“Oh no, you don’t.” Piper pulls my seat next to hers in one Herculean move. “I’m not some spy your brother owns. For sure, I’m not here to spill your secrets. Anything you do with your life is your business. Believe me, I know brothers. I have two myself—three if you count Blake.” She winks at Daisy. “He’s the cute lead singer of the 12 Deadly Sins. He’s technically my brother’s brother.”
“You talk too much.” Daisy smacks her over the arm. “What Piper means to say is, we want to know the two of you—not just as Owen’s and Jet’s little sisters, but as”—she leans in with a crooked grin—“what are your names again?”
Lucky and I groan in unison.
“For crying out loud.” I roll my head back just as Grant walks by the window, and I break out into a silly grin as if it were a kneejerk response.
Grant doesn’t hesitate popping on in, and I shrink in my seat, my face burning with the hellfire of ten thousand angry suns. So much for anonymity. He spots Daisy and Piper, and most likely the look of horror plastered to my face, and gives a platonic nod.
“Just heading to practice.” He purchases a bottle of water before heading back out.
Thank God for small mercies. The way the two of us have been locking lips all week, I half-expected him to walk right over and plant one on me. Crap. That would have been huge, bigger than huge. It would have been a huge debacle. There’s no way Piper wouldn’t rat me out to Owen. Hearing about a boy is one thing, but watching me suck face is an entirely different delicious animal.
“Was that him?” Piper says it so fast it comes out all one word. Her radar is up, and Grant sounded the alarm.
“We’re just friends.” I shrug to Lucky. So help me God, if she outs me, I’ll make up a dozen sordid stories about her nightly non-existent walk of shame. “He doesn’t even know I exist.” I roll my eyes in an exaggerating manner that would make any fourteen-year-old proud.
“Still?” Daisy groans as if I just spit into her coffee.
“What do you mean still?” Piper elbows her in the ribs for an answer before turning the limelight right back in my direction. “How can anyone not notice you? The both of you.” She includes Lucky in her kiss-up routine. “That boy must be blind and dumb. Never mind him. There is at least a dozen just like him and better.”
“Doubtful,” I whisper without meaning to.
Piper’s eyes zip to mine, and for a brief moment, we have an honest exchange. Swear to God, it feels as if my face just morphed into a TV screen, and she’s just bore witness to each and every one of those steamy kisses Grant and I have shared.
“So your birthday gift…” Piper smacks her lips as if she’s livid with me on some level. “Owen wants you to start narrowing down your choices. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty excited.”
“What’s the gift?” Lucky looks concerned for me, like the good friend she is.
“A c-c-car—a used car.” Just the thought of Owen demanding to pay for half sets every last nerve in my body on edge. He’s already doing way too much for me. I know he loves me, but I hate that I’m stretching his finances to capacity.
“A set of wheels?” Daisy belts it out like it’s her favorite country song and slaps me five. “Girl, once you get some traction going, there will be no stopping you! I don’t know if you girls realize this, but there’s actually life outside of Hollow Brook.”
Piper knocks her in the ribs again, this time strong enough to spill a little coffee. “Daisy is referring to shopping—not boys.”
“And definitely not strip clubs.” Daisy wags her bubblegum pink nails. “But if you ever want to have some real fun, just hop across the street. I still think the Black Bear is the best thing going.”
Piper leans in as curiosity fills in her brows. “How come we hardly ever see the two of you there? Don’t tell me you’re doing time in the caf? The Black Bear has the best grilled cheese, and don’t get me started on the pizza. I swear, we won’t crawl all over your backs. Honest to God, all we want is for the two of you to get the most out of your freshman year.”
The sorority runs through my mind in a dizzying blur. I know we have a few events lined up that actually do require us to show up at that drunken hovel across the street. Sure, the food is great, but who wants to cavort at their big brother’s favorite bar? Strike one. Count Lucky and me out. Not to mention, Grant hardly ever goes there. Strikes two and three.
Lucky nods over at me as if she’s got this. “We’ll try to pop over more often. It’s just, you know, all this studying is making us insane. We’re not in high school anymore. This is some serious shit. I’ve got a paper due every two weeks up until I’m thirty.”
