Knowing You (Cursed 2)

I can feel his breathy laugh as his chest shakes behind me.

"What do you like about me?!" Lance shouts. Apparently everyone's awake and listening.

"Pretend you didn't hear him," Ashton whispers loudly. I smile. She raises her voice. "So Lana, what do you like about Lance?"

I speak so Lance can overhear every word. "Um... I guess that he doesn't screw over his friends, and the friends he does screw, he's super sweet to and would never do anything to hurt. Because he's noble and will do whatever he can to protect her from being hurt."

Lance groans. "Kaely knows how I feel. So butt out."

Ashton and I laugh.

"You are protective of your friends, aren't you?" Grant whispers.

"Ssshh," Ashton hisses. "You're not here."

The room fills with groggy laughter.

"We should go," Brendan announces, rolling off the bed. Ashton protests when he moves away. He leans down and kisses her cheek. "We need to be out of here before the rest of campus wakes." Then he randomly adds, "And why the hell is Lance's curse Nobility and Grant's is Integrity, while I'm stuck with Perception?" He sounds seriously upset by this.

"I don't make them up," I tell him. "You are the professional stalker after all."

"What?" Grant pokes his head around my shoulder to glare at Brendan.

"She's kidding," Brendan says in attempt to put Grant at ease.

"Not really," Lance chimes in.

"I'll explain later." I kiss Grant's hand. "But you guys really should go. I'm already in trouble."

"Why?" Grant questions with concern.

"Wow, you really don't tell him anything, do you?" Brendan accuses. I shoot him a threatening look, and he reveals his arrogant smirk.

Grant kisses my forehead and crawls out of the bed. His hair is rumpled, as is his shirt. I think he may look even more amazing first thing in the morning, all mussed up. Even more than he did in his suit. Well, maybe not.

"Are you undressing him with your mind?" Ashton asks. I reach up to cover her mouth with my hand. But because it's my left hand, I end up swatting her in the forehead.

"Ow!" she exclaims. "What was that for?"

Grant chuckles. "You guys are ... I don't even know. I'm glad I got to see it though." He directs his attention to me. "Are you working at the club this afternoon or at the event tonight?"

"Tonight," I answer, hopeful he says the same.

"Me too!" Ashton exclaims.

"I think we all are," Brendan says, but then looks to Lance. "Except pretty boy over here. How did you get out of work--" Then he shuts up, realizing we have a new person in the room who doesn't know we all have court fees or fines to work off. Blackwood's privacy policies keep the rest of the world from knowing the truth about the requirements to being accepted here. I don't think Grant does either.

Grant realizes that Brendan has stopped talking because of him. "Is this another thing you're going to explain later?" he asks me.

I look around at everyone, asking for permission.

"Only if you're a keeper," Lance stipulates.

My eyes widen. "What?"

"He doesn't get to know unless you two are serious. If he wants in on the group, and our secrets, he can't be a fling."

Everyone stares at me for the answer, including Grant.