Page 7 of Eye of the Hurricane
“You’re so infuriating, you know that?”
“All part of the charm, honey,” he tells me with a wink.
I let out an exasperated sigh. He’s all too much, too cocky, and yet it still turns me on. I’m not proud of it. It’s like a force stronger than me. If I had it my way, I wouldn’t be into hiscocky demeanor or his larger-than-life personality. Yet, here we are.
“Right. The charm,” I offer a sarcastic laugh. “Anyway, you should go, I have to get to bed. Long day tomorrow.” I draw out a long, fake yawn.
“I’ll go, but no more avoiding me. Okay?” The words come out like a demand but his eyes are pleading. That’s the only thing that stops me from giving him one of my normal, cold replies.
“I won’t, I promise,” I assure him. With that, he’s out the door.
Chapter 2
Ares
I’m lyingon a pool float, blissfully soaking in the hot July sun when Ravyn, one of my best friends, rudely flips me over into the water.
“The fuck?” I exclaim, shaking the water out of my hair. She laughs and gives me a shrug.
“You looked too peaceful. Seeing men at peace doesn’t sit right with me.”
“I feel like you keep finding a way to get meaner, Ray.”
“Well, I’m not thrilled that our fun little group of three turned into a group of five and we’re now outnumbered by men,” she admits.
“You’ll be used to it in no time.” Audra cuts in from the opposite end of the pool. Ravyn rolls her eyes in response.
Ever since Audra and Roman told the world about being together, our group got a size upgrade. Everywhere Audra goes, Roman follows. And if friends are invited—which they almost always are—Beck is there, too. He’s Roman’s best friend.
I thought I would hate it, seeing them together. I thoughtit would be weird, because she feels like my sister and he’s my brother. Somehow, it’s not. It’s sort of perfect, but in the way that makes you want to puke.
“I’ll be used to it when the guys are outnumbered again,” Ravyn corrects her.
“I’m like… so harmless?” Beck shrugs his shoulders, looking around confused. Roman laughs, patting him on the shoulder.
“We know, buddy,” Roman says, pretending to console a small child.
Beck is truly harmless. He’s by far the kindest of all of us. I don’t think there’s a bad intention in his body. He would give Roman the shirt off of his back. Actually, I think he’d do it for any of us, despite not being as close with the rest of us.
“When do you go back to school?” Ravyn asks.
“About a month. I have a couple meetings with one of my professors before then. She’s going to help me with preparing my portfolio for graduation.”
“Help with what? Don’t you just put your best pieces in?” Audra asks.
“Yes and no. My best pieces, but also the pieces that appeal to institutes I’m interested in. She’ll also tell me places I’m lacking now so that I have the school year to fill those gaps,” I explain. She nods along, taking in the information.
“Have you decided if you’re doing photography and painting or just painting?” she asks.
That’s the part I’ve gone back and forth on a million times through college. Painting is what I’m good at. Great at, even. Photography is more of a passion thing for me. I’m not bad at it. I just don’t know if I’m good enough to include it in my portfolio.
“Not yet. That’s part of what I’m meeting Professor Vines about.”
“I’m still team photography, if it counts for anything.” Ravyn cuts in.
“I totally agree, no one takes better candids of us!” Audra says with a laugh.
A few days later,I’m headed to campus to meet with Professor Vines about my portfolio. Campus is a ghost town during the summer. Sure, there are students here, but not even a quarter of the amount there are in the fall.
