Page 22 of Tag

“She speaks the truth,” Roxxi stated as she stretched.

The motion caused her top to lift. Nick’s eyes zeroed in on her ass, which, to be fair, looked incredible in those leggings.

“Really?” I shot him a flat look.

Xander snickered, and Nick shrugged, unbothered as ever. “Like you haven’t stared.”

I had. Obviously. Best friend privileges allowed that, and Roxxi had never been shy about showing off what she had. She caught the exchange, rolling her eyes with a mix of exasperation and amusement.

“You’ve got no shame, Blackwell.”

Nick grinned. “If I did, I wouldn’t make half my life choices, and where’s the fun in that?”

“I can only imagine.”

“Alright, you two can flirt later. Can we go now before we’re late, please?” Cloe cut in, hands on her hips like she was about to corral a bunch of unruly toddlers.

All five feet of her were sass and sharp wit. Over time, she’d become the one to keep us all in line, a role that fit seamlessly with her personality. She dressed the part, too, like she could walk straight into a courtroom or a boardroom and crush both without breaking a sweat. Today was no exception. A sleek pair of reading glasses perched on her nose, giving her an extra air of authority. She’d taken out her box braids the night prior and now wore her long, thick hair in a flawless bun, every strand slicked back and secured without a single flyaway.

At her urging, we moved from the quad toward the worn stone steps leading up to the bridge walkways. Ryder naturally fell into step beside me, a little closer than necessary. Ashton drifted back a few paces, already caught up in a conversation with Nick and Xander about some car show coming to town. On my other side were the girls, their laughter blending with the breeze.

I looked sideways at Ryder. “No Brooke?”

“It’s her late start,” he replied, his tone unreadable.

“Oh, right.” I adjusted the strap of my bag on my shoulder. “Well, thank you again for the drink. I needed it.”

“Am I forgiven then?”

“That depends. What’s in the bag?”

He held it up with a knowing grin, the brown paper crinkling in his grip. “A warmed chocolate chunk muffin for my best friend… once she says she forgives me.”

I tried not to smile, but I couldn’t hold it. “She was never mad at you.”

“Still not hearing what I want,” he countered, a teasing lilt dancing along the edge of his voice.

I sighed dramatically. “Rye, you are forgiven, for not needing forgiveness.”

“Mm. That’ll do.”

Cloe’s head swiveled our way. “What did he do for him to think you were mad in the first place?”

Right. I hadn’t told them yet. About the field, the creep behind Ashton’s building, or Ryder going off to do God knows what. The urge to spill it all was strong, but with students rushing to class and faculty strolling by, now wasn’t the time. I glanced at Ryder, waiting for him to speak, but he added nothing.

“He didn’t do anything; it was something else. After class, I’ll fill you in.”

“You know we’ve got you, whatever it is,” Arianna reassured me.

Layla nodded in agreement, and I smiled at them in thanks. I wasn’t sure what I would do without these girls. They were my constants who’d always had my back. The guys did too, but this wasn’t something I needed to tell them. Ryder made sure of that before we’d gotten off the phone. We reached the upper bridge that stretched across campus, its stone arches rising above the winding paths below.

A web of smaller bridges branched off in different directions, leading to the various halls and buildings scattered like pieces on an academic chessboard. This was the usual place where we split up for class. I had Literature and Society first, a course I shared with Cloe despite our majors being different. Roxxi was headed to her Media Influence class, one of her favorites, mostly because she’d already made herself the unofficial TA.

Arianna would veer off toward the Fine Arts wing for one of her graphic design lectures. Ryder and Nick were bound for Business Ethics, which they both pretended to loathe, though I knew better. Ryder thrived in any setting that required strategy and manipulation. Nick charmed his way through everything, especially group projects, which Ryder conveniently hated.

Layla usually walked with Cade or Xander, but today she lingered closer to the rest of us. Her expression was distant. More distracted than usual. I adjusted my drink and muffin in one hand, then sidled over to nudge her lightly.

“You okay?”

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