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BRADY: No.
ME: I assumed you were covering for her since she was my best friend and hadn't told me. And there was a night she was devastated over a guy. I thought it was probably him. Everything lined up.
BRADY: I've never lied to you, dove. About anything. I never will.
I know what he's really saying, but I ignore the ache in my chest. And the one between my legs.
ME: I'll pass the suggestion along. I can't make any promises.
BRADY: Don't pass it along. You should go straight to Max. He's already confessed he has a relationship to you. He may not have told you who it is, but he made it clear he has something going on with one of your sisters. Use it as ammo.
That's not a bad idea. I have actual leverage against him where Cleo's threats more than likely fell on deaf ears. He knew she was bluffing, even though she still told him about the ban.
ME: Okay. I'll let you know.
As soon as my class ends, I pull up Max's name in my contacts and take my time composing a text I know he won't ignore or take lightly as students file out of the room around me.
ME: I'm sure you've heard Cleo's request to move the Halloween party this weekend to our house. While I agree with her that the Zeta house is much larger and would allow for more people to join in the festivities, I understand why you would prefer the party to be held at the Kappa house. Tradition and all. Your image is important to you. The image of the Kappa house. What people think and say matters to you. Which is why you've kept your relationship with my sister a secret all this time, correct? Because you want to uphold a certain image. You want to control the narrative around your personal life. And I would hate for your reputation to suffer when people find out about your arrangement. When they find out which sister you've been secretly dating for years. And since I have this ammunition against you, loaded and ready to fire, I feel like now would be a great time to offer you a deal in exchange for my silence. You agree to Cleo's request, we host the party, and I'll keep your secret for you. For now. Do we have a deal?
I sit and wait for his response. My phone tells me the second he reads the text. Three little dots appear and disappear, and I imagine him debating what to do. He's backed into a corner, but Max is the kind of guy who will fight his way out. It doesn’t matter who’s standing in his way, he’s going to throw punches.
My only concern... Will he buy it that I’ve figured out whosheis? I’m not sure. I wish I actually knew so I didn’t feel like I was deceiving him.
His reply pops up, and I immediately know I've gotten under his skin.
MAX: Yes.
Nothing else. Just one word. He's agreed. Honestly, I'm glad he didn't have a lengthy reply. I wasn't prepared to answer any follow-up questions, and if he wanted confirmation of my knowledge, I would have had to take a stab in the dark. Maria. Gia. Kora. Scarlet. Sonja. It could be any of my sisters.
First, I call Cleo and give her the good news as I make my way to my next class. She's elated, firing off a list of items we need to get done ASAP. Her excitement is contagious. I find myself smiling as I shoot Brady a text that Max conceded to my request. An hour later he sends me a screenshot of a text conversation between the guys.
FINN: Calm down, Max. Talking is not having sex. You should know this since you've been banned from sex with half the university.
MAX: WTF, MAN! One house. And how dare you tell everyone!
KANE: No sex for Max? Fuck. We're all screwed in this situation. Well, except Max.
COLT: {laughing emoji}
DECLAN: That was pretty funny. Sorry, Max.
MAX: Screw all of you.
MICAH: You can't, remember? You're banned from sex.
MAX: Fuck my life!
FINN: Max, please stop. You know they're going to keep going, and you're giving them the ammo. Just stop typing.
I can’t help but laugh at how Max seems to continue the conversation at his own expense.
BRADY: This is what I'm dealing with right now. The party being moved doesn't seem to be that big of a deal compared to the ban. Max is obviously not happy.
Me: She doesn't actually know if he's sleeping with anyone. There were rumors that apparently she put to bed. She just wanted to get under his skin.
BRADY: You realize this isn't going to stop him from sleeping with one particular sister, right?
ME: I figured as much, but it is kind of fun to watch Max squirm.
