"Zach," Keeley pleaded, knocking on his bedroom door, "talk to me." Her head fell against the door. Ten minutes she'd been standing in front of his room. She'd coaxed, ordered, yelled, even threatened, but it elicited no response. "Will you at least let me know if you are okay?"

More silence. She was starting to become worried. "If the reason you can't talk is because some psycho is holding you hostage with a knife then cough once."

A faint sound came from the other side.

"You're going to have to speak up. I can't hear you," she said loudly.

Seconds passed, then she heard a frustrated, "God save me from annoying sisters."

She smiled. At least he was talking. "Was that a call for help or did you take up Christianity in the last hour? You know my hearing's bad."

The door handle started to jiggle. "That was a prayer asking why I got stuck with such a nosey twin."

She heard the lock click. "I'm starting to get the feeling that you don't want to talk to me."

"I'm fine, Keels. I don't need to talk," he sighed in exasperation. "I just want to be left alone."

"You know me better than that. I would never leave you alone in a time of crisis."

"You make it sound like I'm on a verge of a mental breakdown."

"Well, aren't you?" Usually when he lost a game he would go out with his teammates and blow off steam by playing arcade games. He'd never holed himself up in the house before and ignore everyone.

"Do you really think that little of me?"

She slid down to the ground and leaned against the wall next to his room.  "I know how much winning meant to you."

"Winning isn't everything."

She almost choked. This coming from a guy who still bragged to their family that he learned to walk before she did. "Then why are you here sulking instead of hanging out with your friends?"

"I just..." Something thumped against the door. "I guess I'm just embarrassed. My temper got the best of me and I let my team down."

"You know you're not God, right? The fate of the football team does not rest solely in your hands. They had chances to win but they blew it."

"I'm supposed to be the leader, the person that sets the example. That's why they voted me captain of the team. Instead I got in a fight and made a mess of things."

"Should you have kept your cool? Yes. Even if he said something to provoke you, it wasn't okay to swing your fists. But you got punished for it so stop beating yourself up and move on. You're only a bad captain if you continue to let the past define you. Learn from your mistakes and keep your temper in check next time."

"I tried, but it was him."

This again? She banged her head against the wall. Repeatedly. "Can't you get along? He's not a bad guy once you get to know him."

"I know enough."

"Zach..."

"Keeley..."

She shook her head at his tone. Stubborn twin. "What exactly did he say to you tonight?"

"He told me you'd been texting him during halftime. That you sent him a picture," he paused, "a kiss."

She rolled her eyes at the disgust in his voice. He acted as if she'd committed a first-degree felony. "That's what set you off? A little extreme, don't you think Zach?"

"No. In fact, I think he got what he deserved."

Keeley wanted to argue, but she knew her brother. Nothing would change his mind. What puzzled her was why he was the one upset with Talon. After all, it was Zach who charmed and seduced Claire. He was in the wrong, not Talon. So why all the hostility?

Keeley's hand drifted to the ring around her neck. Her fingers traced the silver markings that spelled out his name. She was tired of the secrets, of the mysteries surrounding this girl. She was a ghost continually haunting the two of them. They needed to deal with it and let her go. Her mind made up, she told him, "I know about Claire."

There was absolute silence following her statement. At first, she thought he hadn't heard. She was contemplating repeating herself when the door slowly swung open. Zach was sitting on the floor across the doorway, leaning against the bed. His head was titled back and his hands were resting on bent knees. His demeanor tugged at Keeley's heart. He looked sad. Defeated.

"He told you about her?" he asked quietly.

"Only after I asked. I heard you two going at it Wednesday night in the yard."

"I thought I heard the backdoor opening." He stuck out his bottom lip and let out a stream of air. The ends of his bangs lifted and then settled back over his eyes. "Why did you go to him for answers instead of coming to me? I live ten feet away."

"You're not exactly rational when his name comes up in conversation."

"And he is?"

"More so than you," she replied honestly. She debated how much to tell him. She'd never intentionally hurt her brother, but maybe it was for the best to get everything out in the open. "He knows you're a part of my life and nothing can ever change that." She looked up when he made a disgruntled noise. "It's true, Zach. We're a package deal. We always have been."

"I find it hard to believe that he's okay with it."

