Anti-Stepbrother (15 page)

Caden gave me a ride back to my dorm, and there was nothing awkward about it.

Nope. Not at all. Just friends here. Here was me, getting a ride back from a pal…who was gorgeous and I was currently fantasizing about. Yep, just platonic. Nothing more.

I was lying to myself, but I still enjoyed the looks I got when I exited his Land Rover and headed inside. More than a handful of girls did double-takes when they saw Caden.

I had a couple classes that day, and one I made it to was Intro to Physiology. I picked my seat and sat back, then shot upright as Marcus came down the aisle with two friends. It was a big class, but I know I would have noticed him in here. What was he doing?

He saw me and glared as he passed my seat.

Whatever. I wasn’t his enemy. I wasn’t Kevin. I looked away, slumping forward on the desk. I could feel his hot gaze on the back of my neck the entire class. If he could’ve given me a sunburn, I had no doubt he would’ve. The girl next to me tried talking to me. I must’ve responded because she didn’t seem to think I was rude, but if someone had asked me what we talked about, I would’ve had no idea.
Where had Marcus been the first two weeks?

The girl must’ve noticed that I kept sneaking glances back at him. “You got a thing for Marcus Banks?”

“No.” I frowned. “How do you know him?”

She gave me a wry look. “Everyone knows him, and his brother.”

“I didn’t know he was in this class.”

“He wasn’t. A friend of mine has a mad crush on him. Don’t ask me how, but she knows his schedule. He switched hours for some reason, so he’s in here with us now.”

“Oh.” Joy.

When class was done, she stood with me. “Hey, uh. Would you like to study together sometime?”

I was going to say yes, but Marcus’ gaze found mine and I forgot everything else. His jaw set in a determined look, and I gulped.

“I gotta go,” I told the bewildered girl. I hot-footed out of there and didn’t slow until I was a few buildings away. Looking back, I didn’t think Marcus had followed me, so I calmed a little.

I needed to catch up on some studying, but Avery stopped by my room later that night. I thought maybe she’d ask about Caden, but she didn’t. She wanted to gossip about Kevin.

I had to remind myself that was a good thing. If she only came to talk about Caden, it would be weird. I told her what I knew about the Kevin situation. He was still with Maggie, and he was moving in with her parents. I’d agreed to be a lame ass and help him move this weekend.

I never called my dad, though. The line was drawn there.

I was surprised when Avery said she’d help too, and when she showed up that Saturday morning, she’d gotten a few others to help, including a couple guys. Kevin and Maggie were shocked, but Maggie and Avery hugged at the end of the sweaty day.

I wondered then if Avery came more because of their friendship, rather than just to help me. Over the next few weeks, I was right. Maggie started coming over to the dorm to see Avery, a lot. At the same time, I settled into a pattern of going to classes and eating dinner or lunch with Avery and the girls. I began to study with my physiology classmate, and sometimes some of our floormates sat with Avery and me at lunch. Of course, her friends weren’t ecstatic about that, but it was Avery. Everyone loved her, and to their credit, I’m sure my floormates were confused when they saw me with her. I don’t think they realized we were friends outside of the dorm.

One night, I was heading out to see Caden as Maggie was coming into the dorm. I asked Avery later if she’d told Maggie about Caden and me. She shook her head, and I was relieved.

My friendship with Caden wasn’t a secret, but it wasn’t something I broadcasted. I knew other girls would misinterpret how much time I spent at his place. I hung out there most nights. Sometimes I studied. Sometimes I watched movies, but I mostly watched sports and drank beer with his fraternity brothers. They never hit on me, and they never acted weird when they saw me. I was accepted.

Avery asked me one time if I was heading to Caden’s, and I stopped short. I felt like I’d been caught cheating, but then she laughed and waved me on.

“Go have fun. Don’t feel bad about being friends with Caden Banks. I can tell you do. People might not understand it, but they don’t need to.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing.” She gave me reassuring smile. “I mean it. People just don’t know you, so there’s buzz about who you are. People have noticed that you walk there, and he drops you off later. His fraternity brothers always say hi to you on campus too.”

