By the Playbook

By the Playbook (19)

"No, actually what's going to happen is I'm going to break your neck."

I opened my eyes, raising an eyebrow across the bed at my sister. She was standing by the balcony, scowling, one hand placed on her hip. Not realizing I was awake, she rolled her eyes quite dramatically. "Well, tell him to stop! Max!"

I propped my head on my hand and raised an eyebrow at her. She flashed me a clipped smile as I motioned for her to come closer. She ignored me, shaking her head in annoyance. "You piss me off, Max. Yeah, you. I'm going to tell Zoe to divorce you and take your money."

She listened for a moment, then gagged violently and hung up. She shuddered as she fell onto the bed next to me. "Morning."

"That was nice to wake up to," I told her.

She rolled her eyes. "My boyfriend is an idiot."

"I already knew that. What'd he do this time?"

"The hotel they're staying in has two balconies for the penthouse, but they're not allowed on them because the railing between them fell off."

"And?"

She sighed. "Max is encouraging Oliver to skateboard off of one onto the other."

I burst out laughing and she shoved me lightly. "It's not funny! He's going to kill himself!"

"What is Zoe saying?" I giggled, grinning at my sister. An unwilling smile twitched the corner of her lips. "She's videotaping it."

I snickered as she shook her head. "Without Justin or I there, like ninety percent of his impulse control is gone. Max is in charge. Max!"

"Where's Jayden?"

She shrugged. "Probably moping about Elena, I don't know."

I raised my eyebrows, my laughter gone. "So she chose Adam?"

There was a messy situation between Jayden, his ex girlfriend and supposed love of his life Elena Kensington, and her fiancé. They were both in love with her, Adam was away on some trip, and Jayden was doing his best to get her to fall in love with him again, and she was all shy and timid around both of them and couldn't make up her mind.
Emily pulled her mouth to the side. "I guess so. The last time I saw her she ran out of our hotel room and took Adam with her - haven't seen or heard from her since. Adam should be home now, and she's dodging Jayden's calls - I think it kind of hit him that it's over and she's getting married to someone else."

"Is he okay?"

"He's sad," she admitted. "He loves her."

I watched her face and frowned. There was an unfamiliar gleam in her eye. "There's something you're not telling me. Why'd she leave him?"

Emily glanced away, then sighed. "She was raped. Jayden took his brothers and put the guy in a hospital, but the damage is done. She left in the middle of the night and hid in New York. I think when Jayden saw her again he thought it was his second chance to make it work, but some things...I don't know, AJ. Some things you can't come back from."

I averted my gaze, shaking my head. There was a sick feeling in my stomach as I pictured Emily in Elena's place, and I shuddered violently as I snuggled closer to her. She wrapped her arms around me, resting her chin on my head. "I can't imagine losing Oliver like that," she said absently. "Just waking up one morning and him not being there or answering me."

"That's never going to happen,' I told her. It might happen to me, but not to you. I forced a small smile for her benefit, wondering if Ryder would tell me he was breaking up with me when we got home, and suddenly wished the weekend could last another six years or so.