“I don’t know what happened to me. I just…” I trail off. I shake my head, still shocked at not just what happened but how I reacted to it all. I completely froze up. I’d never thought I’d let someone talk to me like that. Then again, I never thought someone would talk to me like that. It has never happened before.
“They’re jerks.”
“Yeah,” I whisper in agreement. “Thanks for standing up for me.”
She gives my arm a squeeze. “To be honest, I don’t know where that came from. I saw red when he pulled that shirt off you. Then he wouldn’t let you go… I just reacted.” I can hear the anger in her voice.
“You were pretty badass.” I smile at her. I wasn’t just trying to be nice when I told her we were best friends. I know now that it’s true.
“I kinda felt like it,” she laughs in agreement.
We walk in silence for a moment before I ask her what is now messing with my head. “Everyone thinks I’m a slut?” I ask. I’m on the verge of tears as I wait for her to answer me.
“Maybe. People have been whispering about you and the Audley twins since you got here. It’s not normal and things that aren’t normal to people generally get shamed. Besides, what’s wrong with being a slut?” she adds.
“Nothing,” I say instantly, because there isn’t anything wrong with it. “It’s that the word is out there to begin with. That they are trying to make it sound like what we’re doing is wrong.
Erika stops walking and turns to look at me. Her face is serious. “You’re lucky. You grew up in a place that accepted what the three of you are. It’s not going to be that way everywhere. You know that, right? This is something you’re going to have to face the rest of your life if you three choose to stay together.”
“I’d never leave them. I don’t care what anyone says,” I whisper, more to myself than to anyone listening. I don’t want to think about a life without them. It’s what I want more than anything. I swallow the lump that has formed in my throat. I don’t know why I never thought about this before now. She’s right though. I did grow up in a place that let us be who we are. Still, the idea of men trying to grab at me like Surfer Dude did scares the crap out of me. Worse, I stood in shock and let him. I don’t know what I’m more upset about—how I reacted to the situation or how others are reacting to my relationship with the twins.
In high school, no one dared breathe a negative word in my direction. The Audley twins ran that school and from the day I moved to town, everyone knew I belonged to them. Mom said that our relationship was unusual, but I never perceived it as something negative or bad. Looking back, I can see my naivety. Anything that’s not normal is usually subject to a lot of criticism. I should’ve prepared myself.
This is going to be trouble. I wonder how Levi and Zeke are going to react to all of this. Did they think about what it would be like for us here? Is this why they were holding off claiming me in all the ways I desperately wanted? They’re so protective of me, but I feel the same way toward them. I want to shield them from all the hurts in this world. How do I do that and still have them?
13
Zeke
The phone screen cracks in my grip, but I manage to make it through the entire Snap story before snarling, “I’m going to murder him.”
And by him, I mean, the frat boy who got laid out by Olivia’s roommate yesterday. The frat boy who had the fucking Audacity with a capital A to come on to Olivia, to call her a slut, to embarrass her. No, not just embarrass her—to make her feel low.
“I’m going to reach down his throat and pull his balls out of his mouth.”
“No, you’re not,” Levi replies.
I jerk my gaze up from my broken phone to meet my twin’s eyes. “What the hell do you mean, I’m not?” We’re always in sync. Always. But not over this? What the fuck?
He shrugs. “If you go, I’m gonna have to go with you and we will both end up in jail. How are we supposed to protect our girl if we’re behind bars? And it’s not like we didn’t expect this.”
My jaw drops. How can my brother, who worships the very ground that Olivia walks on, not be out of his mind with rage? “Did you get a concussion this morning? I mean, for fucking real. Have you taken one too many hits to the head? How can you be so calm about this?”