Ritual - Palm South University

The changing of the tides is cold and unfamiliar, and it leaves me wishing I could wrap myself up in what has always been and never let it go.

But this is the way life is. It’s constantly ebbing and flowing, throwing us into new waters, testing our ability to float.

One thing I know for sure is that no matter where these girls end up in the world, we’ll always have each other.

And as long as that’s true, there’s nothing we can’t survive.

“Welp,” Erin says when it’s almost midnight, rolling out of bed. “As much as I’d love to just pass out right now, my bag isn’t going to pack itself.”

I frown. “Don’t you mean your entire room?”

Erin shakes her head. “Nope. Mom and Dad are going to take care of packing up my room, actually. They’re going to store everything at their house until I get back.”

Jess sits up, blowing her hair out of her face. “Back? Back from where?”

“I don’t know, actually,” Erin says with a blush.

The girls and I exchange looks. “Okay…” I say after a minute. “You mind telling us what the hell you’re talking about?”

Erin giggles — giggles, like a freaking kindergartner. “Gavin and I are going on a trip.”

“What?!”

We all say it at once, and then it’s a chaos of questions — Where? For how long? Is this safe? —before Erin holds out her hands to shush us all.

“We don’t know where we’re going,” she says with a smile. “That’s kind of the point.”

Jess blinks. “I’m confused.”

“We’re going to let two strangers in the airport choose our gate, and then we’re just going to buy a ticket and… go.”

“Go,” Ashlei repeats. “You’re just going to get on a plane and fly wherever that plane is going with whatever you can fit in that bag.” She points at the suitcase Erin has unfolded on the floor.

“Yep.”

“Who are you and what have you done with our best friend?” Jess asks.

Erin laughs, jumping back into the bed with us. “I haven’t been this excited in a long, long time, you guys. I trust Gavin. And I know it’s out of character for me but… hell, I’m about to be in law school. There won’t be any time for fun.” She shrugs. “This is all I have for a while, and he wants to make the most of it.”

“I like him,” I say, definitively.

“Me, too,” she whispers, her eyes meeting mine. “As much as it terrifies me, me too.”

Cassie sighs, throwing her arms around all our necks. “I can’t believe this is it. This is our last cuddle session in this bed.”

“Hey, this bed is about to be mine,” I remind her. “Consider it open for cuddle seshes.”

Cassie holds out her pinky. “Let’s make a promise. Anytime anyone needs us, all they have to do is say the word, and we’re right here in this bed. No matter what.”

We somehow manage to all loop our pinkies in one giant knot, and then we lean forward to kiss our knuckles, laughing when we bump heads.

And again, I’m reminded that no matter how things change, no matter what bumps lie ahead, I’m surrounded by the strongest, smartest, most badass girls to ever live.

The bonds of sisterhood don’t just go away with graduation… and thank God for that.

Because something tells me we’re going to need each other more than ever.To be continued…Pre-Order Hazed, Palm South University #6! Coming February 25th, 2021.If you like Palm South University, here are some other Kandi Steiner books you’ll love…The Wrong Game. A fun sports romance set in Chicago where Gemma’s one and only plan is to take a different guy to each home game of the Chicago Bears football season, have some fun, and stay away from anything resembling a relationship. But after Zach convinces her to take him for a practice round, he decides he has a completely different plan in mind…On the Rocks. Book one in The Becker Brothers series where four brothers find love in a small Tennessee town built around a whiskey distillery – and try to solve the mystery of their father’s death along the way.Make Me Hate You. Kandi’s most recent stand-alone release and an Amazon Top 30 Bestseller. There’s a line between love and hate, but when Jasmine and Tyler are forced to sleep in the same house for a wedding, they’ll discover just how thin it is. Keep reading for a sneak peek inside.Sign up for Kandi’s newsletter so you never miss Palm South University news, new releases, free books, sales, and more!Follow Kandi Steiner on Instagram.Join Kandi’s reader group on Facebook.Now, here’s a sneak peek inside Make Me Hate You. Read it now in Kindle Unlimited!June 8th, 2013I didn’t know a heart could break like that.

I didn’t know it was possible to feel every sensation of your chest splitting wide open, of your heart bleeding out, without a single puncture wound being made.