I knew all that, but hearing it made it more real.

“Has Kevin said anything about it?” Avery asked.

My panic bloomed, and I shook my head. “I think he’s still in MaggieLand.” I wasn’t looking forward to him checking on me, though. I was friends with someone he considered an enemy. #betrayal

She snorted. “I think Maggie’s getting sick of him.”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s been here a lot. She said something the other night how her parents asked Kevin if he was going to find his own apartment or move back to campus. He got all upset about that, and Maggie came here, saying she was fed up with him.”

That wasn’t his normal method. “Kevin usually cheats first, and then gets dumped. The girl doesn’t get tired of him.”

“Until now. A girl is finally going to get fed up with him. It’s inevitable.”

“Yeah. Maybe.”

“And because I really suck at transitioning, I’m just going to drop the bomb on you.”

“What?”

She glanced down, picking at her nails. “Um. Okay…” Her throat worked up and down. “I have a weird favor to ask you.”

Why was she suddenly nervous? This was not like Avery at all.

She took a breath and let it out. “Marcus and I might be…maybe…I don’t know what we’re doing really, but I think we might be getting back together.”

“What?!” I started to smile.

She waved that off. “No. Don’t get all excited. I don’t know what’s going on or even if something is happening again. He’s been calling, and we’ve eaten lunch together a few times at the cafe on campus. I mean, there’s more. We’ve been fooling around a little, but only a little. Please don’t judge.” She drew in a ragged breath. “I’m almost pissing my pants just thinking about it, but
ugh
. Anyway, I was thinking that since you’re friends with me and Caden, maybe the four of us could go bowling together.”

I furrowed my eyebrows together. “Bowling? I thought Marcus hated me?”

“He doesn’t hate you.”

I was pretty sure he did. Class was always awkward. I always felt him glaring at me, but she sounded excited. “You sure Marcus is okay with that?”

“Oh, yes. It’ll be great.” She brushed my concern away. “You. Caden. Me. Marcus.”

“That sounds like a double date.”

“No. Yes. I mean, kinda? It’s not really. Unless you and Caden are dating. Are you guys dating?”

“What?”

“Dating. Is that what you’re doing?”

“No.” I shook my head, maybe a bit too quickly. “No way. We’re friends. That’s it, but wouldn’t that be awkward for you and Marcus? Unless that’s the intention? You really would be dating again then?”

She groaned, pressing her fingers to her temples. “I don’t know if I can handle dating Marcus again.” She dropped her hands and true agony shone back at me.

My heart clenched.

“He broke me last time. He says he didn’t start seeing Maggie until a couple months later, but I’ve always felt like he dropped me for her. Obviously it’s not something she and I talk about.”

I surged forward, grabbing her hands. I squeezed them. “Then it’s a friend thing. I’ll mention it to Caden, but I’m sure he’ll be fine with it. And just friends.” I raised her hands between us. “I mean it. Just friends. Just focus on that. Don’t get ahead of yourself with Marcus, not unless you really want to go there.”

“Okay.” She nodded to herself, closing her eyes. “Okay. You’re right. I’ll just focus on being friends with Marcus first. First friends, my new motto.”

I nodded with her. “Thatta girl.”

Her grin became crooked. “Well, the benefits are there too, but nothing more. I won’t focus on anything more.”

“What?” My head went the other way, left to right. “No, no, no. First friends, only friends. Say it with me.”

She laughed and repeated with me, but it was bullshit. We both knew it.

I had assumed Avery and I would drive together to the bowling alley, but she had other plans. She said she was coming with Marcus because they were doing something else before they met us. She’d launched into a long explanation, but it was too complicated. The truth was that she wanted to spend more time with him, have an opportunity to be alone.

The bowling alley wasn’t too far away, so I walked from campus.

I was crossing the street as Caden pulled into the parking lot. He slowed and leaned forward to see me better as he turned in. I waited for him. He was shaking his head as he pocketed his keys, coming toward me.

