Anti-Stepbrother
“Summer! You told me you were going to kiss him, but I didn’t think it would happen.”
“I did? When?”
“At the party, but you were drunk. We were all drunk.”
“Matthews doesn’t get drunk.”
“Was Kevin?” I asked.
“Was he what? Drunk?”
“Yeah.” My word came out raspy.
“I don’t know. He’d been drinking, but now that you ask, I can’t remember if he was drunk or not. I don’t think he was.” She paused. “Does that matter?”
Yes. So much yes.
“He took advantage of you.”
I couldn’t get Caden out of my head. I murmured into the phone, “Not anymore.”
“Oh, Sum.”
There was the best friend doing the best friend thing. She heard the hurt in my voice. “Did he hurt you? Is he coming that weekend? I’ll rip off his balls.”
I laughed. “I’ve missed you so much. You know that?”
“I’ve missed you too. We’ve all been so busy, but we need to talk twice a month.”
“Agreed.” My chest felt lighter. I could breathe easier. “Or once a week.”
“Yes. Daily emails.”
“Group chats.”
“Hangout chats.”
“Yes!”
“No more of this not keeping in touch. It’s bullshit.”
“Agreed.” I wanted to thrust my fist in the air. I was getting inspired. “Friends make the world go round.”
“Damn straight.” She cursed. “My roommate just got back. I have to go. You’ll like her when you come.”
“Okay.” I was back to chewing my bottom lip. “Oh hey, before you go, the guys have rented some house for us, I think. But it might be full. If I needed to, could I stay with you guys in your dorm room?”
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah, but only if there’s room—”
“We were hoping to crash at the house. It’s a big deal here that Alpha Mu is opening up their second house for you guys. It’s given us major cred.”
I cursed. “Really?” I couldn’t hold back my disappointment. “I mean, yay! That’s awesome.”
“Kevin’s in that fraternity. Is he coming? Is he the guy? You never answered me.”
“What guy?”
“Don’t play dumb.”
“I’m not.” I was.
“I know there’s a guy thing going on. I just haven’t figured out if it’s Kevin or not. Is it him?”
“No. That ship sailed, then kinda returned to dock. He’s in a different marina now.”
“I’m sorry.”
She meant it. “I’m fine with it.”
“But I’m assuming the guy is coming?”
“Can I plead the fifth?”
“Oh, Sum. I’m sorry.”
Pesky tears. I kept blinking. I did not want them to fall.
“Asswipe, let’s go,” I heard in the background on her end. Clarissa said something back, but it was muffled.
“Look, I have to go,” she said, coming back on. “We have something happening, and my usually amazing roommate is being bossy right now.”
“I heard that,” a voice piped up again.
Clarissa pulled away from the phone. “I meant for you to hear that. I’m comforting one of my best friends here.”
There was another exchange, but it was muffled again, and then she came back on the phone. “I’ll talk to you later? I know there are people from your end coordinating with the Alpha Mu chapter here, but keep us in the loop too, will you? Let us know what day you’re coming: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or even Sunday. I don’t care when. I just want to know, and you can sleep here every single night if you want to.”
A wave of gratitude came over me. “Thank you, Clarissa.”
“Did you want me to call back later tonight? We could talk about the guy.”
“No. I don’t even want to talk about the guy.”
“So there is a guy! I got that out of you at least.”
My cheeks were hurting, stretched tight from my stupid grin. “Love you, Clarissa.”
We’d just hung up when I heard, “You okay?”
I hadn’t heard my door opening, but there stood Avery with a concerned frown on her face. She gestured to my phone. “I couldn’t help but overhear some of that. What’s going on?”
I felt raw and exposed, and I was done feeling that way. “Stupid boy stuff.”
She came in, shutting the door behind her, and crossed to sit on my bed. “Kevin?”
I started to shake my head, but stopped. “I’m not trying to shut you out, but I just don’t want to talk about it.”
“No, that’s cool, but…” She looked down to her lap.
“What?” I turned completely around in my desk chair, gripping the back of it.
“He broke up with Maggie.”
Caden had called it. Kevin had laid out the breadcrumbs for me to follow.
“Really?”
“He moved out, and he’s at the fraternity again.”
“You’ve talked to Maggie?”
She nodded, watching me carefully. “She said he had feelings for a different girl.”
Oh. My. God.
It was happening.
The evidence was in front of me, all of it.