And then there’s me.
Crazy competitive and talented in all the things that don’t matter to my parents.
Like event planning.
And pole dancing.
Funny enough, it almost feels like I’m the middle child with Jess and Erin, too. We all look so similar and hang out all the time that everyone groups us together. Except, Erin is known for running shit and Jess is the comedian. I’m just sort of there.
It’s a curse.
Jess scrunches her nose. “That sucks, dude. Seriously. I wish I would have been there to take you out. Oh!” She snaps her fingers. “Let’s go out this Friday before the auction. Ralph’s. Break the place in before we glam it all up the next night.”
“Deal.”
We eat for a few moments in comfortable silence, which of course makes my mind drift to Bo. Valentine’s Day is next week and I still have a few things to pick up for our date. With everything going on with Xavier, I haven’t been showing her the attention she deserves, so I’m determined to make that night special.
I start to ask Jess what she’s doing for the holiday but pause when I look up and see the furrow in her brow. Following her eyes, I find the sexy teacher she had a run in with last semester laughing in a booth with some hot brunette.
“Isn’t that Jarrett?” I ask, turning back to Jess. She’s worrying her bottom lip and staring blatantly at their booth.
“Mmhmm.”
“Damn. I forgot how bangable he is.”
“Ten-point-two on the bangable scale.”
She makes the joke, but her eyes stay focused on Jarrett as her expression slips from confused to angry.
“Holy shit,” I whisper, leaning in. “You’re still messing around with him, aren’t you?!”
“What?” Jess snaps her attention back to me. I waggle my eyebrows and she shakes her head, grabbing her soda and taking a big sip from the plastic straw. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh come on! What’s going on between you two?”
“I don’t know,” she snaps, her chocolate eyes hard on mine now as she crosses her arms. “What’s going on with you and my Little?”
The air rushes from my chest in a whoosh.
Ears fuzzy, I swallow and force a smile.
“Bo? We’ve gotten a lot closer in the past few months. She’s cool.”
“Uh huh.”
My smile falls. “Do you have something to say, Jess?”
“Do you have something to tell me, Lei?”
Jess is watching me carefully. I need to swallow, but I’m afraid if I do I’ll give myself away. It’s not that I don’t trust Jess, but Bo is far from ready to tell anyone about us. Or about her, in general. And I’m the same.
“Oh thank God I found you.” Erin slides into the booth next to me, planner in hand, highlighter at the ready. Jess is still eying me, but with Erin here, she knows the conversation is over for now, so she turns her attention back to Jarrett across the room. “I need you.”
Finally allowing myself to swallow, I plaster on my best smile, pulling my long platinum hair over my left shoulder. “What’s up, buttercup?”
“Are you busy the Monday after the auction?”
“I have class but that’s it.”
“Perfect. Can you please take the money we raise to the bank? I was going to after my morning classes but I have something that came up that I can’t get out of.”
I’m still a little too aware of Jess and her question about me and Bo, but I nod and smile wider. “Of course, no problem Ex.”
Erin sighs with relief, and it’s then I notice how tired she looks. Her dark blonde hair is pulled back into a tight bun and she’s barely wearing any makeup, which is strange for her. “Thank you. Okay, I have to run.” She stands, finally turning her attention to Jess. When she does, she frowns. “Uh, J-Love?”
“Hmm?” Jess’ eyes are still on Jarrett.
“What are you eating?”
Erin points down at Jess’ last slice of pizza and I cover my mouth, trying not to laugh. Jess glances at me, anger still evident in her features, but even she cracks a smile. “Um… well, it’s totally not a five-hundred calorie slice of pizza, if that’s what you’re thinking. Because we’re on the Spring Break diet. And pizza is not part of that diet. Therefore, that couldn’t be what it is.”
Erin rolls her eyes. “Whatever. I don’t want to hear it when we go shopping for swim suits. See you girls later.”
