Never Have You Ever (The Love Game Book 1)

by Elizabeth Hayley

Mr. Mason grabbed his coat and pulled it on, clearly not willing to bend. “Then you’ll keep it like that,” he said. It was a directive, an order not to be argued with. “Sophia’s a good girl. She’s smart and determined, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let her settle for someone with a sketchy background and no education. You’ll just bring her down, and if you don’t realize that, eventually she will.”

  And there it was. The lion had finally clawed at me until I couldn’t fight back. At least not in any way that made me think I could win.

  “You’re no good for either of my kids, so stay out of their lives.”

  “You think I’m going to stay away from the woman I love for four hundred dollars?”

  “No,” he said, grabbing the door handle. “You’re going to stay away from her for four hundred thousand.” With that, he closed the door, leaving me standing in an apartment I wondered if I’d ever see again.

  Mr. Mason was right about one thing: Brody was a fucking idiot.

  Then again, so was I.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  S O P H I A

  Standing in front of the door of my sorority, I tried to get my breathing under control. This was it. All the bullshit of the last couple of months had led me to this moment. I would either vanquish Aamee to the depths of hell where she belonged, or I would be able to free the kingdom so that we could live in perpetual sunshine and happiness.

  I was clearly losing my mind.

  I took one more deep breath and went inside. There was a steady murmur of voices coming from the large room where we held our meetings. When I walked into the room, all the conversations going on ceased as everyone’s eyes fell on me. It was a tad overwhelming.

  “Hey,” I said dumbly, because what the hell else was I supposed to say? I’d been waiting for this decision for months, but now that it had arrived, I wanted to be anywhere but here.

  “Hi, Sophia,” Sam said, her voice friendly but professional.

  I looked around at all the officers gathered at the front of the room and was suddenly overcome by how seriously they took all of this. They all stood there in cute outfits, perfectly pressed and tailored, with their makeup and hair done impeccably.

  I’d thrown on jeans and a sweater of questionable cleanliness because of my parents’ surprise visit and also because I’d been too busy fucking my secret boyfriend over the past few days to do laundry. Our priorities were so wildly different, and I wondered if they’d always been or if this was a relatively new development.

  “Why don’t you come sit over here? Aamee has called an emergency meeting to address some…concerns.” Sam’s eyes cut to Aamee when she spoke, and the look Sam gave her wasn’t a kind one. If anything, Sam looked annoyed, which immediately piqued my curiosity.

  I shot a look at Gina as I walked to my seat, but she shrugged in return. Getting no help from that direction, I settled into my chair and clasped my hands on my lap.

  After looking around the room to make sure she had everyone’s attention, Sam began. “Aamee came to me and alleged that the rules concerning the fundraiser weren’t honored. She would like us to discuss the matter and vote whether anything improper has occurred.”

  I narrowed my eyes in confusion. “What’s the allegation?”

  Sam took a deep breath and faced me. She looked as if what she was about to say would pain her as she expelled it. “That you violated the rules by contributing money to your own fundraiser.”

  My head jerked back as if I’d been slapped. I turned my attention to Aamee. “Are you for fucking real with this?”

  Aamee lifted her head high, but she didn’t look at me as she spoke. “It’s true. It clearly states in our bylaws that a sister running for president cannot unduly impact her own efforts. That includes donating to your own fundraiser.”

  I jumped out of my chair so quickly, I practically levitated. “I didn’t do that to throw things in my favor, and you know it.”

  “How would I know anything? You’ve been combative and standoffish throughout this entire process. Traits, might I add, that aren’t exactly appealing in a new president.”

  “I may have been that way to you because you’re a manipulative jerk on a power trip.”

  “Okay, okay, none of this is helpful,” Sam said as she got between us. I hadn’t realized how close to one another Aamee and I had shifted, but we weren’t more than three feet apart. Almost close enough for me to wring her neck.

  “How much money did Aamee’s fundraiser bring in?” I asked.

  Sam looked to Kyla, who said, “Almost eight hundred.”

  Which was pathetic for something she’d had much longer than me to plan. Suddenly, I saw this for what it was. Aamee was afraid. Terrified really. Because there was no way I hadn’t made more money, so the only thing she had left was to discredit me another way. It was such a sleazy way for her to behave, and I practically shook with rage.

  “How much did I raise?” I asked through gritted teeth.

  “Almost two thousand. Seven dollars short of it to be exact.”

  I looked at Aamee and sneered. “I could spot you the five hundred, and you still wouldn’t have won.”

  “This isn’t supposed to be decided solely on who brought in more money,” Aamee argued. “It should be based on who’s more fit for the job. And that isn’t someone who violates the rules and has a scandalous relationship with her brother.”

  “For Christ’s sake, will you drop the brother thing already? It’s getting old,” I replied, because it so was. I was tired of defending a mistake I wasn’t even making. I didn’t owe these people all my secrets. I didn’t owe them anything.

  And that thought…gave me pause. If I wanted to be their president, then I did owe them things. Maybe not to unleash every sordid detail for their entertainment, but I at least owed it to them to be honest. And while in this instance I couldn’t be because the secret wasn’t only mine to tell, I also didn’t want to.