I tried to ignore the little heart flip I always felt at the sight of him. He wore a black leather jacket over a white T-shirt and jeans. I almost missed seeing the snake. He looked like a mean, sexual being, but with muscles, and a jawline that made me want to melt. I sighed. I kept waiting for this attraction to go away, but it’d been almost a month and a half of friendship, and it was still going strong.

In fact…

No. I wasn’t going there. I wasn’t
more
attracted to him. Not possible. One of these days, something would happen and he’d settle into the brother zone, wouldn’t he? All the more reason to enjoy him now.

When he stopped in front of me, smiling down, a delicious thrill zinged me. I cracked a grin, feeling the breath knocked out of me for a second. “What’s up?”

“When are you going to stop walking places and just call me for a ride?”

“Never. I’m badass like that.”

He rolled his eyes and reached for the door. Holding it open with a hand above my head, he tapped my chin with the other. “I’m just going to start coming to give you a ride everywhere from now on.”

“That’d be awkward.” I moved ahead of him, enjoying his presence as he let the door go and stepped close behind me. I could feel his heat. It added to that thrill, making me feel buzzed. “That’s something you’d do for a girlfriend. I’m not your girlfriend.”

“That’s something you’d do for a friend, and you are my friend.”

“Yeah.” A secretive smile tugged at my lips. “How’d that ever happen again?”

He chuckled, stepping up to the desk first. He motioned to me. “One lane.”

The attendant asked, “How many games?”

“Reserve three, but my brother sucks. He’ll probably quit after two.”

“I heard that.”

Marcus and Avery came up behind us, and Marcus removed his hand from her back and pretended to pound his brother in the shoulder.

“You’re already starting the shit-talking, huh?”

Caden gave his shoe size to the clerk, then said to his brother, “It’s not shit-talking when it’s the truth.”

The two did the man thing where they hit each other’s biceps while Avery and I stood and grinned at each other. I’d seen her a few hours earlier, so I didn’t feel a hug was necessary, and I eyed Marcus, not sure what to do there. I remained convinced he wasn’t a big fan of me. And sure enough, his grin fell away when he saw me. “You, huh?”

I could get behind that. I bobbed my head. “You too, huh?”

Avery’s laugh squeaked a bit. “Look at us, already off to a great start.”

Caden picked up his bowling shoes. “And there’s my brother, showing off his moody-asshole side once again.” He shook his head as he passed him. “She’s my friend, dipshit. Be nice.”

Caden led the way to our assigned lane and sat down to put his bowling shoes on. The rest of us followed, and Avery went with me to pick out a bowling ball.

I tried a hot pink one, but my thumb would’ve been crushed. I set it back and picked up a yellow one. The finger holes made a smiling face.

“It’s weird, isn’t it?” Avery said.

“What?” The smiley face ball felt like it was frowning at me. I picked up a purple one and named him Barney.

She reached for the smiling ball. “How Marcus still hates you. It shouldn’t bother me, right?” The smiling ball didn’t work for her either.

I handed her the Barney one. I wasn’t feeling his love. “It would bother me.”

She sighed, sinking her fingers into the ball. “I think he still has feelings for Maggie.”

There was a rainbow-colored one. I had a feeling it might work. “Or do you think it’s just because it still stings? I’m a reminder that he was cheated on. That’s gotta suck.”

Barney didn’t love her either. She waited for my rainbow ball. “If that’s the case, he better get over it. He did the same to me.”

My feeling was right. Rainbow worked for me. “Get your own ball, woman.” I hugged it to my chest.

She laughed. “Are you being a ball hog?”

“When I’ve found my bowling ball soulmate, hell yes.” I turned a nose up at the others. “I had to try many balls before the perfect one came.”

She reached for a white ball with a single pink streak, and my heart did little somersaults. I had a feeling I’d be a ball-cheater. The single pink streak was speaking to me. She fitted her fingers in it and lifted it up. “It’s perfect.” She sighed.