His flirty compliment instantly brings a smile to my face, and I let out a soft chuckle.
Before I can respond, Kao appears from the kitchen, holding a mug of steaming coffee. Lord only knows how he can swallow the scalding liquid.
“Nah, it’s best the two of you just stay friends. Jase and Jade Reyes won’t look good on a wedding invitation,” Koa jokes.
Mila walks past us, and mutters, “Jase is a fuck boy. He won’t get married even if his life depends on it.”
My eyes widen, and I stare at Mila. She glances from Jase to me, and seeing my reaction, she states, “Don’t look so shocked, Jade. It’s common knowledge Jase is the playboy of the campus.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t have to be so crass,” I say, wondering if I missed a fight between Jase and Mila. “Everyone’s cool, right?”
Jase straightens his jacket with a smirk, “You know me. I’m all about peace and love.” He starts to walk and passes really close by Mila with a seductive whisper, “There’s enough of me for the whole campus. Just say if you want a piece, babe.”
My mouth drops open, and I look to Kao for answers. He lets out a chuckle and shakes his head as he turns back to the kitchen to place his empty mug on the counter.
“You’re going to wash that, right?” Fallon suddenly asks behind me. Stepping to the side, I see Hana standing beside her with Hunter right behind them.
Kao takes a moment to stare at Fallon, who looks breathtaking in a pale blue dress. “If I leave it on the counter, will you stand there and lay into me for being messy? That way, I can enjoy the view for a couple of minutes longer.”
“What the hell did I miss?” I ask no one in particular.
Noah gets up off the couch. I didn’t even see him sitting there. “The guys' balls dropped, and the girls noticed. You can all continue flirting and fighting after the ceremony. We’re going to be late.” He heads for the front door, and as he opens it, his face settles into a bored look. “Oh, look, the kindergartner arrived.” He pushes past her and stalks down the hallway.
“Screw you too,” Carla, Jase’s younger sister, calls after Noah. She lets out a huff, then turns her glare on Jase. “Are you ready? I want to get this day over with.”
Damn, I’m confused. Have I been so caught up in myself that I haven’t noticed the dynamics of my friends' circle changing?“Daddy,” I call as I break out in a run. Not caring about my image around campus, I fling myself forward as Dad opens his arms wide to catch me. He locks me in a tight embrace before setting me back on my feet. Leaning over to Mom, I give her a hug and kiss her cheek. “Hi, Mom.”
“Have you settled in, Bean?” Dad asks while his eyes scan over the other students.
“Yep. I just need to get my class schedule later, then I’m all set for this year.”
Dad recognizes someone, and it has me glancing over my shoulder. Kao, Noah, and Mila walk toward us with their families.
A flurry of glitter and colors rushes toward us, then Miss Sebastian grabs hold of Kao, hugging the ever-loving shit out of him before giving me a hug. “How are my god-babies?” She glances around the campus. “Anyone hit on you yet?”
“Hey, Mamma G,” I grin, calling her by the special nickname Kao, Noah, Mila, and I have for her, the G standing for godmother. “We’ve all been too busy settling in to be social.”
“Speak for yourself,” Kao says. “I already snagged a date for the ball.”
“Well, at least you’re not taking forever like your father did,” Miss Sebastian comments.
“I didn’t take forever,” Uncle Marcus defends himself.
“Honey, it’s a wonder my angel-girl, Willow, put up with you for so long. If I didn’t have my hands in your chest, I’d seriously doubt there was a heart in there.”
I let out a chuckle. Miss Sebastian loves getting Uncle Marcus all riled up.
My gaze lands on Hunter, Jase, Fallon, and Hana, where they’re posing, while their mothers take enough photos to fill all the walls of their mansions.
It just solidifies the decision I made to check my temper around Hunter. I don’t want to place Fallon and Hana in a position where they’ll have to choose between Hunter and me.
Hunter’s parents make their way over to us. I notice how Hunter slowly trails behind them, stopping a couple of steps behind them. When he sees that I’m watching him, he takes a step to his right, so Uncle Mason’s between us.
Is he hiding behind his father or doing that to keep the peace? Must be the latter. There’s no way Hunter’s scared of me.
I take a deep breath and smile at Hunter’s mom. “It’s nice to see you again, Aunty Kingsley.”