Page 145 of Crew Princess
I mean… I had assumed—no. I hadn’t. I hadn’t wanted to move forward. I wanted to stay in Roussou, keep the guys with me, and never deal with life. Stay. Hide. Fight. My mantra for so long.
“You’re telling me now?” My voice was barely there.
He gazed at me with an intense expression, then suddenly something hard flashed. He let out a long sigh. “Yes. No, the plan wasn’t to tell you today. We were going to let you get through graduation. We didn’t know for sure your reaction, but we were going to wait until you asked.”
My eyes narrowed. “I’m asking now.”
“I know you are.” He raised an eyebrow. “I was wondering if I should break the news to you when it’s just me or try to put you off until later when Jordan and Zellman can participate in this talk too.”
Jesus.
All three of them had planned this out.
I was mortified and ashamed all at the same time. I should’ve thought about this. I was graduating, for God’s sakes.
“Bren.” He moved forward, his finger under my chin. He tipped me up to look at him. “We are not leaving you behind.”
Yeah. I’d still have three months with them…
As if knowing what I was thinking, he broke into my thoughts. “And I’m not talking about the summer. We are not going to die like your mother. We are not going to leave you like Channing did. We are not going to prison like your father. We are not a family you’re going to lose.”
He angled in, his hands falling to my hips. His forehead lowered, resting on mine. I felt his breath, warming me. “We are your second family, and you are not going to lose us.”
There was a fist inside of me.
I felt it now, for the first time, but it had been there. Rooted deep in me. As his words washed over me, it relaxed.
“We have not pushed you because we know your fear. But yes, we made decisions without you. You weren’t ready, so we did it for you.” He tugged me even closer. “I hope, I really hope, you’re okay with these decisions, but we did it with only love for you. We love you. I love you. Channing loves you.”
“My brother?”
He nodded, moving both our heads up and down. His thumb snuck inside the opening in my gown since I hadn’t zipped it closed, and he began stroking over my hipbone, under my shirt. “Heather loves you.”
“Heather too?”
I was dying.
“Zellman. Jordan.” A wry grin at me. “We did it behind your back, and I’m sorry.”
“What’d you do?”
“Your brother’s friends still have a house there. They’re going to let us rent it at a discount.”
What?
I stiffened, lifting my head.
They’d really gone the distance behind my back, using my brother for his connections.
“Well, I hope you guys all have a good time.”
Together.
Without me.
“You’re coming.” He said it flatly, no emotion.
I narrowed my eyes. “What are you talking about?” I was already shaking my head. “I never applied for college. I know I didn’t get in—”
