A Rose to Keep (The Society 1)

Chapter Sixteen

Dante

The chocolate ice cream was good. After everything Mateo told us, we’d all gone our separate ways, taking the time to think before we came up with a plan.

I knew something must have happened between our dads and Sian’s mother, but that was fucking twisted. Allowing your girlfriend who suffered a miscarriage to take the fall. Where did Alexander play into it? Where did our dads play into the role? Sian was destined to be ours from before we were born. It was messed up.

“You look deep in thought,” Heather said, coming into the kitchen.

She wore a long nightshirt. Her blonde hair was ruffled from sleeping and she didn’t look like the calm, collected student she would like us to believe.

“Shit is going on,” I said.

“Yeah. Shit is always going on.” She grabbed the spare spoon from the counter, and sat down next to me, taking a scoop of ice cream.

“Did I say you could share?”

“Nope, but I figured we both could use some comfort.”

“Why you?”

“When you go away with your best friend and see her between four guys, believe me, you need to have something to help the broken heart.” Heather took another scoop.

“You know Sian is doing a lot for you,” I said. “She does love you.”

I didn’t know why I was trying to make her feel better. She wasn’t my girlfriend and she was our competition.

“I know. We’re best friends. I will always be her best friend. Some days I just wish it could have been more.”

“Have you told her how you feel?”

“No. Have you?” Heather asked.

I took another scoop of ice cream, and Heather groaned. “You know I thought she was acting a little weird around me. Damn it. Why couldn’t you have let me figure it out?”

“How to tell your best friend that you’re in love with her and think about sucking her pussy most days of the week.”

“I wouldn’t have been so crass,” Heather said.

“You wouldn’t have told her.” I was done with the ice cream.

“Do you think I should leave the school?”

“And what would that accomplish?” I asked.

“I don’t know. Sian wouldn’t have to feel responsible for me. I think she wants me to have a happy ending because she doesn’t feel like she is going to get one.”

“Sian will get a happy ending. We will all see to it.”

Heather sighed. “You’re right.” She climbed off the chair, put the spoon in the sink, and turned toward the door. “Thank you for listening to me.”

“I had no choice. You wouldn’t shut up.”

She chuckled. “You’re a good guy, Dante.”

I highly doubted it, but I was already putting the ice cream away, ignoring her. I was finished with my thoughts for the night, and all I wanted to do was escape out of my own. I turned back to the counter to grab my spoon in time to see Sian entering the kitchen.

She had on a pair of cute pajama bottoms and a shirt. She rubbed at her eyes as if she’d been asleep.

“Hey, beautiful,” I said. “Can’t sleep?”

Sian nodded with a yawn. “Not from lack of trying either. I thought sleeping in a soft, dreamy bed would make me feel better. It doesn’t.” She wrinkled her nose. “Now I’m just really tired. I should warn you I’m going to be miserable tomorrow.”

“We’re heading back to the dorm tomorrow.”

“We are? So early? Why?”

“We got what we came here for. There’s no reason to linger.”

“And here I was hoping I could try out that pool.” Her bottom lip came out.

A thought struck me. “What makes you think you have to wait until morning to try it?” Taking her hand, I began to tug her along the corridor. I’d been to Mateo’s home enough times to know the layout without needing all the lights on.

Sian kept up with me, pace by pace, as we rounded the corridor, going straight through to the pool house.

They hadn’t put the cover on the pool. I pulled my shirt up over my head. Next, my shorts followed, and I dived in.

I came above the surface with a gasp.

“Come on,” I said. “Are you too chicken?”

“We didn’t ask.”

“Sian, he’s my best friend, and he wouldn’t mind us using the pool. You’ve got to learn to live a little.”

I ran my hands back and forth through the water, loving the way it surrounded me and made me feel weightless.

Sian hesitated. Her hand went to the edge of her shirt. “I’m not wearing any underwear.”

Fucking score.

“I’ll turn away.”

I gave her my back, hoping it would encourage her, but the truth was I was fucking horny. My girl was naked.

The sound of a splash had me turning around.

Sian broke from the water and nearly showed me her pretty tits, but they stayed hidden.

“It’s cold,” Sian said.

I did a couple of strokes, getting close to her.