Always Crew Page 53

She shook her head, her eyes darting past me to the hallway as Jordan was coming back. “No. I just–I know you called a bunch, and I have a few things I want to say to you. All good, I promise.”

“Oh. Okay.” I gave her a smile.

Jordan came over, taking the bag she was holding and grabbing the other. He said over his shoulder as she moved outside, “Be back, yeah?”

I nodded, then moved to watch them as they got into Jordan’s truck and headed off.

Cross came to stand next to me. “You okay?”

“She’s not the same person.”

And she wasn’t. Tabatha meant well at times, was spoiled at times, was a bitch at times, prissy at times, was a friend at times, but she always had fight in her. That girl who was just standing there, the fight was gone. She wasn’t the same person, at least not right now.

He looked, too. “Yeah.”

I hoped she came back, one day.

BREN

I felt like I was heading to a dorm meeting point to plan the world’s insurrection. I didn’t know why, but it lingered with me.

I showed up. There was rap music blaring from Jade and Aspen’s room, with the door open. No one inside.

So, I waited.

Five minutes.

Ten.

Two girls came from the exit stairs, saw me and paused. “Hey.”

I lifted my chin up. “You guys know where these two might be?”

“Oh.” One hid a grin.

The other pointed down the hallway. “They hang out a lot with Angeline and V. Room 413.”

So I went to room 413.

I knocked.

No answer, but I heard more music blaring from inside. It sounded like Spanish rap, so I knocked again.

No answer.

Trying the knob, it was unlocked. I opened the door, looked inside and nothing.

So then I stood there and thought, If I was a girl, where would I get ready to go out for a girls’ night?

Yeah. I felt like smacking myself.

I headed for the bathroom, which also had music coming from inside. This time it was techno, and I pushed open to see four girls dancing in sync, up and down, and yelling along with the music. I had no clue what song it was or even what words they were saying, but they were all in different stages of getting dressed.

I’d met these girls earlier, but there’d never been a lot of personal time with them, not like this anyway. So I didn’t know know them, just who they were basically.

Angeline’s freckles looked flushed, and I wondered when she’d start giggling. I knew that much about her.

Veronica was next to her, shorter. Her dark eyes looked fierce and her hair looked shiny and ready to rumble. I also knew she was known as someone not to fuck with, which was now making me wonder why Blaise wanted me here? Oh well. I knew Jade a little bit better, but not much.

Then there was Aspen.

She saw me in the mirror, her hair being curled and she shrieked. “BREN!”

The rest looked and, “BREN!”

“BRENNERS!”

“It’s the Bren Bren!” Veronica was nodding emphatically, her bottom lip sticking out in approval. “Nice. You’re hot. I’d do you if I went that way.”

Oh.

I grinned because who wouldn’t smile at that?

“Thanks.”

She winked, going back and stopping her bouncing/dancing so she could finish her eyeliner.

Aspen was all dressed, looking like she needed to finish her hair.

Jade looked ready to go, or I thought? I wasn’t sure. She was swaying back and forth in front of the mirror now, using a lip gloss as a microphone.

And Angeline, she ducked her head, her red hair falling forward to avoid me.

Note that she wasn’t only an uncontrollable giggler, but also hella shy.

“Hey, guys.”

“Oh! Drink?” Jade asked, taking her backpack off and hefting it with a solid thud on the counter. “We’re mostly ready, just waiting for Aspen to finish her hair—”

“Done!” Aspen announced, yanking the cord out from the wall and then hurrying to put a bunch of her makeup in a plastic container. She spoke as she worked, “Yeah. Give Bren a drink. Tonight is for fun. We’re all going to have fun tonight.”

We’re all having fun.

I was down with that also.

Angeline started gathering the makeup on the counter in front of her and Veronica, while Veronica turned and leaned her hip against the sink. She was eyeing me up and down again. “So, you’re the one with Blaise’s brother, huh?”

I glanced at Aspen.

She was hiding a smile. She and Jade shared a look. Both were hiding grins.

“Uh, yeah.”

