Page 6 of Give You Up

“When?”

“When I was seventeen, okay?” God, she can be so persistent.

The door behind me opens, and the bell above it rings. I glance over my shoulder. The only other customer in Lee’s Used Bookstore has left the building. One of these days, Riley will have to admit defeat and close her absentee mom’s shop. Or change up the dying business in order to stay open.

Ringing. Bell. I glance at the clock on the wall. Ten minutes to nine. Crap.

“I gotta go, Riley.”

I am to the door when the pleading in Riley’s voice stops me.

“Syn, are you still doing that favor for me tonight? I understand if you say no. I know how you feel about jocks.”

I am not a fan, and there will be a lot of them at Galley’s welcome-to-the-college-grind party. Galley and his themed party. I can imagine what will be happening after the alcohol flows and the clothes come off. Galley “filthy-mouthed” Rutherford doesn’t just throw the wildest parties. He is also hot, filthy rich, and has the sex drive of a rabbit in heat, minus the incest.

“Of course I’m good for the favor,” I tell her.

“Someday you’ll get tired of helping me out. Or you’ll tell me to stop.”

“It’s not happening. If I did, you’d go into a funk and I’d have to encourage you to pick up the habit again. To avoid that, I’ll continue doing you a solid.”

Doing you a solid? Good god, I have been hanging around Dare for too long.

“Thanks, Syn. What will you do if you get caught?”

“I’ll say I’m returning Riot’s jersey. That he gave it to me on loan.”

Riot O’Sullivan. Six foot one. Lean, athletic build. Pitch-black hair. Intense green eyes. Washboard abs he likes to show off to anyone who wants to admire them, which is ninety-nine percent of the female student body.

Riley’s brows pinch together. “Riot doesn’t live there. Only Zeke and Xander live with Galley.”

“Crap, I forgot you burglarized the wrong house.” Curious, I ask, “What point were you trying to make this time?”

“That Riot has leftover feelings for Arie. I went through his closet to find a memento. Instead—”

“You realized too late you were at the wrong house but had to take something anyway.”

She hangs her head. “Caught.”

She won’t talk about how she got this compulsion for thievery other than it’s something left over from her past.

“Whose jersey am I returning?”

“Zeke’s. Are you sure, Syn? If you have second thoughts, I’m more than capable of doing it myself.”

“And have you miss out on your shift at Shades? Uh-uh. I’ve got this, okay? I have your back, always.”

It’s about more than Riley missing work and making a decent wage. Every time Riley steals, she is remorseful. When she returns the items, she is more remorseful and will mope for days.

A moping Riley is not fun to be around. Riley moping gets Midnight grouchy. A grouchy Midnight is not great to work for. This snowball effect is the reason I return the items for her. Less drama for all involved.

I hurry to class, waving to Riley as I bump the door open with my butt. Riley and Dare would make a great couple if she weren’t hung up on Midnight. Being hung up on a guy is the story of my life too.

Not being able to address those feelings head-on? It’s another thing I have in common with Riley.

4

Syn

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