I’m flirting again. Dammit.
But, Jesus, if it’s not one, it’s the other. These two are going to be a handful. No matter how amazing they are, they can look, but there won’t be any touching. It’s the friendzone for them. They might think they know me, but I’ve lived more life in the last five years than most people do in a lifetime. If they knew the “me” I am now, it wouldn’t be love they’d feel—it’d be fear.
My head turns to take in Grey, my thoughts rumbling in my mind, and his expression stills me. Because it’s not love, and it’s not fear.
It’s patient expectation.
He gives me a jut of his chin, from where he’s leaned back in his chair, staring at my mouth. Despite all my internal grandstanding, I give him exactly what he wants, without hesitation, because that’s what I’ve always done for him, even if the stakes feel higher and more dangerous for us now.
Rubbing my lips together, I reach into the pocket of my school blazer, pulling out my cherry lip gloss and plucking the metal top off the round tin. The smooth balm runs over my finger as I circle it slowly on top of the mixture before bringing it to my bottom lip, pausing only for a moment. I let my eyes drift to his appreciative face, then back to the front as I reapply Grey’s new favorite flavor all over again.
Grey
THE MOMENT THE BELL RINGS, Liam dives over the top of Donovan, kissing her cheeks as she squeals and laughs over being attacked.
“Stop!” she laughs, breathless, and swatting him away playfully, but he doesn’t stop smothering her.
“All right, Romeo, that’s enough,” I growl, gripping his shoulder and pulling him back into his seat forcefully. “You’re going to break her.”
“Shut up.” He laughs, waving me off.
The three of us stand to grab our bags, and I watch as she turns, looking at him with happiness written all over her gorgeous face. That’s still my favorite expression from her.
“So?” Liam questions to her bright face.
“So, what?” she answers, reaching down for her bag, but I swipe it up, tilting my head toward the door for her to walk.
Liam pushes past me, taking Donovan by the hand and tugging her along, “This is crazy, Van. You’re back. And all grown up.”
He wags his eyebrows to me jokingly, then turns back to her. Real smooth, Liam.
“Yep. People have a way of getting older…it’s the weirdest thing.”
Liam pulls her through the door as she glances over her shoulder at me, smiling big. The minute we exit the classroom, he scoops her up into a bear hug. She reciprocates, wrapping her arms around his neck as he lifts her off the floor with a loud growl and places her back down to her feet. His arms push between them to cradle her face.
“Missed you, Van.”
“I missed you too, Liam.”
Her eyes are so sincere when she answers him, and telling by his expression, he’s happy to see it. I’d forgotten how much we both like her. After she left, we were so miserable that we made a deal not to speak about her. Ever.
We didn’t keep that promise, at least for a while, but then she stopped being the topic of every conversation until she stopped being the topic of any conversation. I was left alone with all my memories. And sometime over the years, she’d become mine inside of my mind. Donovan wasn’t someone I shared with Liam.
He smacks a sloppy kiss on her lips, and she giggles, pushing him back, making me crack my neck, uncomfortable with my immediate violent thoughts. I grip both bags onto my shoulder with the same strength I’d like to grab Liam by the damn neck for that fucking kiss and let out an irritated breath.
“What’s your next class?”
Liam furrows his brows, glaring at me. “Dude. What’s the rush?”
I shrug indifferently to his attitude. “You want her to be late for another class? She still needs the rest of her books.”
Donovan clears her throat, holding up her schedule. “Looks like I have AP Chem next.”
“Sucks…I have Calc. Catch up later?” Liam urges, plucking her shirt at her stomach. “At lunch? Promise, Van.”
“Yes, absolutely.”
She gives a small wave as he takes a few steps backward before he turns around and yells, “Try not to be a dick, Grey. Remember, role model.”
I start to answer when she pipes up loudly, “It’s okay. He can’t help himself.”
Liam turns around, laughing loudly, “Just like I remember. You’re a boss, Van.”
She joins in with him, her raspy voice filling my ears as she pats my chest. I shake my head and put my hand on Donovan’s lower back, pushing her in the direction we need to walk. “Let’s go, funny girl.”
We maneuver through the hall, people naturally parting and making way as we walk. The number of eyes on us and quiet conversations is laughable, but Donovan’s oblivious. Thankfully so, because we’re blowing minds right now.
At this school, I’m as untouchable as they come. So is Liam. Nobody speaks unless spoken to, let alone shows enough bravery to agree with Liam that I’m a dick. And what I’m doing right now? Never happens. Shit, I barely speak to girls when I fuck them, let alone hold their hand and carry their bag to class.
Whether Donovan wants it or not, she’s gained infamy in her first hour here at Hillcrest. People are going to have a field day. Girls will be out for blood. But I have no doubt she can handle herself. She always could.
And if she can’t, then the consequence of my attention is the least of her worries at a place like Hillcrest. These people sniff out weakness to pick off and eat alive. My eyes shift to her face, taking her in again. Nothing about her screams fragile; then again, I don’t know much about her anymore.
Are you still my girl, Donovan?
Her promise to Liam pops into my mind, grating on my nerves as my feet slow to a stop in front of her next class. She starts to walk inside, but I scrunch the back of her blazer, tugging her backward.
“Umm. A ‘hold on’ would do,” she laughs, twisting to face me.
I let her go and hand her bag over. “How come you’ll catch up with Liam, but I have to hold all my questions?”
Donovan pulls back a bit and looks at me with curiosity on her brow. “Jealous?”
“Yeah. Very.” Her mouth opens, but I shake my head, not finished. “At lunch, you spill those pretty little guts, to both of us. Your next class is across the hall. I’ll meet you right here.”
Her lips curl into a devilish smirk before she smooths the lapels of my jacket down. “You shouldn’t worry yourself with jealousy, Grey. You never really had a chance. He’s just so much prettier than you, and there’s the whole ‘more than one thing going for him’. You know, not just the sole benefit.”
My hand shoots out, blocking her from entering the room.
“How the hell would you know about his ‘benefit’?”
Those damn lashes bat up at me before she ducks under my arm and answers over her shoulder, “We played a lot of ‘house’ growing up.”
“You’re something else. I can’t decide if I want to have you kicked out of this school, so I don’t have to share you, or let you stay so that I can watch all the fucking trouble you’re going to cause.”