AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No,” I say. “Not a chance. But I am going to make her life miserable.”
Trey knows the Conners had something to do with the change in my family dynamic two years ago—he’s been pretty much living with us since he was ten, after all. But Trey doesn’t know the whole truth. He knows my mom, Allie, left abruptly for a job in New York, that my dad, John, became an emotionally detached asshole (like father, like son, I suppose), and that the Conners were somehow involved. Trey also knows what the media reported later that same year: Ellen, the wife of Martin Conner, one of Brighton’s wealthiest property investors, died. Charlie’s mom’s cause of death was kept private. Which is unfortunate since that bitch deserved to have her name dragged through the mud. But enough money will keep anything a secret—even a suicide.
Trey shrugs, completely accepting of my irrational thought process. Then he smiles broadly. “Okay, but can I tap that? Because honestly, Charlie’s stunning no matter what her parentsdid. And she’s a natural beauty, not a painted fake mess like Seren and her friends.”
I wave my hand dismissively. “Do whatever you want with her, I guess.”
But a strange pang shoots through my stomach at the thought of Trey kissing her. Touching her. Fucking her.
I shake my head, pushing the feeling aside.
Why do I care? He’ll probably lose interest if he fucks her, too.
We’re both emotionally damaged like that.
The next morning,after an early workout session, Trey and I stroll into the dining hall around nine. The place is cavernous with row after row of long oak tables and a wall of tall cathedral-esque windows to the right, which allow the gray morning light to filter in.
We walk over to the food line, and I pick up a tray and start carb loading. I feel a cold hand on my arm and glance down at Serenity.
I sigh inwardly and turn to her. “What do you want, Seren?”
She pouts. “I just came to say good morning,” she says in a syrupy sweet voice.
I grunt in acknowledgment. And then suddenly I can feel a familiar gaze on me.
How am I so aware of that girl?
I look up, meeting Charlie’s dark green eyes. She’s sitting across the dining hall at one of the long tables. Her expression is curious but stoic as she watches me, picking at her yogurt with a spoon. Her eyes widen when she realizes she’s staring, and she quickly looks back at her laptop.
I smirk.
“Am I right?” Serenity interrupts my thoughts.
“Sorry, what?” I ask, looking back at her, distracted. Her eyebrows drop. She turns to see where my attention has been and scowls.
“Homeboy was checking out Little Miss Sunshine over there,” Trey says with a suggestive grin.
I elbow him in the ribs, but the nickname echoes the one I used at the bonfire, and it fits. The girl has frowns for days.
“Yeah,” Serenity remarks smugly. “She has a resting bitchface for sure.”
I meet her eyes, amused. “What’s your problem with her?”
“She goes by Charlie, first off.”
“So?” I say, confused.
“It’s a stupid boy’s name,” she says. “Plus, she’s here on a scholarship.” Serenity wrinkles her nose like she’s smelling garbage.
I shake my head, knowing her comments probably aren’t personal. She’s a deeply insecure person through no fault of her own.
“Damn, Seren,” Trey says. “You’re cold.”
Serenity’s comment does intrigue me though. I look back at Charlie, wondering why she doesn’t use her family’s money. I finish my walk through the line and tap my phone to pay.
As I sit down at our table, I study her again. She’s typing something on her laptop, her brow furrowed in concentration and her long hair making a protective veil around her heart-shaped face.
Instead of joining us, Serenity bends down, brushing her breasts against my arm. I shudder, and she smiles, probably mistaking my reaction for lust.
