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Mya
SneakingBrady out of the house is more of a challenge than I thought it would be. Mainly because we fell asleep and woke up after some of the girls were already moving around. Once the coast is clear, I text him to take the front stairs. I’m keeping watch. I know where all of my sisters are.
As soon as his foot hits the bottom step, Cleo opens the front door, her eyes moving past me to where Brady stands, hand extended toward me.
"What do we have here?" The tone of her voice catches my attention before the set of her shoulders does. "Brady Coleman, in the Zeta house, this early in the morning. To what do we owe the pleasure?"
"I came to take Mya to breakfast. We have a test on Monday to study for after."
Damn, he thinks quickly on his feet. Not only does the excuse work, but he didn't out us.
Not that Cleo buys it for a second.
"Isn't that sweet." Her disbelief is clear as she assesses first my outfit—the same sleep shorts and t-shirt I was wearing last night—and Brady's wrinkled clothes. But if that isn't enough of a blinking neon sign that says we are lying, the ruffle of Brady's hair would be. Or the fact that we are holding hands, and it is clear he is coming down the stairs, not the other way around.
"Can we talk about this later?" I ask as Brady steps up beside me, releasing my hand only to wrap his arm around my waist.
"I think we should."
Giving me a light squeeze, Brady promises to call me later and walks past Cleo, out the open front door. She pushes it closed behind him, the sound of the door slamming echoing off the living room walls.
"You lied to me."
"Cleo, I—"
"You made a choice to lie to me. To deceive me. Don't you think I saw his car parked out front last night? And it was still there this morning. There was frost on the windows which means he stayed here last night."
"He did, but it's not what you think."
"And what do I think? That you were screwing him in your room last night? Because I'm pretty sure I'm right about that. But I also think you're making a big mistake. Anyone associated with that group is trouble, Mya. You and I both know it."
This isn't my friend. Cleo's not usually like this. Sure, she's a bit stubborn, a hard-ass when it comes to certain things, or people – Max – but she's also caring and has a huge heart. She's the first person to celebrate even the smallest accomplishments around her. The one who initiated a new incentive for making the Dean's list.
The person standing in front of me is bitter and hateful.
"What is wrong with you?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest, mimicking her stance as I glare at her.
"I'm not the one who has to pay a fine for breaking the rules."
"So fine me. I don't care. But tell me what your real issue is, Cleo, because the person I call my friend isn't the one I'm talking to right now."
"Right now, you're talking to your president. I can't make special exceptions for you because we're friends."
"I'm not asking for special treatment. I'm asking what's wrong with you. Why are you so spiteful all of a sudden?"
Her back stiffens, but she shakes it off as quickly as it hits her. Raising an eyebrow at me, she continues to stare but doesn't say anything. We each stand our ground, waiting for the other person to make the first move, when the front door opens and in walks Kendall.
"Uh, what's going on?" Kendall hangs her coat on the hook near the door, slipping off her shoes and leaving them on the mat. When she turns around to face us again, she repeats herself only this time, her question is a demand.
"Cleo caught a guy sneaking out of the house this morning, and she's pissed at me."
"And that right there is one of the main reasons I refused to live in the house. There's no way Declan would take no for an answer. That man is—"
"No one wants to hear about how great your boyfriend is, Kendall." Cleo's seething as she storms off.
"What the hell crawled up her ass?"
Letting out a sigh, I shrug my shoulders. "I have no idea, but she hasn't been herself in a few weeks. I think she was seeing someone, and they did a real number on her, but she refuses to talk about it."