  I looked over at Aamee. She was red-faced and shaking, but it wasn’t from anger. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and I could see her furiously blinking back tears. And while she’d never win any presidential awards from me, at least she wanted the job. And deep down, I think she wanted to be good at it.

  She had me beat on both fronts.

  “Can I speak to Aamee alone for a second?” I blurted out, interrupting Sam and Macy as they addressed the rest of our sisters about conducting a vote.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Sam said.

  “Please,” I said, looking at Aamee. “I’ll be calm and rational. I promise.”

  Sam looked to Aamee, who nodded, before saying, “Okay. We’ll wait for you to get back to hold a vote.”

  I nodded and then turned and led the way into a small room we used for studying that was on the other side of the house. I heard Aamee’s footfalls behind me and knew she was following me. Hopefully she wouldn’t decide to seize the opportunity and literally stab me in the back. Once we were in the room, I moved aside so she could enter, and then I pulled the pocket door closed behind us.

  Aamee took up a defensive position immediately, her arms crossed tightly across her chest, hip cocked, bitch glare in full effect. “What?” she asked icily.

  I sighed heavily. “Can we not do this?”

  “Do what?”

  Gesturing at her, I said, “This. Despising each other was fun for a few months, but I’m kind of over it now. Can’t you be?”

  “Why should I be?” she asked, though she dropped her arms back to her sides. “You’re the one who started this whole nightmare.”

  “No, it started because you kicked me out of the house for a bullshit reason. And it continued because…” I took a deep breath. This next bit was difficult to force out. “Because I was angry and hurt, and I wanted to hurt you back. But I’m over that petty bullshit now. Or at least I want to be.”

  She looked less like she wanted to bury my body in a shallow, unmarked grave, but she was still clearly wary.<
br />
  “What do you want?” she asked quietly.

  “I’m not sure. I’ll tell you what I don’t want. I don’t want to take the presidency from you. I don’t want to be someone who takes on a responsibility like that just so someone else can’t have it. I don’t want to be a bad sister.”

  Man, admitting that hit me on multiple levels. My clarity didn’t only extend to wanting a better relationship with the girls in my sorority; I wanted a better one with my brother too.

  Seriously, who the fuck ducked off to parts unknown and felt more comfortable discussing it with a stranger than his own sister? And while I’m glad Brody did what he did because it brought me Drew, it was still a symbol of just how messed up our relationship was.

  Aamee’s face showed hopefulness before shuttering again. “Is this for real? I can get past a lot of things, but if you’re fucking with me right now, I swear—”

  “I’m not,” I interrupted. “I promise. While the idea of being president has grown on me, I don’t want it like this. And the fact is, it means more to you than it does to me. But I…”

  When I didn’t continue, Aamee said, “What?” in the softest tone she’d ever directed at me.

  “Can you just promise you’ll be fair? That you’ll be the president that Zeta Eta Chi deserves?” I had to get the question out there. While I didn’t want to place contingencies on my bowing out of the race, I wasn’t going to go back to idly sitting by while Aamee was a dick to whomever she felt like mistreating. There had to be progress on both sides.

  I could see her gearing up to argue with me—to defend herself against my words. But whatever internal battle she was fighting, the side that had her taking a breath and relaxing her posture won.

  “Yes. I can promise you that.”

  Smiling, I extended a hand toward her. “Then I guess we have a deal.”

  She stared at my hand for a beat before offering me a small smile in return and grasping my hand. “I guess we do.”

  Our hands remained clasped for a few seconds, as if we were cementing the truce. When we broke apart, I moved to the door and slid it open. As we walked back to where our sisters were, Aamee said, “I guess this means you want to move back into the house.”

  “I wouldn’t be opposed to the idea.”

  Her exhale was audible. “I guess. As long as you keep your bait-and-switch drama out of the house.”

  I swung my head in her direction and gaped. Did she…?

  A smirk played at her lips as she kept walking steadily forward.

  “You know, don’t you?” I asked, unable to keep the disbelief out of my voice.

  “Whoa, are you giving me credit for knowing things now? My, how times have changed.”

  Sarcasm dripped from every word, but I couldn’t think of a solid retort. I was too dumbfounded. A thousand questions were on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed all of them. This was her chance to prove to me she could be different. That she wanted things to be different. While she’d been trying to make everyone believe I’d been fucking my brother, she hadn’t exposed the actual truth.

  Maybe she hadn’t known it long enough to expose us. Or maybe she preferred to discredit me on a rumor that, while annoying, was too unbelievable to have real staying power. Only time would tell which it was.

  And as we went in and told everyone of my decision, I was thankful I’d get the time to find out.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  S O P H I A

  Even though I wasn’t going to be president, I was still on a high from everything that had transpired, and I couldn’t wait to go home and tell Drew all about it. Maybe it was a weird thing to want, but I was proud of myself, and I thought he’d be proud of me too.

  I hoped my parents had either left or made themselves scarce. I needed to have an unguarded moment with Drew to tell him not only what I’d done at the sorority house but also how he’d impacted me making that decision—how he’d helped me become a better person.

