Page 134 of Tag

When we paid him no mind, it was no surprise that Rook and Cade joined us minutes later.

“Hey, Little Sanj.” Cade fell into step beside me.

I glanced over. “Cadet.”

His smile was just as boyish as it’d always been, the same one frozen in the photos on my bedroom wall. Except now, his golden skin was inked like his brother’s, his arms bigger, and his curls slightly lighter in color because of the summer, and damp from what I guessed was a recent shower. He drifted closer until our arms brushed as we walked.

“I just wanted to say, she’s a warm-up route. Quick slant. Easy yardage. But my brother? He’s saving the deep ball for the one that ends in the end zone. Championship ring and all.”

He described the whole situation like it were another play on the field. I was torn between exasperation and reluctant amusement.

“That means you’re the end zone,” he added, like I hadn’t already caught on.

From a few steps ahead, Roxxi glanced over her shoulder, frowning. “Actions speak louder than metaphors, and back there? That wasn’t a good look.”

“I don’t really want to talk about this,” I muttered.

Rook, trailing quietly behind on my other side, hands in his pockets and expression unreadable, decided to weigh in.

“He’s not fucking her.”

Now, on a good day, Rook hardly spoke above a few octaves. Today must have been an exception because that came loud and clear enough that a few people walking by actually turned to look.

Ari choked on a laugh, half in shock.

Cloe glanced over at him, amused. “For a poet, that wasn’t very poetic, Aiden.”

He smirked. “I don’t need to dress it up,” he retorted softly. “But if I did—he’s starving for someone who already tastes like home. Everything else is filler that doesn’t linger.”

“Very nice, Rook,” Ari remarked with praise.

He offered a rare, shy smile in return before looking at me expectantly.

“I get what you’re all trying to do, but maybe we can pivot toyourextracurriculars instead of mine? They don’t have any.” I gestured lazily toward my girls.

Cade smirked. “Did you just refer to my brother as an extracurricular?”

“I wasn’t referring to him at all.”

Before he could come back with something cocky or infuriating, a girl passed by, waving. “Hi, Sanjana!”

I gave her a friendly smile in return. “Hey, Mehra.”

Cade tracked her with his eyes, taking in the long black hair cascading down her back, bright blue eyes, and nude-glossed lips.

He nodded to himself. “Think I just found a new activity.”

Cloe made a sound of disapproval. “Do you even know her?”

“Who was that?” he asked, still watching Mehra’s retreating figure like he was clocking stats.

I was tempted to slap him on the back of the head and tell him to leave it alone. Mehra was sweet, and she had a long-distance boyfriend who attended our top rival university. Giving him a warning and divulging that information would only make Cade see her as a challenge.

“Mehra Saher. She’s in my Media Ethics Class.”

Cade turned back to Cloe, grinning. “That was Mehra Saher from Little Sanj’s Media Ethics class.”

Roxxi laughed. “Okay, that was kinda smooth.”

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