Kao looks over a menu while asking, “Does that mean the lot of you aren’t taking dates to the ball?”
Just thinking of the ball, I pull a disgusted face.
Jase picks up a napkin and wipes his mouth. “I’m going with Mila.”
Kao lets out a burst of amused laughter. “Does Mila know this?”
“Do I know what?” Mila suddenly asks.
My head snaps up, and seeing that Jade is with the girls, I glare at the tumbler of whiskey in front of me, so I don’t have to acknowledge her presence as she takes a seat across from me.
“You’re going to the ball with me,” Jase states as if Mila has no choice in the matter.
“Like hell,” Mila grumbles.
Jase glances around the table. “Do any of you have dates, besides Kao?”
“Nope,” Fallon lets the word pop from her lips.
Hana and Jade shake their heads where Noah and I just stare at Jase.
Jase grins at Mila. “That means we’re going in a group, aka you’re going with me.”
Mila gives Jase a disgruntled look before she picks up a menu.
When the waiter comes to take the new orders, I stare at the amber liquid in front of me, contemplating whether I should leave.
Feeling eyes on me, my gaze lifts until they collide with Jade’s brown ones.
Not breaking eye contact, I finish what’s left of my whiskey, then get up. “You coming?” I ask Jase as I begin to turn away from the table.
“Don’t leave on my account,” Jade says, her tone daring me to stay.
A hundred comebacks race through my mind, but every one of them will only show Jade that I care. Instead, I give her a cold look before leaving the restaurant.
Jase quickly follows behind me. “Things still bad between you and Jade?”
I let out a huff of air. “Bad is the understatement of the fucking year. I’m done trying with her.”
We walk in silence for a minute, then Jase asks, “Really? How are you going to handle being around her then?”
“Like I handle any other girl.”
With zero patience and a shitload of disdain.
“Ouch.” Jase gives me a worried look. “You don’t think that’s overkill? We’re talking about Jade. She’s one of us.”
“She decided our friendship was over long before I did. Why should I treat her as one of us, when she clearly doesn’t give a fuck about me?”
“Shit.” Jase throws his arm around my shoulders. “I’m sorry it came to this. I was hoping you and Jade would be able to deal with the past once you were living under the same roof.”
“So much for hoping, right?”
“Yeah, right.”
When we get to the suite, I go to shower and not in the mood to run into Jade again, I decide to work on one of my assignments until I’m tired enough to sleep.
A couple of hours later, I yawn as I close my laptop. I tuck it back in my bag for tomorrow’s class then crawl under the covers. I’m just about to switch off the light when my door opens, and Fallon and Hana come creeping into my room with their pillows tucked under their arms.
“Hey,” I whisper as I scoot to the middle of the bed to make space for the girls.
Fallon climbs in on my right and Hana on my left, and then they snuggle up to my sides.
“Jade told us you had another fight,” Fallon whispers as she reaches over to the lamp, turning it off.
“Yeah.”
“Are you okay?” Hana asks softly.
I don’t know why the girls bother bringing pillows when they always end up using my arms to sleep on anyway.
“I’ll be okay,” I answer Hana.
“Love you, Hunter,” Fallon whispers sleepily.
“In this life and the next,” Hana adds.
“Love you, too.”
I lie awake as the girls drift off to sleep. Having them with me always helps. Ever since we were little, we used to sleep in the same bed whenever our families got together for a visit or going away on vacations. Our families share a bond that most blood-related relatives don’t even have – loyalty, undying love, and a fierce protectiveness toward each other.
Even though they’re asleep, I still whisper, “Thanks for always being there for me when I need you most.”JADEBeing up at the crack of dawn, I open my door, so I can go get some coffee. When Hunter’s door slowly creeks open, I freeze but seeing Fallon and Hana sneak out, I grin at them.
Walking to the kitchen, I ask, “You want some coffee?”
“Oh God, please,” Fallon mumbles, still half asleep.
“Why did I agree to help with the preparations for the ball?” Hana complains, her eyes hardly open.
“Cause you love me.”
I chuckle at their conversation while I begin to make our coffees. I know Fallon and Hana are really close with Hunter, and if they were forced to choose between him and me, they’d rush to his side in a heartbeat. It’s just the way things work in our circle. Even though Noah and Kao are friends with Hunter, they’d choose me.