She was singing again, loudly and off-key in her adorable Jazz way. It wasn’t that she couldn’t hold a tune. Far from it. The girl was pitch perfect. But she loved making up new lyrics to her favorite songs—for some reason, she was currently slaughtering Elvis’ “Don’t Be Cruel,”—usually while booty-dancing around her room.

In his bedroom, Gray grinned and adjusted his bowtie. He hated the stupid thing, but he’d gone all out and rented a tux, intending to surprise Jazz. The school year had gone by ridiculously fast. Now it was spring again and it felt like they hadn’t spent any time together in forever. She’d mentioned a couple of times in her emails that she didn’t have a date for her birthday party, and the date coordinated well with his break from school. So why not?

They were friends. Friends hung out together. Friends also grinned at the sound of each other’s voices. And in his case, saved their friend’s emails in a special folder in their account.

Sometimes they even stopped bothering to date college girls for the last few months, because what was the point? He’d tried doing the full college experience during the fall semester, and every one of the girls had come up short in comparison.

But that wasn’t what tonight was about. After the kiss that wasn’t during their unforgettable San Francisco trip in August, he’d gotten the message loud and clear. She didn’t see him that way. He’d come up with and rejected a few theories why, but in the end, their friendship was the most important thing. He would never do anything to jeopardize it.

Tonight he intended to make sure his best friend had a fabulous time.

“Well, this is a surprise. Didn’t expect you to come home for spring break.”

Gray cringed inwardly. His brother. Great. Of course Brent wouldn’t have expected him to come home, because he didn’t think about anyone but himself and figured Gray was as one-track-minded. “Yep. Here I am.”

“And you’re all done up and shit. Big plans tonight, bro?”

So much for Brent paying attention to what was going on in his own house. “It’s Jazz’s birthday.” Gray turned to look at his brother, slouching insolently in the doorway. He had a bottle of scotch tipped up to his lips. He wasn’t twenty-one yet, but their parents wouldn’t say a word to their precious firstborn.

Even when he was being a dick.

“Oh, is it? How’d I miss that?” He grinned. “Bet she’ll need some spankings.”

Asshole. “How about you?” Gray slicked a hand over his spiky hair. “Not like you to stick around home on a Friday night.”

“I’m thinking I’ll spend some time with Jazzy at her little party.” Slowly, Brent licked his lips. “I heard she needed a man and you know I always try to assist family.”

Gray’s spine locked. Brent had dropped out of college right after Thanksgiving and he’d moved into the spare bedroom Jazz had used when she’d first moved in, one that was much smaller than the room he’d given up for her. She must’ve told Brent about her lack of a date. They must be friends now.

“Did she tell you that?”

“Does it matter? I know.” Brent swaggered into the room. “So what’s up with the tux? You trying to class it up? Gotta commend you, man. It won’t get you anywhere with her, but keep trying.”

When he would’ve pushed past Brent, Brent wrapped his meaty hand around his upper arm. “What the hell, man? Cool it.”

“No, you cool it. You don’t fucking live here anymore and you don’t know what shit’s been going down.”

The back of Gray’s neck went cold. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means you’re not the only one who can get close to Jazz. You always thought you had some special freaking bond. Well, get a fucking clue, dude. Girls like her are used to latching onto whomever’s around.” Brent saluted him with his bottle. “You weren’t here anymore. And I am.”

Gray’s eyes narrowed until all he could see was Brent’s taunting expression. “I don’t know what you’re trying to insinuate but I talk to her all the time. We call and email—”

Brent barked out a laugh. “Yeah, you keep calling and emailing. Meanwhile, some of us are taking it up to the next level.”

His older brother turned to leave, still wearing that sardonic smile, and something in Gray snapped. Why, he didn’t even know. He didn’t truly think anything was going on between Jazz and Brent. She rarely mentioned him, even if after he’d moved back in. Although maybe that was suspicious in itself…

No. They weren’t anything to each other. And even if they were, Gray knew he had no right to be pissed. They weren’t a couple. He’d barely even tried to kiss her.

She shut you down too fast for you to have a chance to kiss her.

“Stay the hell away from her,” Gray said in a low voice. “You want a piece of disposable pussy, find it somewhere else.”

“Why?” Brent tossed back another drink. “I think that particular pussy suits me just—”

Gray shot across the space that separated them and locked his hands around Brent’s throat, driving him into the wall with a crash that displaced one of Gray’s framed honors certificates. Glass shattered on the floor, splintering over his bare feet, and he didn’t even care. “Touch her, fucker, and you’ll answer to me.”

Brent shoved him back and he rammed into the corner of his dresser with enough force to knock the breath out of him. “She’s not yours. You don’t own her. Besides, maybe the lady likes me. Ever think of that?”

It was all bullshit. Brent had always been fiercely competitive with him in everything from sports to girls to their parents’ affection, and by showing how much he cared about Jazz, he was basically putting a bullseye on her forehead. Brent would direct one hundred percent of his attention at her just to piss Gray off. But he couldn’t keep the sharply-edged words from flying from his mouth like bullets.

“She’d never want you more than me. Fucking deal with it. You always have to win, and this time you just can’t.” Gray gripped his stinging back and heaved out a breath. “No matter what you do, you’ll never be me.”