"Well, I don't say your name often, but when I do, he keeps his mouth shut." Only after she threatened to expose his bed-wetting secret but she wouldn't tell Zach that. "However when I'm with you, I have to constantly be on guard with what I say. Anytime his name is mentioned you blow up and then shut down."

"I don't."

"You're doing it right now." She gestured at his rigid shoulders and clenched hands. "You become hostile and refuse to listen to reason. Even seeing his ring," she held up the end of her necklace, "puts you on edge." She remembered his face at the assembly and how he bolted out of the gym the first chance he got.

"That's not..." His feet slid across the carpet till they were stretched out in front of him. "That's not what you thought it was."

"No?" she challenged. "Because one look at it and you turned to ice."

Briefly, his eyes flashed to the ring. They darkened before quickly looking back up at the ceiling. "It just reminds me of my own class ring."

"The one you lost?" Their parents were furious when they found out. It was a costly ring and he'd lost it after the second week.

"Lost," Zach snorted and ran a hand through his hair. "Right." Before she could process his tone he asked, "What exactly did he tell you about her?"

"She was his girlfriend and you purposefully went after her to hurt him." His head shot up and she sent him a disproving look. "It's bad enough that you guys have this stupid rivalry but to use an innocent girl like that?" She shook her head. "What if that girl had been me?"

She'd been disappointed in her brother when she found out the truth. It wasn't like him to straight out lie to a girl. He may date around but he was always upfront about it. That's the one aspect of his dating life she actually approved of.

"That's exactly what I'm worried about Keels!" He scrambled to his knees and moved over to her. "Look, I'm not proud of what I did. I hurt Claire," pain slashed across his face, "and she hates me because of it, but when he found out she was cheating on him, he was livid. He's out for revenge and will use anything in his arsenal to do it. Look at what he did to poor Monty."

The scowl on his face made her stomach turn. "You don't think I had anything to do..."

"Don't be an idiot. You'd sooner dye yourself green than betray our school." His confidence soothed her churning emotions. "But he had to know someone at Edgewood."

"That's what I said." The twins looked up to see Nicky walking down the hall with a duffle bag in one hand and a jacket in another. "So what's the verdict? Are we going or not?"

"I hadn't gotten there yet."

"Going where?" Zach asked suspiciously. When neither girl responded turned to Keeley. His eyes widened as her outfit finally registered. Instead of the usual cotton PJs she wore when puttering around the house she was wearing jeans and a nice top. "Going where, Keeley?" he repeated, his voice deceptively soft.

Bracing herself, she answered, "To see Talon."

His eyes narrowed to thin slits. "You're going to a party?"

"Not a party," she corrected. "Dinner." After the game, Talon called and invited her over to Finn's house for pizza. He knew her stance on parties and thought dinner with his friends was a better solution. It was a sweet gesture, but she didn't feel entirely comfortable going to a stranger's house by herself. He noticed her hesitation and grudgingly extended the invitation to Nicky as well.

"What happened to the movie marathon you guys were going to have?" Zach asked.

"We're still having it," Nicky answered for her. "Just making a small detour for lover boy."

Zach's eyebrows flew up. "Lover boy?" He whipped around and leaned toward her. With his pointer finger shaking in her face he ordered, "There will be no loving of any kind, Keeley Anne Brewer! Do you understand me? No loving!"

She slapped his hand away, but he continued to rant and wave about. He lectured her on the proper way to use pepper spray and where to strike a boy if he got too fresh. He then continued on with a lengthy talk about the danger of leaving a drink unattended, which led into a sermon about never going into a boy's bedroom alone. During the whole speech Keeley patiently listened, knowing he wanted to protect her, but it was when he started yelling about the perils of sitting too close on a couch that she had enough.

Grabbing his finger, she bent it backward till he stopped talking and started howling. "Now listen here Zachary Andrew Brewer. I love you to death but make no mistake; you are not the boss of me. I will do what I want, when I want. Understand?"

"Oh my God woman!" he yelled, clutching his hand. "Stop the insanity!"

She released his finger and immediately he backed away. With one raised eyebrow, she said, "Well?"

"Fine," he mumbled. "You're the boss." Pouting, he headed to his room. She grinned when he gave her a wide berth. It was nice to know she could still take down her big, badass, football-playing brother.  

