Wild One

Chapter 18

Tallulah's POV:

I am absolutely stoked to see Jericho. He was the one to teach me how to play cards. And cheat. He's also the one who taught me how to hot wire a car for just in case. Jericho is and was always an accomplished thief and card shark. His hands are quicker than Speedy Gonzales with a Red Bull.

When I stole Adam's cocaine and framed myself it was Jericho's tutelage that I used to reach in and out of his pocket undetected. When I shoplifted and burglarized to support my habits in foster care it was Jericho's lessons that got me into locked houses and kept me from getting caught. He's a full on crook if I've ever seen one.

Plus, he loves a good karaoke bar and knows how to get a fake ID to visit one. All around a good fun guy.

"Jericho, what the fuck is up, my dude!?" I say with a grin while I turn my head up and back to look at him without standing up.

"Not much- was in town and heard that my favorite little vandal finally flew her way out of the cage," he playfully pokes my nose and grins. "Had to see it for myself."

My grin widens and I stand to my feet as a few more people file into the room. I can hear more in the kitchen, dining room, and hall indicating that the after party is about to be in full swing.

A favorite weekend tradition is for everyone to pick a house or two to continue the party after the bars close. Jesse's place was always a favorite because, paranoid as he is, he's still a cool guy and his gramma's house is big.

"Oy! We're starting up cards in the dining room!" I hear Jesse call from the next room and see the mischief in Jericho's eyes.

"Let's go."

This is a decent way for me to avoid Sean while I figure my shit out.

Sean's POV:

She's avoiding me.

She's been acting a little bit off since we got here. Normally she would've ripped into me far more, called me a peasant, threatened to physically harm me in some creative way... something. I almost had her back when I decided to spare her another addiction and ripped up her cigarette, but now she's back to avoiding me and trying not to look at me.

I look in the dining room where she's seated between that fucking weasel and the girl Derrick took home. She's been teaching the girl how to play P&A since Jesse knows better than to gamble with her or Jericho.

She's really something else.

I wouldn't say that Tallulah is a mean person in the sense of the word. Maybe to me, but that's just how we function. But I've never thought of her as friendly either. Outgoing, charismatic, social, fun, talkative- yes. But not friendly. But here she is being patient and almost gentle with some girl she just met who, frankly, reminds me of Strawberry Shortcake.

And I know for a fact that she blew those lines to stop her from taking one and to hide it from everyone else.

She's impulsive and reckless, but come on. It's Tallulah and drugs. A good time. A buzz after being locked up for almost two years. Plus the fact that she premeditated it long enough to ask me for some cash. It wasn't pure impulse. Maybe the urge to stop her was an impulse. But the plan was, well, a plan. Which Tallulah is good at coming up with last minute. Like a super sexy robot.

Beyond that, though I couldn't see her face, there was something unnatural in the way she addressed Bryce afterward. I don't know if it was the tone in her voice or the way she held herself when she started talking, but it was clear to me that she hadn't even been 100% on board with her decision.