Jess and I wait for her to walk out the front door before bursting into a fit of laughter, which almost makes me forget that she’s totally onto me and Bo. It almost makes me forget Xavier and the deal he proposed to me just two days ago. It almost makes me feel like I did last semester, before shit hit the fan and I fell into a hole too deep to climb out of alone.
Almost.
THE KAPPA KAPPA BETA AUCTION is one of the best events of the spring semester. It always kicks off Greek events, starting a string of fundraisers, socials, and everything in-between. Fraternity brothers and non-Greek guys alike clamor into the bar, cold cash in hand, ready to buy a date with a beautiful KKB girl.
My beautiful KKB girl is currently wrapped in my arms.
And luckily, she’s not for sale tonight.
“I think my Little is about to pass out,” Skyler says, chuckling a little. She finishes typing out a text and tucks her phone into her small purse before leaning in closer. We’re in the back of a cab on our way to the auction and Skyler is all dolled up for the occasion. Tight black dress, gold high heels and jewelry to match, hair down and carefully curled. Red, red lipstick.
She doesn’t ever have to try to look sexy, but when she does, it’s enough to knock a full grown man on his ass.
“She texting you?”
“Yeah. She’ll be fine. Some sex-on-a-stick piece of man candy is going to buy her and take her out. Then she’ll thank us.”
I shift, trying not to think about why hearing that scenario made my stomach uneasy. “Yeah, I’m sure. So, you still plan on ditching me for a tournament next week?”
“Don’t say it like that.” She frowns.
“What? It’s true. It’s Valentine’s Day and my girlfriend would rather hang out in a smoky room full of smelly old men than let me take her out on a nice date.”
Skyler pokes me hard in the rib and I double over, laughing. “Ass. You know this tournament is too big to miss. It’s a qualifier for the one this summer.”
“I know, I know,” I relent, pulling her in for a kiss. I know her red lipstick will be smeared all over me, but I literally have no fucks to give when she’s dressed like this. I’m not stupid enough to think she doesn’t feel what I feel, like what we have has an expiration date quickly approaching, so I’m going to take full advantage while I still can. “We’ll have our own Valentine’s Day when you’re done.”
“Can it include Netflix?” she asks as the cab pulls into Ralph’s. I pay the driver and step out first, extending my hand for hers.
“Of course.”
“How about some under-the-covers action?” She licks her lips and lowers her eyes just enough to make me groan.
“Definitely.”
The cab pulls away, but I tug Skyler’s wrist back until she’s flush against me in the dark parking lot of the bar. Grabbing her face in my hands, I press my lips to hers, tilting my hips so she feels exactly how excited I am for our date. She moans as I slip my tongue inside her mouth, letting one hand fall down the soft fabric of her dress, gripping her hip and pulling her closer.
And that’s when the first flash assaults us.
Breaking the kiss, we both pull back confused, eyes trying to adjust to the darkness as we look for what caused the white burst of light. When three quick flashes follow, I pull Skyler against me, shielding her from whatever the fuck is happening.
“Skyler Thorne, is this how you’re prepping for the qualifying tournament next week?”
Another flash.
“Who’s th
is? Your boyfriend?”
Flash. Flash.
“Great dress. What do you plan on wearing to the tournament?”
Skyler’s hand fists in my shirt and she buries her head into my chest. “Shit,” she murmurs.
“Don’t worry,” I soothe, pushing through the small group of paparazzi as they try harder to talk over one another. I keep Skyler covered with my arms and she lets her hair fall in front of her face as I guide us toward Ralph’s. When the bouncers notice us, they rush to help, fielding off the remaining reporters as their cameras continue flashing. When we finally break through the doors and are free from the questions, Skyler pulls back, eyes wide.
“Oh my God.”
“That was insane.”
Skyler nods, fingering the curls in her hair as she looks out the tinted windows of Ralph’s where the bouncers are refusing to let any of the photographers in.
“You really are blowing up on the poker scene, aren’t you?”
She just shakes her head. “This is unreal.”
“Are you okay?”