The two of them offer commiserating laughs.
“But we’ll honestly try.” Lucky is smearing it on nice and thick. “Most of our weekends we’re just sequestered in that tiny dorm, trying to figure out how many hours have passed since we last lifted our heads from our laptops.”
A little too thick perhaps.
I shake my head at her. Lucky should know better than to pile bullshit that high—take it to their noses, and they’re bound to smell it. Heck, at this point, she’s spoon-feeding it to them.
“Oh, really.” Daisy isn’t buying one ounce from Lucky’s dung heap. I could have told her that. Daisy is smart, and funny, and usually a good time to hang out with. I’d like to blame this sudden shift toward the dismal and banal on Piper, but I know Lucky, and I somehow brought it to the party. “So, all this studying, huh?” Her pink lips stretch into a sarcastic smile.
Piper grunts. She’s a little more in your face than Daisy. “Don’t forget the papers they’ll have to write until they’re thirty.” Her eyes narrow in on mine. “Wow, you girls really do have it rough. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever met a freshman as dedicated to the art of learning as the two of you.”
“You better believe it.” I slap my hand over Lucky’s, and just as I’m about to pull her out of her seat, Piper smacks her hand over mine.
“The 12 Deadly Sins play Saturday night at the Black Bear. Meet Owen and me for dinner at seven. Let’s narrow this car thing down, okay? Besides, your brother actually misses you.”
“Seven,” I say, rising out of my seat. “I wouldn’t miss it.” I offer Daisy a quick wave.
“You, too, Lucky!” Daisy calls after us. “Jet and I will be there. The grilled cheese is on me!”
“All-you-can-eat!” Piper shouts as we head out the door.
“All-you-can-eat!” I mimic as soon as we get outside, and Lucky and I bust a gut on the way to our dorm.
Lucky calls the elevator with a sock to the wall. “All-you-can-eat grilled cheese, but it’s the company that has me constipated already.”
Saturday night shows up like a slap in the face, the slap itself coming from our own sisters at Kappa G.
“What the hell do you mean there’s a mandatory mixer at the Black Bear?” I realize this is a very real thing as per the sorority directives outlined in the newsletter we received day one. The Black Bear is sort of neutral ground among the Greeks, and thus fair game for hosting alcohol-fueled get-togethers.
Harper dusts her face with that sparkling powder Lucky loves to layer over her foundation. The two of them glow with an otherworldly incandescence, and I snatch the brush from her.
“Would you stop with the glitter? You want an earthling to notice you, not an alien.”
Harper snatches the brush right back. “With the way Justin is acting, maybe aliens aren’t so bad.”
“Come to think of it, I’d rather meet up with an entire fleet of aliens tonight than sit through a dairy-filled dinner with Piper and Owen.” I shudder at the thought of meeting up with the two of them.
I glance to Lucky. “You realize your brother will be there. Do we fess up now or later?” Neither Owen nor Jet knows about the sorority. Honestly, I don’t know that Jet would really mind, but Owen will unhinge himself on my behalf. He’s sort of destined to do it anyway. Maybe it’s best he
loses his shit over a sorority. That way when he finds out about Grant—never mind. Owen is destined to have two very real heart attacks sponsored by yours truly, and there’s not a thing I can do about it other than delay the obvious.
“We don’t fess up now. That’s for sure.” Lucky hoses herself down with that honeysuckle perfume she loves to wear and sends the three of us out the door gasping for air. “We fess up later, much later.” She fluffs her hair out. “Because tonight, I’m finding a boy toy of my own.”
“Boys of WB, look out!” I shout over the balcony. “Lucky is loose and ready to ride!”
Harper leans over the railing. “She wants to be ridden hard and put away wet!”
“Would you two shut up?” Lucky laughs as she yanks us into the stairwell. “We need a system.” She shouts as we take the stairs two by two, “You know, for those times Grant wants to spend the night.”
“Would you shut up?” I pull both her and Harper in close as we hit the ground running toward the Black Bear. “Say his name again, and we won’t need a system. I’ll have traded you in.”