"You ready to go?" Nicky asked, shrugging on her jacket.

"Let me get my keys." She started down the hall but Zach's voice stopped her.

"Hey Keels?" he asked, his head sticking out of the doorway. His face was completely somber, any trace of playfulness gone. "If you ever need me, all you have to do is call. You know that right?"

Her face softened, as she looked him in the eye. "I know I can always count on you, Zach."

****

"Damn," Nicky whistled as she looked around the family room. "This house is nice."

It wasn't so much of a house as it was a mansion. Not only did it have a private gate surrounding the property but it also had an elaborate marble fountain in the courtyard. In addition, there was a huge infinity pool, in-house theatre, private library and a game room with a pool table, fuse ball table, hockey table and any other type of table imaginable.

"I wonder what his parents do," Keeley wondered out loud. They must hold affluent jobs to afford this type of place.

"They work," Finn said wryly, walking into the room with a pile of pizza boxes. Talon and Mitch followed behind carrying cups and bottles. Finn dropped the stack onto the coffee table. "Constantly."

"Don't be fooled by his poor rich boy routine," Talon said. He plopped onto the couch next to Keeley. "They call him every night and every morning when they are away on business."

Finn sat on the floor across from them and winked at Nicky who sitting to his right in a plush chair. Much to Talon's amusement, Finn had been hitting on her for the past hour with no success. "It's because I'm so lovable."

Talon snorted. "It's because they want to make sure you haven't burned the place down." 

Finn threw his hands up. "One stray firework and suddenly I'm not trustworthy."

"It was less the firework issue and more the fact that you lit it inside the house, dumbass," Talon retorted.

Finn threw napkin wad at him. "You were there! If I'm a dumbass, then so are you."

"I can see why you two are friends," Nicky said dryly. She glanced at Mitch who settled himself on a sofa perpendicular to the couch. "How do you fit in with Dumb and Dumber?" Talon glowered when she purposefully motioned to him during the last word. 

Mitch's response was to shrug and take a sip of his soda. From what Keeley observed, he didn't talk much. Unlike Finn, who seemed to open his mouth just to hear his own voice. She wanted to like him—truly she did—but there was something about Finn that rubbed her the wrong way. He was loud and obnoxious and he kept making rude remarks that got on her nerves.

When she first arrived, he made a big deal out of the fact that she was crashing their "guy time." Apparently, it was a ritual for the three of them to eat and hang out after a game. Normally, they would take that time to decompress and "be guys" as he called it but they couldn't with the girls present. She tried to be reasonable, understanding that she was the intruder here, but he continued to make small digs that chipped away at her resolve. 

Talon seemed aware of her restraint because each time Finn made a comment, he would rub her shoulders or give her a quick kiss. A couple times he glared at his friend and said in a low, warning voice, "Finn." It worked for a while, but after ten minutes or so he would start back up.

Keeley let out a small sigh as she bit into her pizza. This was not the way she envisioned the night going. To top it off, Talon's phone kept buzzing with a new text every five minutes. When he read the message, he would angle away from her so she couldn't see the screen. She thought it might have been his dad, but she couldn't be sure. She sighed again. All she wanted to do was drive back home and watch movies with Nicky.

"I told you we would win," Finn boasted when the coversation lulled. His eyes sliced over to the couch where Talon had one arm around her and the other holding a plate. "Aren't you going to congratulate us, Keeley?"

The only thing she was going to do was wipe that smug look off his face. If Talon's friend wanted to start something, then she sure as hell was going to finish it. "Pretty amazing win," she conceded.

When Finn's smile reached full mast, she added sweetly, "Especially since you were behind most of the game." The muscles in Talon's arm suddenly flexed around her but she ignored it.

Finn was no longer smiling. "Then good thing I made that winning touchdown."

"Yeah, luck seemed to be on your side today. That touchdown and then my brother being thrown out of the game." Her eyebrow arched. "Who knows what would have happened if he'd stayed and played."

"Who cares?" Finn asked, copying her expression. "The only thing that matters at the end of a game is the scoreboard."

Keeley shrugged a shoulder. "You have the right to your opinions and I have the right to ignore it."

