“Hey,” he says, and the rough grumble of his voice makes it seem ten degrees hotter out than it is. “I missed you.”

“Did you?” I quip, and his full, lush mouth curves into a smile. I’ve forgiven him for the Jalen incident. We all make mistakes, surely. But … I can’t stop thinking about what he said, about his father and grandfather. They want him with someone who has better breeding, more money. Surely I’m none of those things. And Zack and I, we have a tumultuous history. Yet when I look up at him and into his brown eyes, I feel like a woman who’s wrangled herself a bear. He has teeth, but they’re not for biting me.

“I told you, Marnye, I love you.” He says it so plainly that I can’t help but blush. It’s just sitting there between us, this big statement of emotion. He’s the only one that’s said it to me outright like that. The only one. Zayd came close, but then he followed it up with yeah, pretty much and sort of blew the moment.

We don’t get a chance to carry the conversation any further because another car is on its way up the driveway, a blue Jaguar convertible with the top rolled down and Zayd’s tattooed arm waving at us from inside. He parks, and gets what I’d really consider a triple frisking before security is satisfied.

“They just profiled me,” he grumbles, but then, he’s a straight, white male so lucky him if this is the first time that’s ever happened. Zayd flashes a grin and looks around the place, whistling under his breath. “This looks like some serious postcard shit.” He pauses and glances down at me, his hair still colored with that gorgeous sea green. I may or may not have asked him to leave it that color for the time being … “Hey, did you and Wind fuck yet?” he asks, and the blatant way he stares into my eyes with his emerald green ones makes me choke.

“Seriously, Kaiser?” Zack scowls, but Zayd ignores him, putting his hands on his hips.

“I’m just saying, it’ll be kind of hard to pick between us unless you’ve fucked us all. Chemistry is a huge part of like, love and all that romantic shit.” He lights up a cigarette as Zack scowls, and I try to remember how to form actual words with my mouth.

“You want me to fuck Windsor and Tristan?” I ask, and both boys exchange a look before glancing over at me.

“You haven’t fucked Tristan yet?” Zayd clarifies, and I give him a look.

“I’ve been honest with you guys every step of the way, whether it’s just kissing or … something more. Don’t you think I’d have told if you that’d happened yet?”

“Holy hell in a handbasket,” Zayd murmurs, taking a drag on the cigarette. It smells like cloves, and I frown. Sure, it smells good, compared to a normal cigarette, but those things are twice as bad. I want him to quit. Maybe, if I picked him, that’d be the first thing I asked … But then I remember that I picked Zayd once before, and I didn’t like the way it felt. Not that picking him felt wrong, but that not picking Creed and Tristan made me squirm. “The only three girls Tristan ever spent time with that he didn’t fuck are …” Zayd holds up a tattooed hand and ticks off fingers. “Miranda, Harper, and Lizzie. The first because, you know, there’s the whole gay thing. The second, because he’s hated her fucking guts since, like, kindergarten, and the third—”

“Wait, what?” I ask, as Zayd turns his green eyes over to me.

“Wait, what, what?” he asks, raising his dark brows.

“Lizzie and Tristan never …” Zayd snorts and shakes his head.

“Nope. Never. I think … he liked her too much, maybe?”

A cold wave of jealousy rolls over me, and I have to count my breaths to get in control of my emotions again. I’m having an irrational reaction to that news. Shouldn’t I be happy that they’ve never slept together? But yet … Zayd is right.

My heart pounds as my mind replays Tristan’s words over and over again. “Because I use sex like a weapon. I won't wield it against you.” I’m not sure if I’m relieved that he didn’t sleep with Lizzie … or terrified.

“Come on, Charity, don’t stress,” Zayd says, ashing his cigarette and flicking it expertly into an empty metal bucket near the door. He scoops me up in his arms, the smell of sage and tobacco wafting around me. “If Tristan’s too stupid to take you seriously, then dump him.” He gestures to the side with his chin. “I’ve got something for you in my pocket.”

I reach down and accidentally cup his ass while I’m looking for the pocket opening, and Zayd whistles.