Skyler nods, hard, for longer than necessary, her eyes still trained on the commotion outside. “Yeah. I just, I need a minute.”
“Sky?” Clinton walks briskly toward us, engulfing Skyler in a crushing hug as soon as he reaches her. Her tiny hands grip his massive, dark arms and it’s then that I see her shaking slightly. “Come on, follow me.” He pulls her in closer. “Adam, can you go check on Cassie? She was freaking out waiting for Skyler to get here but I don’t think she’s going to calm anyone down like this.”
I give him a curt nod, leaning in to kiss Skyler on the forehead. “Do you want me to come with you?”
She shakes her head slightly. “I’ll be fine. Go help my Little. Please. I just need…” she trails off, trembling more. Clinton curses.
“Go, Brooks. I got her.”
And I know he does, no one loves Skyler the way Clinton does. Still, I feel uneasy not being the one taking care of her right now. “Okay. I’ll find you two in a minute.”
Clinton tugs Skyler through the already packed bar and once they’ve disappeared, I make my way toward the stage where the KKB girls are setting up. Luckily, I run into Erin first, and she ushers me backstage to where Cassie is waiting after I tell her what happened with Skyler.
“Just don’t be back here long. My Big doesn’t like anyone seeing the girls before they go on stage.”
“Sounds like a strip club.”
Erin smacks my arm with a smile, though her face is pale, eyes watery. She doesn’t look like the normal Erin Xander I’m used to seeing.
Cassie is pacing in a small space back near the bathroom, chewing her thumbnail with a contemplative look on her face. I can’t help but take her in as I make my way toward her. She’s not in a dress, but rather a tight, white pencil skirt and hot pink tank top with heels to match. Her bright red hair is pinned up, a few stray tendrils falling to frame her face, and her usually soft green eyes are glowing fierce against the dramatic makeup she’s applied. Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I clear my throat when I reach her.
“I feel like I should save that freshly manicured nail from the wrath of your teeth.”
Cassie chews for a second longer before stopping, her wide eyes finding me. She looks absolutely petrified.
And it’s fucking adorable.
When she realizes it’s me, I notice her face fall a bit, and I can’t deny that it stings.
“Is Skyler here?”
“Yeah, but she needs a minute. We kind of got attacked by paparazzi on our way inside.”
Cassie’s mouth drops. “Oh my gosh. Is she okay?”
“A little shaken, but she’ll be okay. Bear took her to get water and calm down.”
She nods, but her eyes gloss over a bit and she goes back to chewing her thumb.
“Talk to me,” I say softly, nudging her with my shoulder as I lean casually against the wall. She drops her hand from her mouth, her green irises roaming over me. I can’t tell how I feel about it. She’s either checking me out or questioning whether she can trust me.
Maybe both.
Sighing like I’m her last option, she leans back against the wall next to me, blowing air through her lips.
“I don’t know why I let them talk me into this. I am literally the worst person for the job. I hate being the center of attention, I blush pretty much anytime someone looks at me, and on a scale of one to sexy I’m at a solid awkward turtle ninety percent of the time.”
I chuckle, crossing one arm over my lower chest and bringing my opposite hand to cover my smile. Cassie glares at me, and I know she aims to intimidate me but it only breaks my resolve and makes me laugh. So, naturally, she smacks me across the chest.
“I’m serious, Adam.”
“I know, I know,” I say through my laughter. “It’s just that all of those things are exactly why any guy out there would be lucky to win a date with you tonight.”
Cassie’s arms are crossed, a frown firmly in place, but she softens a bit at my words. “I beg to differ.”
“Beg all you want, but I’d still never take those words back.”
She chews her cheek, finally turning to face me. When I see the insecurity behind her eyes, I want to find every guy who ever put them there and kick them all straight in the teeth.
“I’m not desirable. At all. I’m going to get up there and make like twenty bucks and feel completely embarrassed.”
