Parker and Bryce are like two fucking little annoying cheerleaders, encouraging Kaya every step of the way. I immediately feel a pang of guilt toward my best friends. Yes, those motherfuckers are dating the girl of my dreams but it’s not their fault if my father decided to marry Karen and that his idea of the perfect family includes Kaya and I to have a sibling relationship. We’re like a fucked up version of the Brady bunch, I swear. My guilt is caused by the secret I’m asking the guys to keep. I know that they feel that Kaya has the right to know that I was the one who kissed her that night of three years ago, in the dark.
They’re loyal to her and that means that they’re not just playing a game or using her as a hookup, it means that they care about her. And I fucking approve with my whole heart. Bryce and Parker are the best guys I know and even though I’d like to kill each of them with my bare hands when I think about them kissing and touching my Kaya, I know that they’ll treat her right. They’ll treat her better than I ever did.
Parker came to talk to me earlier, pleading with me to release them from the promise to keep the secret about that kiss.
Kaya’s first kiss.
For a moment the guilt is replaced by pride swelling in my chest at the thought that I was the first to kiss her and that she still thinks about it. Of course I think about it too, I’ve been thinking about that kiss and replaying it in my mind constantly for three years. I felt like a fucking loser, telling myself that she probably didn’t even remember it. Now I know that for as little as it might be, I’ll always have that kiss. Even if she doesn’t know it was me, even if she might’ve never let me kiss her if she’d known.
I tried to reason with Parker that telling her about that kiss isn’t going to change the situation, it’s just going to make things worse.
Kaya knowing about it won’t set the clock back to three years ago and sure as fuck, it won’t prevent our parents from falling in love. All it will do is dig up all the reasons why Kaya and I could never be. I told Parker it’s not his secret to tell and that unless he and Bryce talked, there’s no way Kaya will ever find out.
I understand how he wants to build his relationship with my stepsister on complete honesty but I seriously don’t think that telling her would do any good to anyone. He reluctantly agreed to let sleeping dogs lie and that if nothing would change the current situation, her knowing would only dig up a painful past.
“Oh, shit!”
Kaya’s voice rips me away from my thoughts and for a second, I can’t stifle the smile that appears on my face at the sight of Kaya drenched in margarita. Our eyes meet for a brief moment and that’s when I keep myself in check and settle back into my usual indifference.
The pitcher shattered on the hardwood floor and broke in a lot of pieces but thankfully Bryce is immediately at her side telling her not to move while Valeria instructs someone to sweep the glass away before someone gets hurt.
My stepsister looks disappointed with the outcome of the second task but in all honesty, I didn’t see her doing particularly well at a drunken party game. That’s not who Kaya is.
Once the game is over and points are awarded for the task, Oliver announces the third and final challenge for the aspiring pledges.
“The kissing challenge! We all know that both the Gammas and the Zetas are coveted as the best dates all over campus. Everyone wants to be one of us or be with us. And to make sure that you’re worthy of being a Gamma or a Zeta, you have to prove that you’re a great kisser. We’ll draw a name from these hats.” He extends his hand and Hoyt passes him two black fedora hats, one with a blue ribbon and one with a pink ribbon on it. “And the aspiring pledge will have to kiss the member of the judges panel whose name he or she draws for a minimum of sixty seconds. At the end of the kiss, the judge will decide if ‘yay or nay’. A yay is worth ten points, a nay zero. That will mark the end of tonight’s challenges and the results will be communicated to you tomorrow via text message from me or the Zeta president. Are you ready?”
There’s twenty pledges on each side. My name is drawn twice and I have to kiss one blonde freshman who definitely knows what she’s doing and another girl who uses way too much tongue and definitely earns a resounding ‘nay’ from me.
Kaya is waiting for her turn between Parker and Bryce. She looks worried, probably thinking that my friends will object to the game. But they both look relaxed: this kind of game means shit.
Kaya is among the last few girls to draw a name. She picks one folded piece of paper and hands it to Hoyt, who’s been looking at her in a way I really don’t like.
And you know what’s the crazy thing? I’ve been so worried about my earlier conversation with Parker, about trying to hide my jealousy and getting used to having Kaya around and seeing her cozying up to my best friends, that I didn’t see how this game is a potential train wreck waiting to happen.
Hoyt reads the name Kaya just drew: “Reid Hudson.”
Kaya
“REID HUDSON.”
At first Hoyt’s words don’t even register, I was too worried about hoping that I wouldn’t draw his name.
I don’t like the look in his beady eyes and the way they slide up and down every girl’s body, as if he were looking at a piece of meat trying to decide if he wants to sink his teeth into it.
And I must’ve had too many skinny margaritas, because my reaction upon hearing my stepbrother’s name is odd to say the least.
I burst into laughter. Well done, Kaya. Way to look like a total dork in front of your new friends. And then Mom gets surprised that I don’t make friends easily.
Anyway, I don’t even have time to analyze my own feelings, from the immediate physical reaction I had at the idea of kissing Reid – my heart picked up its pace and a swarm of butterflies began fluttering their wings in my stomach – to the thought that I’ve always wanted to kiss him and now I might get to do it ... to the odd way Parker and Bryce look at each other, to the furious look in Chase’s eyes and the clenching of his fists. I have no time to process all this because Reid’s voice cuts through everything else loud and clear.
“Fuck no! I’m not kissing Kaya.”
Again, I have no time to react in any way because Oliver looks really taken aback.
“Why the bloody hell not? She’s a stunning looking girl, you bastard.” The British guy looks positively confused but Reid explains himself immediately.
“Because she’s my fucking sister, that’s why!”
Oliver apologizes to Reid, clasping his shoulder with a perfectly manicured hand. “Oh, shit. I’m so sorry, mate. I had no idea.”
Valeria’s voice interjects itself in the conversation. “Hold on a second, that sounds odd. If she’s your sister, why don’t you two have the same last name?”
This time it’s Chase that intervenes. “Because Kaya’s our stepsister. Our parents got married three years ago.”
A sly smirk appears on Oliver’s handsome features, his green eyes shining with a devious glint. “Ah, but this changes everything. Come on, dude. If you aren’t blood, then she’s totally fair game.”
Reid folds his powerful arms across his chest, in an immovable stance.