I assumed wherever Mason was, Bash might not be far behind. It’s almost autopilot at this point that I look for Bash in every room now. I don’t know how healthy that is…but it always feels good when I find him in one.
Mason’s eyes cut to me, and there’s a knowing tilt to his smile.
He leans in so only I canhear him. “He went on an ice run for me. Didn’t want to go until you got here, but I begged and batted my lashes, and he couldn’t help but give in.”
“I—” I start, trying to act like I don’t know what he’s talking about.
Mason zips his lips between two fingers and winks. “He should be back any minute, don’t worry,” and then he pivots to yell across the room about where to plug in the Nintendo.
Simone is bossing all the frat boys around, Mason by her side, backing her up, and Lani is talking to her brother while stealing any snacks people have walking by. I try to busy myself or let myself be roped into some of the random conversations going on, but my eyes still linger around the room until the door opens and I can feel him before I see him—my new favorite person. There’s another guy behind him—his roommate, I think—helping him bring in way too many bags of ice and more snacks. I watch as Bash has that hard, serious face on that he normally wears around everyone. His eyes sweep the room and then land on mine, softening his face instantly. The boy-scowl is quickly replaced with a grin. I can’t stop the butterflies from going feral in my stomach.
He drops the ice with Mason and says something to him I don’t make out because he’s already walking toward me. Simone and Lani are mid-story with Sandro when he reaches us. He gives me a quick side hug, and the jolt I get from his arm around my shoulders is embarrassingly immediate. He daps Sandro up like my overdose made them bros for life, and I roll my eyes playfully when Sandro pretends to try to kiss him, and Bash shoves him, laughing. Sandro and Lani are really the same person in two different fonts. It makes me wonder if their other sister is just like them, too.
Lani stops talking mid-sentence and grins. Simone elbows her with zero subtlety. They’re both the human embodiment of two thirteen-year-old little girlssquealing right now.
I swat at them. “Be normal,” I mutter, trying and failing not to laugh.
“Simone and Lani—you know Bash…my…friend,” I introduce. “And Bash, this is—”
“Hey, I’m Lani,” Lani cuts in, sticking her hand out with too much excitement. She points at Simone. “Our last introduction wasn’t at the best of times, but you remember Simone. And youobviouslyknow our girl Lydia,” she winks. “They call us the PPP.”
“Pleasestop trying to make that a thing,” I groan. “It’s weird.”
Simone deadpans at Lani, “Andyou’rethe only one who calls us that. So who is ‘they’?”
“They…me,” Lani says, unbothered. “Same thing.”
Bash plays along, biting back a smile. “Do Iwantto know what it stands for?”
I shake my head. “No—”
Lani tosses her hair back, almost hitting a guy in the face who’s walking by. She doesn’t even miss a beat. “Pretty, Petty, and Poison.”
Bash laughs. “Okay. Let me guess who is who.”
“You really don’t have to,” I warn, pointing at him. “Don’t encourage her.”
He points at Simone. “Pretty?”
“Rude,” I scoff. “What ifIwas Pretty?”
His eyes flick to me. “You’re beautiful,” he says with the smallest, sexiest wink, and the butterflies stir back up in full force. “But trust me—I know which one you are. And she,” he nods to Simone, “gives very girly, fluffy, acts-like-a-princess vibes.”
I narrow my eyes at him to cover the blush creeping up.
Simone props her chin on her hands and bats her lashes. “I accept that answer.”
Bash turns to Lani. “Definitely Petty. It’s written all over you. You’re the feisty one who keeps everyone in line. You’ve probably tried to fight a couple of guys before, too.”
Lani looks pleased. “Yeah, he gets it.”
He turns to me slowly and tries to give me a serious face, but the smirk still fights through. It’s a dangerous smirk.
“Poison,” he says, nodding his head at me. It’s so casual and smooth, I hate it.
I don’t, actually.
“Why amIPoison?” I ask with both hands on my hips.
