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“Billionaire brats.”
“Them. It’s like football. If you score a touchdown, act like you’ve been there before and you plan to be there again.”
“Hmm.” Brittany had that look that made Jack’s skin itch.
“What are you planning?”
“Huh? No, nothing like that. I just thought it interesting. Since Harper’s been hanging out with the brats, Darren has been spending more time alone.”
“Why’s that strange?” Not that Jack had noticed. When he saw Harper, he saw the other two.
“Darren’s family puts the old in old money.” She nodded when Jack opened his eyes wider. “Yes. Google his family name along with oil and net worth.”
Two more things he didn’t know about Darren. Not that he cared about either. He was in Harper’s clique. “Anyway. The whole point of tonight was to say I’m sorry about being a jerk. I….”
“No worries, Jack. I get it. And it’s sweet of you look out for me like this.” This time she hugged him. “But you need to look out for yourself now.”
He sighed. “I’m going to talk to Ed about taking someone else.”
* * *
Marcus lay on top of his bed with only his reading lamp on, drowning Jack’s half of the room in shadows. His brother looked at him over the top of his notes and raised a single brow. “How was it then?”
Jack tossed his keys on his desk and wedged out his phone. “Brit’s the best.”
“Anything new?”
Jack snorted. He so needed to keep the good people in his life. He plunked himself on the end of his bed and scrubbed his face.
Marcus set his notes on his side table in front of the Murphy-Reynolds photo and rolled on his side, propping his head with an elbow. “What’s up, then?”
A nervous laugh rumbled out of him, and he flopped back on the bed before answering, “Just thinking about how I’ll tell Ed.”
Marcus’s bedsprings groaned as the guy shifted. “About taking someone else, you mean?”
Jack shook his head. “I really don’t want to do it.”
“It’s up to you, man. I’m with you no matter what you decide.”
Marcus balled up a piece of paper and tossed it at Jack. It bounced off his nose and rolled to his chest. Jack scrunched the paper tight.
“Thanks.”
“Don’t forget we have to pick up our tuxes on Wednesday, twelve thirty.”
Jack sighed, pumped the balled paper, and threw it back at his brother.
A loud thump came from down the hall, and then voices. Angry voices.
Jack and Marcus looked at each other, and both sprang up from their beds and out of the room.
A few doors down the hall were Seth, Billy, and Harper. Seth had his fists in Harper’s pullover, and a shocked Harper was pressed against the wall. Billy gripped Seth’s shoulder, tugging him back.
“Her cousin?” Seth said, disgusted. “You slept with her cousin? You piece of dirt.”
Harper composed himself and helped Billy by shoving Seth back. “Fuck you.”
“Why did you hurt her like that?”
Harper seemed to stiffen, and then he grunted through clenched teeth. “I was drunk. Now piss off and go back to your sloppy seconds.”
Seth reared forward, but Jack got there in time to hold him back with Billy.
“Keep your little runts in check, Murphy,” Harper said. “Gonna get themselves in trouble otherwise.”
Jack stepped in front of Seth and Billy. “Is that a threat?”
Harper backed up a step. “Hey, he started it.”
Seth yelled behind him. “You started it when you cheated on Brittany!”
Over his shoulder, Seth and Billy were both pinning Harper with their hate. Jack understood.
“Let’s just break this up,” Jack said. “That means Seth, Billy, you clear out. Harper, you piss off too.”
Harper gave an empty laugh and muttered.
“What’d you say?” Jack said, a half step closer to a sneering Harper.
“Nothing.”
“If you have anything you want to say about me or my friends, say it to our faces. Or better yet, shut up.”
Greg rounded a corner and, seeing them, he shoved forward. “What’s going on here?”
“Murphy’s getting right up in my face. But then, I get it. Marky and these losers are the only family he’s got left. I’d do the same.”
The insult punched Jack right where it hurt the most. He felt it deep in his chest, hollow and painful, like it’d been for months and months after his parents died. Through a haze of old memories and stinging eyes, Jack ground his teeth together and started for Harper. Marcus’s hands landed on his shoulders, urging him back.
“He’s not worth it, Jack.”
Billy murmured his agreement. “He’ll be out of all our faces after the formal. Just keep thinking of that.”
Marcus made a motion, and Billy and Seth left.
Gently, Marcus tugged Jack into their room and sat him on the end of his bed. “You going to be okay?”
Jack flopped back onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. His chest still echoed with pain, but his senses were coming back to him.
