Page 1 of Fu*kboys in Flannel

Chapter 1

Tessa

Bennett: Are you coming over? Yes or no?

Direct. To the point. But acts like he’s still giving me a choice. Very much Bennett’s style.

I stare at the text from my next door neighbor for a moment. I’m fully aware that he knows I opened it, but replying will only give him a chance to talk me into doing something I’m not up for. He and his best friends are throwing one of their infamous parties tonight. No parents. Copious amounts of alcohol. All centered around the five most notorious guys in Hollow Hill. Outsiders call them the Ravens, because that’s the name their fathers went by when they were young. They followed in their fathers’ footsteps and went to Hollow Hill Prep, the most prestigious all-male academy around. I’m not really sure why they were called the Ravens, other than the fact that they were, and still are to this day, a tight-knit group and no one crosses them. There are all sorts of rumors about them and the things they’ve done, and those legends have carried over to their sons. But it’s like they’ve said, if they’d done half of the shit people said they have, they’d be dead by now.

Bennett and Mason Slade are half-brothers, but to people who don’t know them, they’re practically twins. They're the youngest of the Ravens, having just graduated a few months ago like I did. They’ve lived next door to my Uncle Rhett since before I can even remember. The Ravens would be gone the entire school year, but when they’d come home for the summer, they wreaked havoc on our tiny mountain town. I went to Hollow Hill High. It’s where everyone else in Hollow Hill goes to school, and it’s a lot nicer than the schools down the mountain. The kids who live up on Violent Peak are either homeschooled or they travel down to Hollow Hill High every day.

After my mother died, I had to move in with my uncle, and to be honest, I’ve never quite felt like I fit in here. He’s not a warm and welcoming man, but he’s always looked out for me. I just never felt like I fit in with his other children. His son, Grey, wasn’t thrilled that another female would be invading his household. His twin daughters Haley and Harlow were sort of in their own little world that no one else was really included in. Emerson was the one who eased my nerves. I have no idea where my father is, and at eighteen, I don’t really care to find out. He’s missed out on all the important things in my life, and I can’t really imagine a good enough excuse for me to forgive that.

The Ravens are treated like royalty because of their old money, power, and their violent nature. But it was when Uncle Rhett and Mr. Slade started Hollow Hill Construction, that they became richer than God. The luxurious cabinesque mansions they construct have made them two of the three wealthiest men on the mountain. Tanner is the oldest Raven at twenty-two and his brother Remington is twenty, the same age as Grey. Tanner and Remington’s father joined Uncle Rhett and Mr. Slade and helped double the size of the company both in value and production.

The Ravens can have any woman on this mountain that they want, and probably elsewhere too. And trust me, they’ve all had their fair share. That’s why when I got tipsy last weekend and kissed both Bennett and Mason, I didn’t think it would be a big deal to them. It had been an entire year since Grey warned me to stay away from them, and I certainly wasn’t the only girl they were with that night. For a simple kiss to cause this much chaos is insane to me. I don’t know why they’re so hell bent on talking about it. Hollow Hill is a small place, and all of the Ravens have run through the same girls. How is this any different? I don’t have it in me to deal with a huge blow up, so I’ve been avoiding everyone that I can since that night.

I’ve had a crush on the Slade brothers since before I even knew what crushes were. And it was never an indecisive matter where I liked Bennett one summer and then Mason the next. I’ve always wanted both of them equally, despite how different they are. I’d never tell them that, though. It would complicate things, and I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of bowing down for them like everyone else does. From an outsider’s glance, they look and act nearly identical. They’re tall, both have a lean swimmer’s build, dark messy hair, and a cocky smile that should be considered lethal. But Bennett’s eyes are more green than blue, and Mason’s are as clear blue as the waterfall at the Violent Peak. Bennett is quiet, a listener, unless he’s backing Mason up. Then he's been known to knock someone on their ass. Mason is quick to use his fists, while Bennett likes to fuck with his prey's mind before he ends them. The Ravens have enough money in their trust funds to buy anything or anyone they want. But still, it's rare to see them without those beat up flannels and ratty baseball hats.

