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“What you really mean to say is that your bed is empty.” She makes a gagging sound.
I grin. “That, too.”
“Whatever.” She holds a hand up. “Spare me the details.” Adjusting the bag on her shoulder, she takes a step back. “Just stay out of my way Taggart, and I’ll stay out of yours.”
CHAPTER 4
BRYNN
It’s been a weeksince summer classes at Ann Arbor started, and one week since the cute boy, Stanley, in my Psychology class worked up the courage to finally talk to me. So of course—of-freaking-course—the day he finally asks me out, Jace is here to witness it.
At least, Ithinkhe asked me out. I don’t know. Does asking a girl to meet him at a nightclub constitute a date?
Hell if I know. It’s not like I have much experience to draw from. My social life in high school was virtually nonexistent. Either way, Stanley wants to spend time with me outside of class, which feels like a win. Or at least it did. Until Jace reared his creepily symmetrical face.
I groan at the thought of him actually showing up tonight. It would be just my luck to find a boy I’m actually interested in, only for Jace to helicopter like some kind of pseudo brother and ruin it.
When I found out a few months ago that we’d be attending the same college—both starting in the summer, no less—I wanted to absolutely throttle Teagan for not telling me. My brother knows how I feel about his best friend. No way he didn’t know Jace was planning to sign with the Griffins when I decided on Ann Arbor University. In fact, I’m willing to bet money on the fact that he not only knew, but helikedthat he’d have someone to watch over me while I’m here, so he deliberately kept quiet.
Jace and I have an especially volatile relationship. Everything is always a joke to him. Particularly me. He’s a womanizer, a certified player who treats girls like a new pair of shoes he can try on for size and discard when they don’t quite fit. Or worse, breaking them in only to get rid of them because he finds a new pair he likes better. He’s entertained more girls than I can count, yet he’s never, not once, even come close to having a relationship with any of them.
I loathe him, yet he seems to be everywhere, always in my face.
During the last four years of high school, if Jace wasn’t hanging with Teagan and their group of friends, he was coming over to our place. He infiltrated family dinners, holidays, birthdays, long weekends, and Sundays in the fall; his massive body sprawled out on our couch, watching football with my brother and father.
And through all of it, he continually found a way to get under my skin, latching on like a gnarly burr. It’s as if he must fuel some constant desire to ensure I’m keenly aware of his presence.
Just like now.
Surely, he has better things to do with his time than to police his best friend’s twin sister. He certainly did in high school.
I cut through the Language Arts building, taking the shortcut to my dormitory, since I’m done with my only class for the day. The walk is short. It only takes five minutes, and I find myself thanking God for small miracles that the athletes live ina separate building. The only thing worse than attending the same university as Jace Taggart would be living in the same dormitory.
Once I reach my door, I try the knob to find it unlocked, and when I step inside, Cate is there, watching some sort of slasher film. Rather than try and make small talk or act like she doesn’t creep me the hell out, I drop my bag and make a three-sixty out of there. Crossing the hall, I knock on Charlotte’s door, then pop my head in to find her sitting at her desk, a pair of noise-canceling headphones over her ears. It’s not until I step inside and she catches the movement out of the corner of her eye, that she turns my way and slides them down so they encircle her neck like a wreath.
I may not have won the roommate lottery, but what I lack in Creepy Cate, I gained when I met Charlotte and her roommate, Samantha.
She smiles at me, brown hair bobbing when she turns to fully face me as I move further inside the room. “Hey, chica.” She smiles. “How was your morning? Did you talk to Stan the Man?” She waggles her brows and pulls her legs up onto her chair, tucking them underneath herself.
All week, I’d been regaling the girls about the hot boy in Psychology.
“He actually asked me out.”
Charlotte squeals and kicks her legs out from under her. “Yaaasss, girl! Of course he did.” She motions up and down my body. “What’s not to like?”
I can’t help but grin at her enthusiasm as I plop down on her bed.
This is what having real girlfriends feels like. Not the stand-ins I had in high school.
“Well, before you get too excited. It’s not really adatedate. He invited me to Bradds with his friends.”
Charlotte’s eyes widen. “The nightclub just off campus?”
“Yep. I mean”—I screw up my face—“it’s close enough to a date, right?”
“Absolutely. It’s the college version of dating.”
“Regardless, no way am I going to a club alone, so you better not have plans because you’re 100 percent coming with me.”
