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CHAPTER13
Owen
The other Royals are clustered around the south entrance to the campus, smoking, chatting, drinking coffee. With them all dressed in their uniforms, Liam’s long hair up in a pristine man-bun, I’m flooded with a sense of familiarity that’s both comforting and smothering.
This is why I wanted to get here as soon as possible. I don’t give a shit about arriving late to class—I have a 4.0 GPA and that’s not changing anytime soon—but I didn’t want to missthis.
It’s another one of our traditions ever since we moved into the Walsh House together. We meet up here before classes begin, and stay just late enough to make an entrance without being penalized by our professors.
I need this today more than ever. And I would have been here sooner, if I’d gotten more sleep last night. But I spent the whole evening tossing and turning, because I had Evie fucking Larsen on my mind. When I did fall asleep, I slept straight through my alarm.
“Christ, finally,” Liam calls out when he sees me. “I thought you were shacking up with Wilder.”
I notice he’s not here, but we’re not all that close, so I couldn’t be bothered. “My first class is only in two hours.”
Sterling offers me a hand. “Well then, thank you for gracing us with your presence, Your Majesty.”
“Fuck off,” I growl even as I shake his hand, waiting for them to comment about Evie. Unless she took the long way around, she’d have to have walked past them to enter the campus.
But no one says anything.
Liam hands me a coffee. “Hair of the dog.”
I eventually joined them at the impromptu football match late yesterday. Judging from the amount of booze and coke everyone had consumed, it’s no wonder Wilder couldn’t crawl out of bed this morning. It’s probably why Liam is still wearing his sunglasses, and Oz hasn’t said a word, instead choosing to lean against the wall and smoke a cigarette.
Sterling is one of those guys who’s even cheerier when he’s got a hangover.
If I’d had more to drink, I’d definitely have slept better. But I didn’t trust myself to stay away from Evie after more than two beers and a shot of whiskey.
The coffee Liam hands me tastes like it has half a flask of whiskey in it. “Christ,” I mutter, grimacing. “Hair of the dog? Tastes like you put the whole thing in here, nose to fucking tail.”
“Um… excuse me?”
“I think he meant it’ll put hair on your chest,” Sterling says through a laugh.
“I’ve got more hair on my chest than you do,” I tell him, cocking an eyebrow.
“Yeah, but dude, I shave for a reason.”
“Um… sorry… Owen?”
It’s only when the other Royals turn to look at the space behind me that I realize the soft voice isn’t in my head.
I turn and stare at Willow, possibly a touch more vehemently than she deserves.
For a moment there, I thought it was Evie. That she’d come to apologize for being such a bitch to me.
“What?” There’s a snap to my voice which Willow somehow fails to latch onto.
“Um, I’m sorry to bother you, but it’s just… I’m in charge of the RSVPs for the Firefly Ball, and, uh, I don’t think, I mean, you probably sent it in, but for some reason I don’t have your… your RSVP?”
I’ve never seen someone look so reluctant to speak in their entire life. I’m not sure why Willow keeps signing up for all this college administration shit when it’s obvious she’s an introvert.
Now Evie, on the other hand, she might be a bit shy when other people are around, but she’s got no issue telling meexactlywhat’s on her mind.
She thinks I walk on water?
No, wait. That wasn’tquitewhat she said. She said IthoughtI walked on water.