  I charged into the apartment and gave a quick look around, thankfully not seeing my parents anywhere.

  “Drew?” I called.

  “In here” came his voice from the direction of the bedroom.

  It was all I could do to avoid sprinting down the short hall, though I was moving at a rate that could likely qualify me for a race-walking competition.

  “Hey,” I said, my voice loud and exuberant. Until I took a look around the room. “What’s going on?”

  Drew’s back was to me as he put clothes into a large duffel bag. “Just packing up.”

  I should’ve anticipated this. It was logical that my parents weren’t going to allow a stranger to stay in an apartment they were paying for. I walked over to him and slid my hand up his spine.

  “We can find a hotel until we can sort out a more permanent solution.”

  Drew stood and stepped away, causing my hand to fall. I watched him go over to the dresser and grab some more of his things. As I looked around the room, I noticed almost all traces of him were already gone. A few bags were lined up by the door, and he was clearly gathering the last of his things.

  “Drew?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you already have a place you can go?”

  “Yeah. My parents said I could stay with them until I can sort out the situation with the guy who sublet my apartment.”

  “Oh. Okay. Well, I can help you take your stuff over there.”

  “That’s okay. I got it.” His tone was cold and brusque, and all the happy feelings that had been fluttering around inside of me evaporated.

  I tried to remind myself that this was a difficult situation. It had only been a few hours since we’d been lying in bed discussing the future of our relationship, and then my parents had barged in and ruined everything.

  I sat down on the bed. “At least the semester is almost over. There’s no way my parents will blow the whistle on Brody and ruin the grades you’ve earned him. So, you’ll be able to attend the last few classes and take the finals. Though maybe taking finals isn’t exactly a positive,” I joked, hoping it would break the weird tension between us.

  “Your dad said he’d handle getting Brody excused for the rest of the semester. I’ll text Brody later and see what he wants me to do. We had a deal, after all.”

  The way he said the last sentence sounded odd—bitter almost. But I didn’t want to focus on the negative.

  “And then we’ll be free of school for a few weeks,” I said. “We can hang out without that added stress weighing us down.”

  Drew finished tucking the last few items into his bag and zipped it up before carrying it over to where his other bags sat. He stood there for a second, facing away from me, before whirling around and rubbing a hand over his jaw.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  My stomach dropped, but I held the rising panic at bay. “You don’t think what’s a good idea?”

  “Us. I think we just… I think we need some space.” His eyes were everywhere but on me, which pissed me off.

  “Really? You certainly didn’t seem to want much space this morning. Or over the last couple of days. What’s changed?” It was a stupid question. I knew a lot had changed. But even though some waves had popped up, that didn’t mean we had to capsize the whole fucking boat.

  “The last few days, hell the last few months, haven’t been reality,” he said. “But reality sure as hell came knocking today. And I can’t ignore that.”

  I felt like my entire body could radiate through the wall. I wasn’t sure if it was rage or despair that was making me tremble or if it was a combination of the two. My feelings were so big and loud that I couldn’t parse them out and get to the driving force behind them.

  “They have been real. Christ, the past few months have been a total disaster. And we’ve weathered that storm. We can weather this one too. Sure, my parents aren’t thrilled about what’s been going on, but none of that really has to do with you. They’re pissed at Brody and me,
but they’ll get over it. And if they don’t…” I shrugged.

  “If they don’t, what?” he asked.

  “Huh?”

  “What will you do if they don’t get over it?” He might have been dodging my gaze before, but his eyes were locked on me now. My answer to this question was clearly important, but I wasn’t sure what he wanted to hear.

  “I won’t have to do anything. They will get over it. With all the shit Brody’s put them through over the years, they’ve become nothing if not resilient.”

  Drew shook his head slowly. “You’re so naïve.”

  His words made my spine stiffen. I stood from where I’d been sitting on the bed and faced him. “Excuse me?”

  “You just…expect life to always go the way you want it. That it’ll bend to your will. And maybe that’s because it always has. Maybe that’s the difference between the haves and the have-nots. Life just unravels before you like a red carpet, while I have to pretend to be someone else to even find out where the carpet is.”

  “That is…the strangest metaphor I’ve ever heard. And it’s bullshit. I work hard. Don’t diminish what I’ve gone through because you think it gives you ammunition to use against me. Maybe we’re fighting for different things in different ways, but we’re both fighting our own battles the best way we know how.”

  “Right. And this is the best way I know how.”

  “And what way is that?” I was sorry I asked as soon as the words were out of my mouth because I was sure I wasn’t going to like the answer.

  “By leaving. By ending this before we get too deep into it.”

  Tears prickled my eyes, but I fought them back. I wanted to rail at him that I was already in deep, but he clearly didn’t feel the same, and I didn’t want to give more of myself away. If he was content to break the connection between us, he could damn well do it without knowing he was breaking me in the process.

  “By running away, you mean. By quitting. Giving up.”

  He looked at me for a moment before replying in a quiet, controlled voice. “Walking away doesn’t mean I’m quitting. Sometimes the path you’re on isn’t the right one for you and you have to change course. That isn’t cowardly. It’s smart.”