not a chance • jj maybank

t e n

PAISLY ROUTLEDGE

"Paisly! Can you run to Heyward's? Mike forgot the eggs. I can give you my keys to my car." Anna asked me as I clocked in for work. JJ had just dropped me off for my shift.

"Of course!" I smile at Kie's mom, taking the keys from her hand.

As I'm walking out of The Wreck, I see a red bike drive past. I open the door to Anna's car and notice the bike spun around and parks next to me.

"Paisly! Wait up." Rafe takes off his helmet. I glance at the back door of The Wreck to see if Anna was watching me, and she wasn't.

"I have to be somewhere." I inform him, not wanting Heyward to wait too long for me.

"Can it wait a minute? I want to talk to you." He smiles at me. I shift my denim shorts down a bit as a nervous move.

"I- I guess." I stutter, shutting the car door and leaning against it.

"Why haven't you been responding to my texts?" He questioned me, shoving his hands in his salmon colored shorts.

"I haven't had my phone much these past few days." I lie.

"Now, sweetheart, don't lie to me. You can be honest." He chuckles.

"It's true. I've been busy with my friends and honestly I've been all over the island." Telling the truth but not in full.

"Yeah, those pogues you hangout with? You'd be better hanging out with me and my friends." He smirks.

"Uh, we'll you know it's just me and my brother now. I like to keep him company when I'm not working." I fiddle with Anna's keys.

"Heard my dad fired him and that he was stealing from us. Is that true?" He asked.

John B got fired? When?

"Uh, I don't recall him ever saying he was laid off. But John B stealing? Sounds weird, he would never do that." I lie again, knowing that he took a few tanks from them for our scheme.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Say, there's a party tonight at Kelce's. I'd like you to join me." Rafe grins.

"Maybe, I'll text you later. I do have to run an errand right now before I get fired." I chuckle lightly.

"See you around, Paisly." He puts his helmet back on and rides his bike off.

"What the fuck." I whisper to myself.

• • •

"You can't be serious." Kie groans as she sits on my bed.

"I'm old enough to make my own choices. Maybe going to this party would help me get my mind off things." I explain.

I had just told Kie my plan, not wanting the boys to find out. Knowing that if they found out, Rafe would be dead and I'd be in deep shit.

"What happens if you get hurt?" Kie questions me.

"I'll call one of you guys. Now, please cover for me." I beg.

"Fine. But wear the white bikini with those super cute black pants you have." She grins.

"These?" I ask holding up my black flowy pants. She nods.

"If something does happen, don't tell the boys I knew anything." She begs.

"You're secret is safe with me." I smile wide at the beautiful girl in front of me.

Kie has always been an older sister figure to me. She's got my back twenty-four, seven.