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My spine stiffens at her nickname for Kassidy. Crossing my arms over my chest, my irritation is evident. Raising my voice just as the music happens to cut out, I end up getting everyone’s attention. The only thing missing is the distinctive sound you hear in the movies of a needle scratching across a vinyl record.
“Danica, my relationship with Kassidy is off-limits to you and everyone else! My sex life is also none of your fucking business. If you make disparaging comments about Kassidy again, every male on this campus will know what a nasty person you are.” My chest is heaving due to yelling right now. “Andstopcalling herMouse!”
The entire place is watching the scene play out like it’s their favorite soap opera. Danica’s eyes are bugging out of her head at the tone and volume that I am using, but I just don’t care right now.
“I care a lot for Kassidy. Any further comments about her will be considered a personal attack on me and will be responded to in kind. Do you get me?”
A gasp from behind me has me spinning around. Kassidy, Kennedy, and her group of men all stand there staring at me wide-eyed.
“You should go,” I say sternly, directing the comment to Danica, but my eyes stay focused on Kassidy.
Instead, Kassidy’s eyes grow wide before she spins on her heel, pushing through the group behind her. Kennedy chases after Kassidy as the guys glare at me before chasing after the girls.
It takes my mind several minutes to catch up to the reasoning behind their abrupt departure.
“Fuck!”
It takes a few minutes before my feet start moving. Leaping over the stairs to the house, I barely keep myself from face-planting in the yard. Scrambling to right myself, I start running to catch up to them.
The guys hear me approaching before the girls do. All four of them form a wall in the middle of the street. In the distance, I spot Kennedy with her arms wrapped around Kassidy’s shoulders as they continue walking.
Tonight was supposed to be a chance to get back into Kassidy’s good graces. What she witnessed is going to set me back even further.
I am a fucking idiot.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Iknew going to the party last night was a major mistake. Seeing Danica with Brock at the bottom of the stairs, hand in hand, hit me like a punch to the gut. But when he got angry at something she said, a dash of hope helped ease that pain. Hearing the diatribe aimed in her direction, defending me, my spirits soared. It was like the clouds parting after a bad storm. Rays of sunshine peaking through the darkness.
The gasp escaped my lips unwillingly, and Brock whipped around to stare at me. When he said that I should go…it was like someone popped my balloon, pieces scattering everywhere.
Fighting my way back out the door, the tears started falling before my feet hit the sidewalk.
What is wrong with me? Why, after Brock said all of those beautiful words in my defense, would he want me to leave?
Running most of the way back to the apartment, Kennedy was hot on my heels. Eventually, I had to stop and catch my breath, my side killing me. Let’s face it, I am not a runner and hate working out.
It didn’t take long for the guys to catch up to us. As soon as we got inside, I made a beeline for my room. Removing mymakeup and changing into an oversized T-shirt and sweatpants, my next priority was a drink.
After chugging down a full glass of wine and half of a second glass, I am finally able to talk about what happened. The guys are, of course, listening, and other than an offer to get Brock into the fighting ring, they don’t say much.
Once I convince them all that I am unaffected by tonight’s events, they all move to the bedroom. After refilling my wine glass and shutting off all the lights, I move to the bedroom, hoping to get lost in my book.
The ringing of my phone wakes me up. Rolling over, a soft smile lights my face, seeing Kavanagh’s name flash across the screen.
“Hey, big brother, how are you?”
“Busy, how are you doing? I haven’t talked to you for a while and wanted to check in. No more surprise visits from Karoline, I hope,” Kavanagh says that last part quietly as if saying her name will cause her to pop up out of nowhere.
“Your ears must have been ringing. I just had the thought two days ago to give you a call. We had a party last night, and I forgot.” Cringing at the fact I mentioned last night’s mess of a party, I cross my fingers that he ignores it.
“A party huh? Who is he?” Kavanagh asks smugly.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” a smile spread across my face. Kav knows me all too well.
“Sure you don’t,” he says with a laugh. “Alright, I will let it drop for now. How are classes going? What about your tutoring?”
Heaving a sigh, I give Kavanagh the rundown of the mess last week, getting left behind by the baseball team. To say that he is pissed off on my behalf is an understatement. After talking him off the ledge, reassuring him that Gareth, Ashton, Callum, Rodney, and Kennedy all have my back, he settles down.
