Halfway to my dorm, that feeling of drawing attention returned and I remembered the article, but it wasn’t me this time everyone stared at. I watched as a pair of girls passing by ogled Micah. And when it happened again and again with different girls each time, even a few guys, a glare formed on my face. “Should you be walking around campus half naked?” I was used to the attention he and the Elite drew, but for some reason today, it got to me, and a protective streak rose in me. Or jealousy. Whatever. It didn’t matter which emotion, only that I didn’t like it.
My lip curled into a snarl at the next pair of girls eyeing Micah appreciatively, but it was useless. It was as if I didn’t exist next to the guy at my side, even though he still held my hand. They giggled all giddy-like.
He flashed me a dimpled grin that made me regret asking. “God, I love it when you get all possessive.”
I rolled my eyes. “You have issues.”
“Don’t we all?”
We arrived at my dorm, and I shifted on my feet, standing in front of him. With all the unexpected drama over the last hour, the reason I’d gone to see Micah had been temporarily shoved aside, but now… I chewed on my lip.
His words from the other night came back to me as I glanced up into that boyishly handsome face.“Stay away from Sterling.”
Micah had a hunch, a boyfriend instinct that told him just how I knew Sterling, and I guessed that hearing me confirm his suspicions would hurt him.
The last thing I wanted to do was cause him pain. He had enough of it on his own without me adding to his suffering. I wanted to do just the opposite for him. I wanted to be a place where he could find happiness, love, and comfort. And yet it wasn’t Micah’s past coming to haunt us. No, it was mine.
My choices.
My mistakes.
My regrets.
Could I not handle Sterling on my own? Did I need to be shielded by my boyfriend?
No. I handled my own shit, and I would deal with Sterling.
I’d been independent for years, living without the Elite, shunning their existence, until Josie, but I was still that girl who could stand on her own two feet.
Micah noticed the shadow that spread into my eyes and brushed his thumb over the corner of my temple as if he wanted to banish the trouble brewing inside me. “Maybe we could finish what we started later tonight?” He leaned down, dropping a kiss onto the right side of my mouth.
Before I got the chance to sink in and enjoy the tingles dancing on my lips, we were interrupted by a voice that sounded an awful lot like my cousin Grayson’s. “God, it’s bad enough that my best friend is hooking up with my sister. And now you and my cousin… I just can’t.”
Grayson Edwards and Fynn Dupree sauntered toward us, both looking like they just stepped right off the runway onto campus. Neither had on anything fancy, just jeans and a T-shirt, but it was the way they wore them that made the clothes look expensive and more than casual.
Fynn stood an inch or two over my cousin, the tallest of the group. He came from a mixed-heritage family that gave him the most envy-worthy and stellar features, and the fact that he was actually a nice guy made him not just desirable by many but popular as well. Fynn had always been levelheaded and the quieter one of the group, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still dangerous. It was the quiet ones you had to watch out for.
Then, of course, there was Josie and Kenna’s brother, Grayson. The triplets shared more than winning the lottery in the gene pool. They could be quick-tempered, reckless, and irrational, but they were also loyal as fuck. Not just to each other but to their friends as well. Josie only found out last year that she was an Edward and a triplet from a very wealthy family, giving her a different outlook than Kenna and Grayson. As the only boy in the trio, Grayson had a better understanding of girls in general, and because of it, he rarely fell for the usual tricks girls used to gain a guy’s attention.
I swore someone whistled as they came to greet Micah and me. My gaze landed on the culprit. A cheeky redhead with tits that threatened to spill out of her deep V-neck tank. One extra bounce in her step and it would be a free show for all to see. The three other girls with her giggled despite the guys completely ignoring them. Sometimes I wished I had their ability to be impervious to the heads that turned their way, or the suggestive whispers in their ears.
Micah broke out into a wide grin. “About time, fuckers.” He clasped Fynn’s extended forearm and did the same to Grayson in some kind of ritual bro greeting.
My cousin made a face, shoving his hands into the pockets of his shredded jeans. “Yeah, but I’m instantly regretting coming. I’m not spending my weekend watching my friends grope my family.”
I scrunched my nose. “You have such a way of putting things into perspective.” Shifting, I moved in to give them both a hug.
Those brown eyes identical to his sisters pinned me with a narrowed gaze. “Where are the hellions?”
“Josie and Kenna are probably in our room,” I replied. Now that the Elite were back together for the weekend, it didn’t look like I’d be having that talk with Micah tonight. I didn’t want to ruin his excitement.
“And Brock?” Fynn asked.
Micah and I shared an awkward moment, both remembering how Brock had run interference to keep Sterling from discovering me. “He’s probably back at our house, showering or some shit,” Micah said.
“Why the fuck are you running around without a shirt?” Grayson asked as if he just realized Micah’s bare chest was on display for all to appreciate.
“Jealous?” Micah flexed his defined pectoral muscles.