Page 6 of Casualties

“Cheers to stepping out of comfort zones!”Cassie is about to clink cans with me, when a loud knock on the door echoes through our room.

“Campus Security!”My body is frozen in place.I can’t get into trouble on my first day!

Shit!Shit!Shit!What the hell are we going to do?

In an instant, I bring the ice cold can to my lips and chug it at record speed.

“Holy Hell!”The carbonation is intense.I cough immediately after finishing the drink.

Cass obviously has more brain cells than I do, because she stashes her beverage behind a pillow on her bed.

She inhales a deep breath and swings the door open.

“You asshole!”she shouts.I hear laughing and watch as Morgan strides in all proud of himself for scaring the hell out of us.

“What Cass?You know I always have to mess with the two of you.It’s too easy.”Morgan can’t stop laughing, and Cassie tries her best to stifle her own laugh bubbling up.The smile that takes over my features is directly for my brother.I haven’t seen him since I left for California.

Right as I lean in for a huge bear hug from Morgan,hewalks in.

No.Please no.Not today.I didn’t think I would see him on my first day here.

Ace.

TWO

AINSLEY

My nervous system must be in shock, because I’m frozen in place, staring into the eyes of the man that broke my heart.Those beautiful forest green eyes with light flecks of gold that would make anyone swoon.

You can’t do this to yourself.He hurt you!You need to continue ghosting him from your life.Don’t fall for his fake charm.

I rapid-fire blink my eyes to break the trance this green-eyed monster has over me any time we are in the same room.I will not let him have this effect on me anymore.I refuse.

“Look at you, Mini Copeland.You look like a rock princess.The shirt is too revealing, but you still look beautiful.”Morgan grabs my shoulders, turning me side to side, inspecting my face.I make sure to keep my eyes solely focused on my brother to not risk any fuckboy witchcraft Ace tries throwing my way.

“Thanks, Momo.”I pull my hands to my chest in what looks like a heartfelt gesture.He instantly rolls his eyes at the name drop.

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.Are you excited for freshman year?”he asks.

Growing up, we were mistaken for twins, as both of us have the majority of our mother’s features.The only traits he got from Dad are his tall, broad frame and square jawline.

“Yeah, I’m pumped!It’s time for me to step out of my comfort zone and make this year my bitch,” I say with confidence I’m not one hundred percent sure I have yet.

“Well you are definitely going to be turning heads sister, heads that I will bust open if they step out of line.”His jaw tightens into a grimace as he compliments me, and openly threatens all men at school that even so much as look at me the wrong way.

“Please don’t embarrass me.You don’t need to go all drill sergeant.I want this year to be different.”He doesn’t appreciate my eyeroll, but I reach for another big hug to ease his fear of anyone taking advantage of me.He breaks away from our hug for Cassie to give him a tour of our dorm, leaving Ace and I standing awkwardly silent next to one another.

I brave a look up at him to see his eyes are again focused on me.He looks the same, but also different.He is leaning with his back against the wall, curiosity in his eyes.

Ace is dressed in charcoal slim-fit shorts that fall an inch above his knees with a black V-neck tee and white slip-on Vans.His jet black hair is that typical man cut that looks like he rolled out of bed, but styled perfectly.How does that even happen?It’s longer on top, but freshly faded on the sides.

His body has always been muscular, but on the slimmer side.Now his muscles are significantly bigger—he must have spent his summer in the gym.It looks as if he could bench press an elephant.Exaggerating, I know, but damn the boy is ripped, and not a boy anymore.Ace Maddox is a man, and hotter than hell!

Why me, universe?Why does he have to look so delicious?Shit!No!Stop having these thoughts.He hurt you and you barely recovered.Stop staring, dumbass!

I blink out of my intrusive thoughts and school my features the best I can.His lips curve in a mischievous smirk—for fuck’s sake, Lucifer himself couldn’t spawn a smile of that caliber.I scoff at his cheekiness as he moves off the wall, closing in on me.

“Ains, you’ve changed…And what?Too cool to say ‘hi’ to a friend?”His tall frame hovers over my five-five.

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