“It was an accident,” I sputter, but he gives me this panty-melting look with half-lidded eyes and a sideways smirk.

“Sure it was. But hey, consent is sexy, and I consent all the fucking way for you to grab my ass.” I roll my eyes at him, and pull out the piece of paper, unfolding it and quickly scanning over the words. It’s his test results, just like Zack’s. “Zayd and Tristan heard me talking about having tests done, and they fucking copied me.” I remember hearing him say that, and I smile.

Happily, Zayd Kaiser is very much clean and healthy.

“Thank you, Zayd,” I say honestly, and then laugh as he carries me into the house and kisses me smack on the lips. Of course, Dad just happens to be standing there when he does it, right next to Windsor.

“Marnye Elizabeth,” he breathes, his face a mask of horror. Because of Jennifer, I know how he feels about cheating, so I push away from Zayd and make him set me on my feet, so I can explain.

“It’s not what it looks like,” I breathe as Zack comes to a stop behind me. I’ve got both palms up in defense. “Dad, I wouldn’t … you know how I feel about cheaters.”

“You and Windsor broke up?” he asks, glancing over at the prince. Wind raises one brow and looks back at Charlie before turning to me with a slight smile. He can’t wait to hear me fumble my way through this one.

Okay, Marnye, you’ve got this. Dad is sick, but he’s not stupid. You can trust him with this.

“Don’t be afraid,” Andrew says, appearing next to me with his chestnut hair buzzed short, a white polo shirt on over a pair of light colored jeans. He smiles at me, and I feel suddenly so much better to have a friend around who I’m not romantically involved with. He leans in close and whispers in my ear. “If I can tell my parents that I’m gay, you can so do this. It’s easy; you got this.”

Andrew moves into the kitchen and reaches for the wine before he realizes that he’s not exactly twenty-one.

“Oh, son, I know you kids all drink,” Dad says with a slight smile. “A glass of chardonnay isn’t going to kill you. Just don’t become an alcoholic like me.”

“Dad!” I choke out as Zack steps forward to stand by my side.

“Your daughter doesn’t drink, not at all,” Zack says, and Charlie’s smile gets just a bit sadder.

“She’s always been one to make prudent choices. Okay, Marnye, tell me what’s going on.”

“I’m … dating five guys,” I say, and what’s left of Dad’s eyebrows goes up. Dad … He glances over at Andrew, and he raises his own hands in defense.

“Oh, no, not me. Definitely not me. I’m more likely to date five guys than your daughter—not that she isn’t fabulous, just …” He shrugs and takes a drink of his wine. I need to know the whole coming out story, that is, if he wants to tell me. I’m going to at least ask. Knowing Miranda she’ll probably hound him relentlessly.

“So,” Charlie starts, looking at Windsor then Zack then Zayd … “These guys and … the Cabot boy, and …”

“And me,” Tristan says, stepping into the room in black shorts, a loose black shirt, and sandals. He doesn’t bother to take off his sunglasses, but he does at least attempt some semblance of a smile.

“You boys …” Dad starts, looking like he’s stuck halfway between fainting and thanking me for being honest. “I didn’t raise my daughter to date bullies.”

Tristan pushes his shades up into his raven dark hair, and I see a black eye there that he most definitely did not have when we left the academy campus on Friday.

“No, I’m sure you didn’t, Mr. Reed, but if you can forgive me for speaking frankly, I’d like to reassure you that your daughter not only handled herself in a matter befitting a lady, but she also kicked our asses before she forgave us.” He tucks his sunglasses into his pocket.

“Marnye has a big heart; she forgives too easily,” Charlie says, studying the group of them. “I swear, if you’re playing some sort of long game …”

“Long game?” Zack ask, and Dad glances his way.

A shock of adrenaline courses through me, and I lick my lips. If I said I hadn’t at least considered that possibility, I’d be lying. But … no. Not with Windsor around. Zack either, for that matter.

“If those three pull something during graduation the way they did at the end of first year, I swear to God, I’ll kill them all and put them in the ground. What do I have to lose? I’m dying anyway.”