“What’s wrong?” I asked, and he cleared his throat.
“Nothing. I was checking to see if you were ready for tonight. Big date.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I don’t know if you’re being sarcastic or not,” I said, studying his face.
Pacey shook his head. “I’m sarcastic often, but not about this. I’m excited to see you out with Elise. She seems nice.”
“She is nice. I really hope I’m not late, and I don’t fuck it up, though.”
“Well, then don’t fuck up.”
I snorted. “That is such a great pep talk, thank you.”
Pacey just smiled. “I do my best.”
“Anyway, where are you going?”
“I was thinking of that café across campus. Though it’s not really a café, is it? More like a place to go and get dinner. But it sounded good.”
“Yeah, it’s a good place for a first date. Not too fancy since you don’t need to spend too much money. But it’s also not a Denny’s, or someplace you would take your high school girlfriend.”
“I didn’t have time for girlfriends in high school,” I said dryly.
“Boyfriends?”
“Those either,” I said with a laugh.
“Well, I’m sure you can catch up now.”
I frowned. “I don’t know if I want to catch up per se. But going out with Elise tonight is a start.” I slid my shirt over my head, the sweater a decent cut that looked like a fancy Henley. Pacey looked at me and tilted his head. “Yes, that will do.”
I snorted. “Thank you for your acceptance of what I’m wearing for the evening.”
“You couldn’t do it without me,” he said dryly.
I rolled my eyes. “Seriously, though. I said I would meet Elise there because she had class and wanted to head home first and didn’t want to be late. So, I should probably get there before she’s sitting and waiting for me, thinking that I stood her up.”
“That would be good. And have Elise tell her friends I said hi.”
I paused, looking at him. “How well do you know her friends?”
“I know Corinne and Nessa. We had a class together last year and studied well. They’re good people. I like them.”
“Like them, like them?” I asked, teasing.
“Since I’m not in primary school, I’m not going to demean myself to answer that question. However, I do like them, and I was the one who mentioned my roommates—therefore you—to Corinne. And because of that, she introduced you to Elise. So, this date tonight is kind of all because of me.”
I shook my head and laughed. “That’s good to know. Well, I’m headed out.”
“Sounds like a plan. Have fun. And use protection.”
I flipped him off, a smile playing on my lips, and made sure I had the condoms in my back pocket. Not that I expected to go there tonight, but it was always important to be prepared. Cameron had drilled that into my head as soon as I started looking at girls and guys that way. Cameron had come into my life when I was younger, but not at the beginning. The Connollys hadn’t known that I existed until Cameron was forced to help raise me. And that had caused a rift between my brothers because he had kept me a secret. I hadn’t known the actual reasons for it until later, but I understood. Things were complicated in our family, and that was an understatement. We had all been through different forms of hell, some worse than others, but now we were all together, in a different state, learning and growing.
At least, that’s what I hoped.
I headed out to my car, grateful there was a paved driveway in the garage area. My truck was older than the rest of the guys’ vehicles, so I tended to park outside of the garage or on the street because I didn’t mind if it got rustier. I knew I should probably replace the damn thing, but that would cost money, and I wasn’t really in the mood to say goodbye to the first thing I’d bought with my own earnings. My siblings had all offered to help me buy a car or even buy this one outright. Brendon had a lot of money. However, I had wanted to put as much down as possible on my own. They each had paid for part of it as a birthday present, but most of the payment had been mine.
And I loved that fact. Just like I had been paying for my own college as much as I could and was now using a scholarship to get through most of this semester. I knew that my siblings would drop everything and help me the moment I asked—and usually without me asking, pushing my need to take care of myself out of the way.
But I wanted to do this on my own. I felt like I earned whatever I worked toward more. I was probably biting off my nose to spite my face, but I couldn’t change that. At least, for now.
Going out on my own wasn’t easy, but I was finding my path. I didn’t want my brothers to feel as if they needed to drop everything and take care of me again. Cameron had done it more than once in his life, and it had irrevocably altered everything about him. He had almost lost Violet because of it, more than once. And I didn’t want that to happen again, even though deep down I knew it wasn’t the same. Still, I needed to find my own way.
I pulled into the parking lot of the café and got out, watching Elise get out of a rideshare vehicle. My brows rose, and she shrugged.
“I honestly didn’t want you to have to wait on me, so I said I would just use a rideshare. Sorry if that makes you feel weird.”
I shook my head, walked up to her, and smiled. “No, I get it. It’s sometimes a good idea to make sure you have your way in and out of a situation. And I get you not wanting me to know where you live.”
She cringed. “Sorry. It’s one of those things that women have to do to keep safe.” She shrugged.
“Anyway, I haven’t been here before,” she said, and my brows lifted. “Really? The guys and I have been here a few times, though mostly to celebrate a good grade or something. It’s not too expensive, so that’s why we like it,” I said and then winced. “Not that you don’t deserve to go someplace nice. But you know…college.”
She smiled. “Oh, I get it. I only have my student loan to pay for food and board and things, so I understand.”
“I have my job.”
“And where do you work again?” she asked as I took her hand. She blinked a bit and then wrapped her fingers around mine as we walked towards the door of the café.
“My brothers own the Connolly Brewery in downtown Denver.”
“Oh, I think I’ve heard of that place.”
I smiled. “I hope so. They’re trying to make a thing of it. Eventually, we’re going to open up an actual restaurant where my brother, who used to work at a Michelin-starred restaurant, can once again cook what he wants to rather than adding unique things to a bar menu.”
“Your brother is that good of a chef and works at a bar?” she asked dubiously.
“It’s a very long story,” I said.
“We’re going to have time with dinner, right?”
“I guess we will.” I wasn’t sure I would tell her everything, but I could mention how my three brothers and I had come together. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I almost ignored it, but it was a call rather than a text.
I frowned and paused before we walked inside. “I’m sorry, it’s my sister-in-law. I have to take this.”