Veronica raised her chin up, giving me a side-eye as Angeline finished getting all of their stuff. “You’re friends with Tabatha Sweets?”

“You know Tabatha?”

“She’s a Kappa. That house is the best on campus. Plus, Jessinda Hinkley is like sorority-royalty. We heard you had a scrape with Hinkley. I want to know how that went down?”

What had I gotten myself into here?

But instead of answering, Aspen went around me and opened the door. Jade followed her, holding out a glass. She pushed it into my hand. “Hope you like a pink vodka? It’s with lemonade and Sprite. I pre-made them because where we’re going, you can’t be too sure.”

I took the glass, but asked as she slipped around me, following Aspen, “Where are we going?”

She was through the door.

I looked back to Angeline and Veronica. Both were watching me. Both weren’t looking happy now. They were more cautious.

“Where are we going?”

“You can’t tell the guys.”

Oh, God. This was why Blaise wanted me here.

“Why?”

“Uh.” Angeline was holding their makeup container in front of her with both hands. She moved toward me two steps and nodded to my drink. “Maybe you should drink that whole thing before we go?”

Where were we going?

“Tell me. Now.”

Both ignored me.

Angeline shrugged and left.

Veronica followed but winked as she sauntered out. “Drink up, sweetie. Heard you and me are the muscle tonight.”

I gave her a side-eye now. “How many times have you fought?”

“I have a black belt, but I’ll be honest, it’s usually only drunk douchebags. And I normally just go for their junk, then try to scratch their eyeballs out. By then, they take off running from me.”

She left, and I stood there, not knowing how to comprehend anything that just happened.

I drank. I figured how this night was starting, it’d be my one and only.

Then I shot Cross a text before I left the bathroom.

Me: Girls are going somewhere weird. Remember my GPS tracker is on. Call me every thirty minutes.

He buzzed back as I was in the hallway, seeing the girls at the exit door, waiting for me. I noted as I passed that both rooms were quiet. Seriously. These girls were fast.

I checked my phone.

Cross: Want us to stay close, no matter what?

I was going with my gut, knowing that Blaise had been worried enough to ask me to be here.

Me: Yes.

Cross: On it. We’ll leave in twenty. Zellman’s in the bathroom.

Me: I didn’t need to know that.

Cross: We’re a crew.

I had no response, so I put my phone away and drank my drink in front of the girls.

Jade smiled. “Nice! You want a refill?”

I glanced at Veronica, and she gave me a slight head shake.

“I’m good till we get where we’re going.”

“Okey-dokey.”

And off we went.

Yeah. Blaise was going to be pissed.

I was pissed.

Cross and Jordan and Zellman would all be pissed.

We were at a fraternity party, and it wasn’t a typical frat party. Even though it was fully dark by now, I could see where we were, and we were not at their house. We were also the only ones here so far, at least there were no other cars around.

It was Zeke’s fraternity, and I knew this because Harper was here. I’d been to one or two of his house parties, and the numbers were lower here. We were in the woods, a full forty-minute drive from Cain. The farther we got, the uneasier I got.

“Why are we here?”

We’d just left Jade’s SUV, and the girls were starting forward. Jade had reassured me multiple times that she hadn’t drank at all, but wasn’t planning on it, so I could drink all I wanted.

None of this felt right.

I looked at Aspen. “What are you doing?”

She seemed startled, blinking and her head moved back. “What do you mean?”

Jesus. She truly looked clueless.

“Do you know that guy?”

I gestured to Harper, who had now spotted us, and I was not liking the look coming over his face. A gleam was starting, and he stopped talking to his buds, watching us openly. I noted how his hand was nicely encased in a sling.

But he was still coming, and he still had that gleam in his eyes.

I kept an eye on him as I reached for my phone.

His eyes darted, seeing where I was reaching, and he started for me.

He knew I was going for my phone. I keyed in my code and hit the dial, knowing I already had Cross pulled up, and I hit the speaker. Harper picked up his pace, but I kept my phone in my pocket. Pulling my hand out, he slowed back, but he was still heading our way.

“Hey.” A hand tugged on my shirt.

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