Total pages in book: 186
Estimated words: 176552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 883(@200wpm)___ 706(@250wpm)___ 589(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 176552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 883(@200wpm)___ 706(@250wpm)___ 589(@300wpm)
I smiled as I approached them, the polished gold plaques where they stood catching in the light. I knew where all my favorites were, hanging a few rows down from their parents’, legacy carved in brass.
Ryder Voss. Cade Voss. Damon Carter.
Aiden Carter. Nick Blackwell. Xander Aether.
Roxxi’s eyes lit up the second she saw me. “Well, well. Someone’s extra special today,” she teased, nodding at the flowers in my arms.
I grinned, heat creeping up my neck. “It’s just flowers.”
Ari laughed softly. “That smile says otherwise. Ryder did good.”
“How do you know they weren’t from Ashton?”
Kellan shook his head. “Same way I did.”
Roxxi waved my question off altogether with a flutter of her red, polished nails. “Please. Who else treats you like the queen you are? Besides us, obviously.”
Ari sighed. “He’s so in love with you.”
“Someone’s been reading too many romance novels.”
Cloe’s voice was more certain. “You love him too.”
I looked down at the vase, hugging it closer. “Of course, I love him, but—.”
“Every time you lie, your tits shrink,” Roxxi cut in.
I half-laughed, half-snorted. “Where did you hear that?”
“And,” she went on, all faux-serious, “you love him like a best friend, sure, but you also stare at him like he hung the goddamn moon, and I know you fantasize about him in those grey sweats he wore last week.”
“Roxxi!”
“Oh, you mean the ones that had her ready to demand he take his ass home and change?” Cloe grinned. “We all saw the moment your brain emptied of everything but print.”
“I was protecting his dignity.”
“Uh-huh,” Roxxi smirked. “Whatever helps you sleep at night. We all saw that mega boa.”
“Shut up.” I laughed.
Kellan made a noise in his throat and immediately began to retreat. “Okay, that’s my cue to exit this conversation.”
“Will you be okay on your own?”
He chuckled. “Sanj, what did I tell you? They’re not taking us out like that. Besides, The Hunt doesn’t start for a few days, and I’m already Marked. They can’t double-up. Sophie and her brother are meeting me at the quad anyway, so I’m good.”
“Alright,” I relented, gently squeezing his arm. “Let me know if anything weird happens.”
“Same to you. I’ll see ya’ll at practice later. My bad about the other day, Cloe.” He waved and disappeared through the East exit doors.
Cloe’s lips pursed for a moment. “Sophie?”
I gave her a tired smile. “Yup… that’ll be a fun conversation.”
She shut her eyes for a second and sighed. “I told Rook to leave it alone.”
“Something happened then? Is that why he just apologized?”
“I knew it,” Roxxi quipped.
“It’s a long story,” Cloe replied, already brushing it aside. “I’ll tell you at home. That’s where we’re going, right?”
“Yeah. I want to drop these off, and I didn’t grab my cheer bag.”
“I can whip up something light before practice,” Roxxi offered. “I’m starving. Lunch did nothing for me.”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll meet you guys at the house,” I said, shifting the vase carefully in my arms. “Do one of you wanna ride with me?”
“I will,” Aril answered.
“Wait, before you guys go,” Roxxi reached into her designer tote like it was a portal. “Take one of these, Sanj. I know The Hunt doesn’t officially start for a few days, but just in case.”
Out came a blindingly pink fuzzy keychain, equal parts adorable and unhinged. Hanging from it: metallic pastel brass knuckles, what looked like lip balm but probably wasn’t, and—
“Is that a Swiss knife?” I asked, eyebrows raised.
Cloe grinned. “Sure is. Roxxi meant to give it to you this morning, but forgot.”
“How do you just have these on standby?”
Roxxi flipped her hair. “Like I said last night. We’re wealthy, beautiful, and living on our own. We need every form of protection available when we’re not able to unleash our rabid harem on whoever’s fucking with us. It’s already bad enough that we didn’t have cameras set up. You know I do better with a rifle, but even my dad couldn’t get me cleared to carry one on campus. Admin thought I’d go full Sylvia Plath.”
I stared at her. “I don’t think that metaphor works here.”
“Metaphor? Sanj, I was being literal.” She pressed the fuzzy keychain into my free hand. “Now take it. No arguing. Text the second you two are in the car with the doors locked. You know the drill. Pretend you’re seconds away from being a broadcast special.”
I looked down at the ridiculous but oddly comforting mix of things in my hands. Ryder’s elegant, perfect bouquet in one, and Roxxi’s weaponized Lisa Frank starter pack in the other.
“I don’t think me or Ari will be kidnapped on our way, but thank you for this.” I actually did appreciate the weapon.
“Come on,” Ari prompted softly. “I have one too. We can tag team anyone who tries anything.”
We split up outside since Cloe’s designated spot was a billion times closer to the building than mine.