IN THE TIME I WAS BACKSTAGE with Cassie and Skyler was behind the bar with Clinton, something changed. I’m not entirely sure what just yet, but something is different. Skyler has stopped trembling; she’s smiling, talking to everyone in our group as we wait for the next sister to come up on stage. She’s here, tucked under my arm, but she’s not really here. Her mind is somewhere far away. She’s thinking, and it’s the kind of thinking that makes me uneasy.
I think we both feel it. We both feel something coming.
Excusing myself from the group, I slide up to the bar and get a refill on my Captain and Coke just as Cassie takes the stage.
I can tell she’s still nervous, but she’s much better than she was backstage. Her cheeks rosy, she’s twisting her fingers together and smiling out at the crowd as Siomara talks into the mic about how great of a catch Cassie is. Paying for my drink and lifting it to my lips as I make my way back to the group, I catch just the tail end of the spiel.
“Plus, she’s probably the cutest redhead Palm South University has ever seen, am I right?”
The room erupts into a mixture of cheers from her sisters and hoots from the guys crowding the bar. Cassie flushes a deep, crimson red, and I can’t help but smile.
“We’ll start the bidding at one-hundred dollars.”
There’s a lull in the noise, everyone waiting for that first paddle to go up. Only a few seconds pass, but I watch as Cassie’s smile falls, worry appearing in the form of a small crease between her brows. Snatching the paddle out of my brother, Jeremy’s, hand, I shoot it up into the air.
“One-hundred! Do I hear one-fifty?”
Cassie’s green eyes sparkle when she sees it was me with the paddle. She mouths a thank you, and I just smile, handing the paddle back to Jeremy. Jeremy is one of my closest friends in the fraternity, the one brother who helped me with all the events last semester and believed in me when I said I could put our fraternity on the map. This semester, he’s my right-hand man, and if we have anything to do with it, we’ll be President and Vice President next year.
Skyler’s arms wrap around my middle and she leans her head on my chest, looking up at me through her long lashes.
“You may officially be the best boyfriend ever. Thank you for doing that.”
I shrug. “I just got the bets started.”
And I did. A few more paddles go up before the bid levels out around three-hundred. Siomara is just about to call it when a last-minute paddle flies up.
“Five-hundred!”
Everyone cheers, and Cassie searches the crowd for the new bidder. When she finds him, recognition hits her eyes. She smiles, a bigger smile than I’ve seen on her face in some time. She knows the guy, and as he makes his way to the stage, panting slightly, like he rushed to get here and just barely made it, Cassie turns to Siomara.
“Sold!” she yells before Siomara has the chance to ask for a higher bid.
Siomara laughs, banging her make-shift gavel on the podium. “You heard the girl!”
A few laughs ring out and then everyone goes back to their conversations or to the bar, waiting for the next auction to start. My eyes, however, stay firmly on Cassie as she makes her way down the stairs. The mystery guy is waiting for her, but when she leaves the last stair, I lose sight of them just as he wraps her in a hug.
Who the hell is that?
“So, I hear you’re joining us on Spring Break, Brooks. You think you can hang with a bunch of KKBs and O Chis?” Clinton clinks his class with mine and takes a drink. I sip mine and smile.
“I guess we’ll find out. I am excited, though. I’ve never been to Key West.”
“Me either,” he says. “I heard Duval Street is crazy.”
“I’m just ready for some sunshine and a break from classes. Homework is already killing me,” Skyler adds.
“Yeah, I can’t wait to see you in a bathing suit, either. Oh! I mean sunshine. Can’t wait to be in the sunshine. Totally meant sunshine.” I wink at Skyler and she elbows my side, but leans up to plant a swift kiss on my cheek.
“You two are so cute it’s kind of disgusting,” Jeremy says.
“Don’t be jealous. I’m sure your hand looks very nice in a yellow bikini, too.”
This time Jeremy slugs my arm and we all laugh just as Cassie joins our group. And she’s not alone. There’s a hand wrapped around her small waist, a hand attached to a long, tattooed arm.
“Hey guys, this is Grayson,” Cassie introduces, looking up at the guy with a smile. He’s tall, lanky but not too skinny. His hair and beard are dark, but his eyes are bright blue. He’s not even remotely unfortunate looking, and for some reason, that irks me.
“Oh yeah, from the coffee shop, right?” Skyler asks, moving forward first. She gives him a hug before wrapping her arms around me again. “Thanks for donating to our cause tonight.”
“Of course. I would have paid more if it meant getting Cassie to go on another date with me.” He grins down at her and she flushes, just slightly, like she did the day I first met her.
“Another? I didn’t know you two had already been on one,” Skyler says, her arms still around my waist.
“We just went to dinner.”
“She’s playing hard to get,” Grayson argues, but they’re both smiling.
I’m highly annoyed.
“Well I guess she can’t say no to a five-hundred dollar proposition,” Clinton says, leaning forward to shake Grayson’s hand. “I’m Bear.”
“Nice to meet you, man.”
“Oh! Yeah, this is my Big, Skyler, and Adam and Jeremy. They’re in Alpha Sigma.”
Grayson shakes Jeremy’s hand first and mine last. His grip is strong, smile still in place.
“Hey, I know you. You’re the one who threw that kick ass concert last semester, right?” he asks as we drop hands.
“Uh, yeah.”
“Bro! That was so sick. Three of my favorite bands in the area were there. Are you doing another one next fall?”
“If I have anything to do with it, yeah.” Cassie is smiling up at him as we talk a little more about the concert. He really knows his shit about local music, and before I can stop him, Jeremy is asking if he’ll help scout talent next semester. The guy is nice, funny, not even a little douche-like.
I hate him.
My phone buzzes, and for the first time ever, I’m actually relieved to see a text from Clay demanding I get my ass to the house.
“Shit,” I murmur. Skyler leans over to look at the text. “Clay just called an emergency meeting.”
“Think it’s about the retreat?” Jeremy asks.
“Not sure, but we should probably both go.” I turn to Skyler, apologies at the ready.
“Don’t,” she says before I have the chance, holding up her hand. “It’s completely fine. I’m exhausted anyway and need to call my parents about what happened tonight. I’ll text you tomorrow?”
“Yeah, okay.” I smile and she lifts on her toes to give me a kiss. She breaks away too soon for me, so I pull her back, running my hand up her arm to grip the back of her neck, holding her to me. She sighs a little, as if my kiss reassured her of something I didn’t even know she was questioning.
“Have fun tonight.”
“You too,” she breathes when I break the kiss. “See you guys later. Nice to meet you, Grayson.” I nod my head as he holds his whiskey up in a cheers to me.
My eyes flick to Cassie’s, but just for a moment, not even long enough to read what lies behind them before I turn and make my way through the crowd with Jeremy.