“Trade her in for me,” Harper teases as the wind tousles our hair wild and free. “I’m much better at taming my tongue. Plus, we have the same shoe size.”
“I think Ava prefers Grant’s tongue”—Lucky gives my hair a quick tug—“and judging by what I think they’ll be doing later, neither one of them will be needing shoes.”
“That was subtle.” Harper pulls me in close. “Have him wear a little rubber hat. As adorable as your babies would be, I’d hate to see one for at least ten years.”
Babies? A flash of a tiny dark-haired boy, the exact replica of Grant whistles through my mind, and I melt at the thought of such a perfect tiny being born of our love. And just as quickly, I snap out of it. Harper is right. Adorable babies can wait. What can’t wait is for me to be near him again. I’ve never felt like this before. There’s something ultra-addicting about this feeling, about Grant in general, and I soak in the high he gives me long before I ever set eyes on him.
“He asked me to have Thanksgiving with his family,” I volunteer the fact without prompting. Both Lucky and Harper stop short, pulling me back abruptly with their arms still hooked though mine. “Relax, it’s not a big deal. He felt sorry for me. I’m a stray he picked up. He’s not bringing me home to meet his mother.”
Lucky looks sternly at me. “You do realize you’re going to meet his mother.”
“And his father.” Harper gives a tug as she leads us across the street. “It doesn’t surprise me, though. You’ve been inseparable since the day you met. That’s the way Justin and I were. We started off the same way, totally in love, totally together twenty-four seven. We’re lucky. It doesn’t happen every day. For some people, it doesn’t happen in a lifetime. Don’t worry about what your brother might say. What Grant and you have is special.”
Harper’s words swim through my mind as we make our way into the bar.
What Grant and I have is special.
The Black Bear is loud and obnoxious tonight, just like the girl who’s waving at me right this minute, Piper. My stomach churns. I actually liked Piper way back when, and it’s true I’ve never really gotten to know her like I should. I’m just positive she wouldn’t be nearly as good at keeping my secrets as Daisy is. I can’t really blame her, though. She’s in love with my brother. Anyone who has ever met Owen understands the fact he’s easy to fall in love with.
Harper detangles her limb from mine. “I’ll catch you losers later. I’ve got a dance floor to cut with my heels.” She whoops it up as she trots off toward a cluster of our sisters already shaking their hips.
“Too bad we can’t bust a move—right the hell out of here.” Lucky navigates us to the table with our brothers and their questionable better halves.
Lucky and I exchange the necessary civilities before taking our seats. Owen has his head pitched down, eyes set on me, and in an instant, I know Piper has told him something—and, considering she knows close to nothing, I’m afraid to ask.
We make small talk and put in our orders, and just as I’m about to tell Owen for the thousandth time what classes I’m taking, my phone vibrates in my hand.
It’s Grant. I’m headed to see Razor Reef. You in?
I duck my phone under the table and text right back. Isn’t that the one where they all get eaten by sharks?
He pings back. Ha-ha! Good one! But I think you’re supposed to preface that with the words SPOILER ALERT. ;)
Me – Sorry. I’m at the Black Bear. Huge mixer. Mandatory. Why aren’t you here?
Second thought, I’m pretty happy with the fact Grant is nowhere in the vicinity. I don’t think I could stand to be in the same room and not be within a foot of him.
Enjoy the movie! I shoot the text off before he has a chance to reply. Can’t wait to hear all about it. And I totally made that stuff up about the sharks. Maybe.
Grant doesn’t miss a beat. What just happened? Let me guess. Rush hijacked your phone.
“Hey”—Owen slides a fry my way, and I look to see the food has already arrived—“how about you glance up and have a real conversation? I’ve got like five minutes with you. I’d love to know what’s new in your life.”
Piper averts her eyes at the prospect. “Maybe you should text her?”
“Very funny.” I dip my phone into my purse in an effort to speed this dinner disaster along so I can go and watch people feed themselves to the sharks the way it should be. “So, what are we doing about Aubree next weekend? You’ll be in New York. Too bad I don’t have my own car or I’d visit her.” I can hardly contain my smile. Owen would rather die than lend me his monster truck, not that I’d want to drive that tank on the interstate.
