Always Crew

I eyed her, half-grinning. “Did we just become best buds?”

Bren started laughing.

I added, “Cross and Jordan might have something to say about this. They won’t be happy. It’ll mess up the entire group’s dynamic. Does this mean I get to bone you?”

Bren’s laughter stopped and her fist flew out. She landed a good solid one across my jaw.

Too far. I rubbed at it, grinning at her. “There’s that line you keep mentioning.”

“You think?”

But she was smiling, and that was really the reason she called me.

I did my job.

CROSS

“Dickweed.”

I was leaving the library and sighed because, of course, we had psych together earlier and he ignored me. He’d been ignoring me since we cut him out of handling Harper, but now my brother was wanting attention.

I stopped. I considered it.

Fuck it. I kept going.

“Hey! I said DICKWEED!”

I whirled around. “Keep fucking insulting me, and we’re going round two.”

Blaise slowed to a stroll, that same damned fucking smirk there.

He did it again.

I wanted to deck him just for that.

“What do you want?” I snapped, knowing we were getting attention and knowing some of them were giggling girls and frat douchebags, because when I was around my brother, we were attention magnets. His soccer stardom had been growing since we started school, and half the guys around knew Blaise from Zeke. Another idiot that I couldn’t stand, which brought me back to—why the fuck was I standing here?

I turned, starting to leave.

“Okay, okay!” Blaise was laughing. He held a hand up. “Jesus. Peace, fucker.”

I growled. “Stop pissing me off, Blaise.”

“I’m just messing with you.”

“I’m just getting sick of it.”

“Okay, okay.” He drew up next to me, lowering his voice. “Zeke texted me. Harper’s back and called a house meeting. Zeke’s worried about what’s going to go down there.”

I drew up short. All kinds of alarms were starting to sound in my head. “I told him not to talk.”

“Guess he stopped caring?”

With everything going on with Bren and her job, Harper had somewhat slipped my mind.

Blaise asked, keeping his voice low, “Anything new from the dad front?”

I shook my head. “No, and if there was, Channing would’ve called.”

“So what are you thinking?”

What was I thinking? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

I started walking forward.

“Hey.” Blaise darted to keep up with me. “Are you going to the frat house right now?”

I threw him a frown. “Why would I do that?”

“Why?” he scoffed at the same time a couple girls waved at him, saying hi. He ignored them. “Because your girl beat the shit out of him for your other friend because of his girl. Are you following the dots? You guys are involved.”

“We’re not involved.”

“How do you figure?”

I stopped and let out a breath. “He called a frat meeting. I have nothing to do with his fraternity. Zeke does, so that means you do. I draw the line there. I can barely stand you, but no fucking way am I wading in to help Zeke. No matter what bullshit loyalty he has to you or you have to him, he’s been a pain in my ass and Bren’s ass since before you arrived in town. So, yeah. I don’t give a shit. You go to the frat meeting and do whatever you want.”

I took off, hearing him bite out a growl behind me.

I kept going. I meant what I said.

“I want him out of that house.”

I didn’t stop, saying over my shoulder, “I don’t care!”

“He’s going to be a problem for Zeke if he stays.”

Aaand again, “I really don’t care!”

“Agh! Fine! What do you want?”

I stopped walking, and turned back, my eyebrow cocked up. “Say again?”

“What do you want?”

“Want?”

“Yeah. What do you want?”

I frowned. “Why are you up my ass to do this? What do you think we can do to help with this?”

Blaise frowned at me, his head cocked to the side. He seemed to be thinking, then he held a finger up. “You’re right. I’m thinking of this all in the wrong way. Thank you.” He flashed me a smile before backing away. “Oh, hey. You coming to my soccer game?”

“You play today?”

He dipped his head down. “Seven.”

This was another annoying fact about him. He was fun to watch. Even Bren enjoyed going to the games.

I growled, biting out, “We’ll be there.” His smile was blinding. So was how fucking smug he was. “Sit with Aspen, could you? Some of her friends are heading home for the weekend. They won’t be there.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah.”

He took off, and my phone started buzzing in my pocket, so I pulled it out.

An unknown number flashed over the screen.

“Hello?”

A voice said from the other end, “This is Bren’s boss. I believe you have something of mine.”

He was waiting by his truck when I pulled into the parking lot.

I didn’t know why he asked to meet here, outside PubTown, but I went. I was figuring not meeting in his parking lot was better odds for me? Either way, I wouldn’t be alone for long. I called everyone, giving Bren the option if she wanted to come and hear what he had to say, or head to the soccer game to sit with Aspen.