Mason: Come. Now.

Demanding Prick. That's Mason.

I roll my eyes, noting one more difference between the Slade brothers. Bennett has a wider vocabulary range.

I’m not feeling well. Gonna skip this one.

It’s not a whole lie. I really do feel nauseous. I let my emotions get away from me and I fucked up royally. I know they’ve talked, told each other that I took it upon myself to kiss both of them.

Bennett: We can come get you. If that’s what you want?

It isn’t a question. I know Bennett well enough to know when he's pretending to be nice to get me where he wants me.

Mason: Bullshit. Come. Or we’ll come get you.

Mason doesn’t pretend about anything.

I flop back on my bed, my forearm covering my face and a deep sigh leaving my lungs. That’s the thing. It’s always we with them. ‘We’ll come get you’, ‘Come hang out with us.’ And yet they can’t fathom the idea that I want both of them. I’ve hidden my feelings because having any of the Ravens on their bad side isn’t something anyone wants to do. They have their own set of morals, their own code that all of them follow. Outside rules don't matter. Nothing is off-limits for the Ravens. They get what they want at any cost.

But last weekend, after hiding my feelings for what seems like an eternity, I caved and lowered my inhibitions. It started with Bennett. He was hovering over me while I was playing flip cup, pressing into me from behind like he sometimes does when he’s trying to make me nervous. I’d promptly turned around, grabbed him by one of his chiseled cheekbones, and planted my lips against his. And I’m not talking a peck on the lips when you’re tipsy and out with friends. I’m talking about the type of kiss that snatches your soul and curls your toes. After I realized what I’d done and with whom, I pushed away from him and bolted out of the room. I found myself in the backyard and was preparing to stomp back to my house and wallow in my stupidity when I was scooped up by a strong hand, causing a scream to escape from my throat. I remember staring into his eyes as he covered my mouth with his large palm. Mason didn’t get a chance to find out why I was about to walk the mile back to my house or why I was distraught. I tugged his fingers from my lips and doubled down on my bad decision-making. I pulled his mouth down to mine and took my fill of his full lips.

I thought for sure Mason would have pushed me away, immediately called Grey and told him what I’d done. But instead, he pulled me closer and deepened the kiss, his large palm sliding down my back before resting on my ass. It was his fingers digging into my flesh that jolted me back to reality.

I pulled away from him and ran as fast as I could toward Uncle Rhett's cabin. Mason must not have wanted to catch me that badly, because I made it all the way back to the house and locked myself inside before I heard boots clomping on the front porch. I realized that I hadn't outrun him when I heard a second set of footsteps and Mason and Bennett's bickering voices.

I slid down to the floor and closed my eyes, waiting for them to leave. I’ve avoided them ever since–I've ignored every text, hidden in my room every time they’ve come over to see Grey. Bennett has been cordial in his texts, telling me they just want to talk to me. Mason has point-blank said I need to choose between them. How is that even fair? They fuck the entire female population of Hollow Hill with no strings attached, but I can’t kiss more than one guy without them getting their panties in a twist.

I bite my lip and look at the texts again. I need to face this head on. I'm confused about what we should do, not about how I feel. There may not be a way to solve this, but I have to at least try.

Fine.

I jump up and shove open the heavy wooden doors of my closet and look for something to wear. If they want to play this game, they’d do well to remember that I’m the only one who can anticipate their every move. If they want to burn Hollow Hill to the ground by making me choose which one of them gets to ruin my life. I’ll bring the fucking matches.

Chapter 2

Bennett

“Fuck Mase. You make this too fucking easy. You keep being a fucking Neanderthal with your one word grunts and that sweet little spitfire will fall into my arms.” I look up from my phone to smirk at my brother standing across the kitchen island from me.