“Listen to me.” I grab her hands in mine, our shoulders still leaned against the wall, both of us hidden in our little corner of the room — of the world. “I have never, in my entire life, met another girl like you. And as much as you may think that’s a bad thing, it is the exact opposite. You’re intriguing, Cassie. You’re light, innocent, sweet, kind, smart. I could go on and on.”
“I don’t think guys will buy me for my biology test scores.”
Pulling her in a little closer, maybe a little too close, I bring my voice to a whisper. “It will be how fucking amazing you look in that tight little skirt that will make them want to buy you. It’ll be everything else I just listed that will make them go crazy trying to keep you.”
She swallows, and I watch with more curiosity than I should as her eyes flick to my mouth quickly before finding my gaze. “I should go touch up my makeup.”
It’s then that I realize how hard we’re both breathing, how close we’re standing. Dropping her hands, I shove my own back in my pockets and nod. “Okay. I’ll see you out there.”
Before I can think more about what the hell just happened, I turn on my heel and make my way toward the side stage exit.
“Adam?”
I pause, turning slowly, afraid she’ll tell me I was over the line. Afraid I’ll lose her, even though she’s not really mine to keep.
“Thanks. Really.” She smiles with just one side of her mouth, just for a moment, before backing into the bathroom and slowly closing the door.
“Anytime,” I reply to no one. And I know even though she didn’t hear it, she knows it’s true as much as I do. I’d be there for her no matter what.
I just can’t decide if that’s a good thing.
THERE IS NOTHING WORSE than throwing up.
I usually don’t even let my thighs touch the toilet seats at Ralph’s, yet here I am, backstage bathroom, face resting against the dirty, cool porcelain. My head is spinning, I have to go on stage in less than ten minutes, and I can’t stop vomiting.
“Goddamn it, Erin.” Jess closes the bathroom door behind her and locks it. The first wave of nausea hit me so hard I didn’t even have time to close the door when I rushed in. “Get your shit together, dude. You have to go on stage and you look like hell. Come here.”
She helps me stand, instantly going into caregiver sister mode, which is a rare form for Jess. She’s the party girl, we all know it, but when she needs to be there for someone — she pulls out all the stops. She’s one of the best friends anyone could ever have.
I watch her carefully as she uses a wet paper towel on the back of my neck, whipping out her makeup bag at the same time. “Thank you.”
She smiles, but her usually playful brown eyes are sad. “You have to take a test. You can’t keep avoiding it.” Jess shakes her head, patting my face dry with a new paper towel before applying a little cover up under my eyes. “I know it’s scary, but we can handle it together. You should have already taken a test by now. Hiding from the problem isn’t going to make it go away.”
She keeps talking, but my ears go fuzzy, along with my vision. I feel myself slipping into a sort of numbness, a dark hole, a place where I just need to be alone.
“It’s fine.” I cut her off mid-sentence, forcing a smile. “I took the test, Jess. I’m not pregnant. Must just be a stomach flu.”
Jess’ eyes are hard on mine, like she’s searching for something, but then a sigh of relief leaves her lips. “Oh, thank fuck.” She shakes her head, still working on my makeup. “A stomach flu we can handle. When did you take the test?”
“Sunday.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? I could have been there with you.”
“I tried calling, you weren’t answering.” Jess swallows, her eyes flitting from mine to focus on her hand where she’s reapplying my lipstick. Something tells me I’m not the only one who has something to hide.
“Sorry. I think I was with my study group, now that I think of it.”
“Yeah.”
“Erin?” My Big knocks on the bathroom door. “You’re up. Are you okay?”
“Fine! Be right out.”
Kelsey is absolutely slaying it in her new position as president, and I know I can’t let her down. I’m next in line. Every KKB in our family line for the past several years has held the position of president. This is my year to prove myself, and I’m not letting anything get in my way.
Pulling my shoulders back, I turn from Jess to the mirror, giving myself a once over before pulling her in for a hug. “Thank you for your help.”
Palm South University: Season 2 Box Set Page 6