Lucky laughs through her next cheesy bite. “I can’t wait for this vehicular miracle to happen.”
“I can take you to see Aubree.” Jet nods my way, and for some reason, seeing his arm slipped over Daisy’s shoulder warms me. I want that with Grant. Sitting in the open and not a single person trying to slit his throat in the process—now that would be a miracle.
A thought comes to me. If I’m already spending Thanksgiving with Grant, who’s to say we can’t turn this into a weekend? The entire school will be empty. We’ll have the run of the place, or more to the point, his place and mine.
“I think I’ll pass, but thank you.” I look to Owen with as much pure sisterly intent as possible. “I’m not really comfortable going without you. We can go the following weekend. I think Mom and Dad will still be on their cruise. I know Aubree would appreciate it.”
“For sure.”
Dinner slogs by, and before we know it, Jet and Daisy hit the poolroom with Lucky to hang out with their friends, Scarlett and Rex.
Piper scoots to the edge of her seat. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to use the little girl’s room.” She takes off before I can threaten to join her. Right about now, I’ll take any excuse to bolt out that door. I glance to the exit and judge the sprinting distance.
Owen is busy looking at me with his chin pinned to his chest. “Who is he, and when do I get to meet him?”
Grant
It’s either watching human-hungry sharks with bad CGI for two hours or the Black Bear. On an ordinary night it wouldn’t even be a toss-up, but this isn’t an ordinary night, and Ava isn’t an ordinary girl. For some reason, she’s not answering my texts, and as much as I’d rather light my balls on fire than run into Bryson or Owen, I’d sacrifice both my balls and suffer through a few third-degree burns to make sure Ava is all right.
“Mandatory mixer,” I mutter under my breath as I make my way inside. I let my frat leader, Eli, know I wouldn’t make it. He knows how I feel about the Black Bear. Eli was one of the first people I told about Steph. He was the one who encouraged Rush and me to join the frat. Lawson was already in it, so it didn’t seem like a bad idea at the time, and, seeing where it led, I’m damn glad about it, too. Now that I know this event is mandatory, I woul
d never want to pull Ava away. I know the sorority is important to Ava. I want Ava to have everything she deems important to her. And selfishly, I want Ava because she’s important to me. So the Black Bear and all of its negative energy can suck my big, fat dick. I’m here for my girl tonight. Somehow thinking about my dick getting some action and Ava in the same stream of thought gets me heated in all the wrong places.
An image of Ava on her knees before me, my hands digging into her hair sends a guttural groan spearing from me as I step on in.
It’s loud, noisy as fuck, and suddenly the only thing I want to do is kidnap Ava and hightail it back to the trails. Rumor has it they hold a hell of a view on a night like tonight. Who am I kidding? The only view I want to stare at is Ava’s watery blue eyes.
Bodies bump and grind against me as I try to navigate toward the bar. The air is thick with laughter just a decibel below the music, and for the life of me, I can’t hear myself think, let alone spot anyone I know. Jet and his buddies usually hang out toward the back, but at the moment, I don’t see them either. The dance floor is flooded with bodies bobbing up and down in sync with the music. I spot an entire gaggle of Kappa girls, Ava’s buddy Harper being one of them. But the rest of the crowd melts into a tangle of limbs. The murky lighting makes it hard to distinguish where one person ends and the other begins.
A hand comes up over my shoulder, and I stiffen for a moment. It’s a dude, judging by the grip, and my stomach tenses, dreading to find Bryson or Owen staring back at me. But it’s neither of those fools. It’s Jet.
“Hey, I didn’t see you.” I slap him five and pull him in. “What’s up?”
“Just shooting some pool out back with my buddies. You want anything?” He motions to the bar, and I’m quick to turn him down.
“Nope. My girlfriend is floating around here somewhere. I was hoping to find her and take off. This isn’t really my thing.”
“Girlfriend, huh?” He mock socks me in the gut, and I flinch. “Good for you. It looks like things are coming together for you after all. I’m sure she’s a good girl.”
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