Me, obviously.” Hunter flashes him a grin from over his shoulder and snapping me out my thoughts.
Jax stops near the end of the pool table, his gaze gliding from me to Hunter, then his pierced brow meticulously curves upward. “Soon, we’re going to sit down and talk about all of our new rules. But I’m throwing one out here right now.” He gives a stern glance at everyone. “Everyone is to remain just friends. Do you all understand?”
Is he being serious right now?