Suddenly, Nicky jumped to her feet. "I need to pee. Keeley," she grabbed her hand and pulled her up, "come with me." She dragged her down the hall and into the closest bathroom.

"What the hell was that?" Nicky exclaimed as soon as the door clicked shut.

Scowling, Keeley turned and crossed her arms. "I was putting him in his place. You heard what he was saying. He acted as if Crosswell was better than us."

"I also heard what you were saying. Do you have any idea how uncomfortable Talon looked? Every time you opened your mouth his body spasmed. I thought he was going to have a seizure."

Keeley blinked. "Really?"

"I don't even like the guy and I felt bad for him. Geez Keeley, you practically told him the only reason he won was because of a lucky throw. We both know that last play took skill. He was great out there and you didn't even bother to acknowledge it."

Slowly, Keeley's arms dropped to her side as she realized the truth in Nicky's words. She'd been so wrapped up in defending her brother, she forgot about the feelings of her boyfriend. How could she be so thoughtless?

Nicky grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look up. "I know Finn's being an ass but need to keep your mouth shut. Can't you see that he's testing you? For whatever reason, he's trying to prick your temper and force you to lose control. Don't take the bait."

There was a light tap on the door. "Everything okay in there?"

"Be out in a second," Nicky yelled. She waited a few moments then whispered, "Listen, I'll try to run interference and stop Dumber from opening his mouth so much."

"Dumber?" Keeley asked, smiling for the first time in awhile. "Does that mean Talon has risen in the ranks to Dumb?"

"Don't get your hopes up," Nicky said as she opened the door and walked out. "I still don't like the peanut bigot."

"I'm standing right here," Talon said as Nicky passed by. "I can hear you." Nicky sniffed and continued on walking. He turned to Keeley and pulled her close. "I'm sorry about Finn. He's being overly protective."

She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest. "Protective isn't the word I would use."

"I know it doesn't seem like it, but he's a good friend. He was there during the whole Claire situation and saw how messed up I was. He's worried of a repeat."

"I wouldn't cheat on you," she said indignantly.

His hands traveled up and down her back in slow, steady strokes. "I know that. I trust you, baby doll."

"But he doesn't," she stated for him.

His hand cupped the back of her neck, his fingers tangling with her brown hair. "He's just looking out for me." She shivered as he stroked his thumb over her pulse. "I'll have a talk with him after you leave."

She leaned back a little so she could apologize but she had a hard time meeting his gaze so she focused on a spot behind his head. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I didn't mean to imply that you didn't work hard or—"

"Shh," he mumbled as tipped her chin back. Her lashes fell as he hugged her close. She waited for the kiss but it didn't come. Instead his lips hovered over her temple. Never touching, never moving. All she could feel was his breath brushing against her skin in warm strokes. His hand moved down her throat till he was caressing the flushed skin near her clavicle. His fingers gently traced the lines in an intimate fashion. She felt vulnerable. Exposed. The heat around her temple moved as he made his way down. Her lips tingled in anticipation. Their lips barely touched when a loud cough disrupted them. 

Smiling, Finn stood before them. "Sorry to interrupt but we're going to play some pool. You guys want to join or keep on making out in the hallway?"

Talon growled, "Go away Finn."

"All right. Guess Mitch and I will have to entertain Nicky all by ourselves. I'm sure she'll be interested in some of the stories we have—" Suddenly, a pool stick appeared out of nowhere and banged into Finn's legs.

"Hey!" he cried, stumbling back.

"Sorry!" Nicky shouted. Her expression was innocent but her eyes were glittering. "Didn't see you there."

"Watch the goods there, killer." He motioned between his legs. "I'm very fond of these, thank you very much."

"In that case you might want to stay clear of Keeley," Talon teased, giving her a sly wink. "She's very good at emasculating a man."

Finn looked her over. "I believe it."

Keeley bit her tongue to keep herself from responding. Don't take the bait. Don't take the bait, she kept repeating in her head.

"It's one of the reasons I like her," Talon added.

Finn stared as if he'd just spoken Chinese. "Dude, I wouldn't brag about being whipped. It's embarrassing."

Talon grabbed her hand and walked to the game room. "I look forward to the day when some girl knocks you on your ass Finn. I'll be there waiting with an ice pack and a camera."