Angry.
Disappointed.
And I never want to disappoint him. Especially after the promise I’ve made.
But that promise is starting to feel more unimportant, the longer I spend time with Crew.
He interlocks his fingers with mine, basically holding my hand in front of everyone in class, his middle finger brushing over the diamond ring my father gave me, and I give my answer before I can overthink it.
“Yes.”
THIRTY-THREE
CREW
Normally, I don’t do this sort of thing.
Like plan a weekend getaway with a girl I’m hot for.
When I usually spend time with a girl, it’s at a party, or some sort of social gathering. Always in a big group. Never one on one—until I sneak her into an empty bedroom or whatever and we hook up. I’ve had plenty of moments like that in my life, and they leave me mostly satisfied. I lost my virginity at fifteen, at the end of freshman year, and I’ve been fucking on the semi-regular ever since.
My brothers taught me that it’s easy to get pussy, with our family name alone, and I realized quickly they were right. Once they hear you’re a Lancaster, the girls will come flocking without hesitation. With that kind of pull, there was never any reason to get tied down by just one person, not when there were so many options out there.
But then there’s Wren.
I hated her—and maybe I felt that way because deep down I knew I was attracted to her and there was nothing I could do about it. I do not fit the mold of a possible boyfriend when it comes to Wren Beaumont. I’m the one her precious daddy warned her about, and with reason. She avoided me as much as possible.
Until she didn’t.
And somehow, we’re helplessly caught up in each other.
She’s in my thoughts. She haunts my dreams. With her sweet smiles and softly spoken words. The way she watches me with those luminous green eyes. That sexy body hidden under the uniform. Her ripe lips wrapped around a Blow Pop, right before I fuck her with it. The way she looks when she comes.
The fact that I’m the only one who’s ever made her come fills me with this unfamiliar, downright possessive feeling. She was untouched.
Until me.
I don’t want another guy looking at her, let alone talking to her. Even when Malcolm mouthed off to her earlier, I wanted to bash his face in.
And he’s one of my best friends. What he said was essentially harmless.
I’m not used to feeling like this. Hung up on one girl. Thinking about her constantly. Wondering what she’s doing, where she’s at, how she’s feeling.
It fucking killed me, having those rumors go around campus that I was hooking up with Natalie. I know they hurt Wren, but I couldn’t come out and say I was meeting with her instead. She’s a good girl who never gets in trouble.
I refuse to be her downfall.
Thank God all the shit that’s happened the last couple of days is about to be put to bed for good. I missed class most of the day, stuck in the admin office, either being interviewed by police detectives or waiting around for them to talk to me. They interviewed Natalie first, and she wouldn’t break, no matter how much they badgered her.
How do I know this? Shit, I was sitting right outside the room, and I could hear them coming down on her hard. No matter what they said or what tactics they used, the girl would not give.
They tried to do the same to me, making me out to be the liar, but I never gave either. Natalie finally confessed all when her mother showed up.
Then they called Maggie in. And that’s when the shit really hit the fan.
Pretty sure they’re going to arrest Figueroa this weekend. The dude is in huge trouble. I wonder if he even knows what’s about to go down.
That’s half the reason I want to leave. I’m tired of it. Sick of the drama that I was unwittingly drawn into. If I had my choice, I’d never see Figueroa again. Or Natalie.
Pushing all thoughts of the twisted love triangle out of my mind, I grab my phone and make a call to my oldest brother, Grant.
“What do you want?” is how he greets me.
“Great to hear from you too. So glad you keep in touch.” The sarcasm is heavy. This is how my brothers and I operate. We act like we can’t stand each other, but I know they’d be there for me no matter what.
“Do you need something, Crew? Or are you calling just to piss me off?”
I get right to the point. “Is the plane available this weekend?”
“You want to use it?”
“Yeah. Just tonight and then we’re coming home Sunday afternoon.”
“Ask Dad.” He sounds amused.