“I’ll take care of that. I’ve been thinking it’s about time for a bonfire. That’s the way we usually start off summer,isn’tit?”
“Don’t burn it.” An acid bomb goes off in the pit of my stomach. “As horrible as it was to have her shit all over me lastnight—”
“Stop!” She gives a half-hearted sock to my arm. “She’s an evil,evilperson. Don’t you dare go softonme.”
“She’snotevil.”
“She’s boning some other guy! The exact guy you tried to warn your friendabout.”
“She’sboninghim?”
“Yup. I bet she’s on her knees right now, kissing all his boo-boos, making sure hisballs—”
“Stop.” A viral rage percolates in me at the thought of Jen—who up until twelve hours ago I thought wasmyJen—is out there doing some dude. Justin the asshat of all the friggingpeople.
I’m going to kill him. Justin Asshat, whatever the hell his last name is, had better run if he sees mecoming.
An image of him grunting on top of Jen sears through my mind, and I dip my head in my hand onceagain.
Trixie wraps her arms around me, and her tears soak myshoulder.
Janelle and Justin hurt me, and they hurt mysister.
Somebody is going to havetopay.
* * *
Orville Realty is locatedin sunny downtown Jepson surrounded by an upscale sushi bar and a gym that costs a mint to get into. I should know. I’ve been a member for the last three years. Thankfully, there’s no football practice for the next solid week, which hopefully will give me enough time to pull my head out of this fog bank I’ve been thrust into. I’ve been walking around like a corpse all morning, got lost on the way to the car and the damn thing was in the driveway. I can’t stand how fucked up I feel, especially after the fact she hasn’t bothered to call, and we’re staring down the barrel of forty-eight hours after theincident.
I head into the polished building with its mirrored glass door and let the air conditioning breathe some lifeintome.
A slender brunette about my age with hair teased out into the shape of a tumbleweed greets me with an overenthusiasticsmile.
“Welcome to Orville Realty where we make sure you comefirst.”
My mouth opens and closes at the double entendre. I’m not even sure she’s aware she’s spouted it. I shake my head a moment. Get your head out of the gutter. This is the real world, not some college campus where every last person would have laughed at the sexual undertones of Orville’s dirtyslogan.
“I’m from Whitney Briggs University. I’m taking my sister’s place with theinternship.”
“Oh, right!” She gives a spastic jump in her seat, and it’s only then I see her nameplate, Happy Horton. That has to be a joke. Nobody can possibly be that happy and also go through life with it as their moniker. “Go on in. Forest is giving the other intern his usual spiel. You’ll have a great time here this summer.” She bites over her lip as her eyes take the elevator down my chest while checking out the goods. I’m used to it, though. I’ve never let it bother me, and since I’ve had Jen in my life I’ve never let it excite meeither.
“Thanks.” My stomach sinks as I head on past her. I didn’t for a minute consider I might not be doing this internship solo. A part of me is hoping to find Justin in there with his big swollen head, courtesy of my brass knuckles, and I’ll gladly finish him off. I know for a fact I could have gotten myself suspended—or worse, tossed off the team—for brawling on The Row last night, but off-campus, away from Greek life in general, the dude better pray I don’t find him in a parking lotsomewhere.
I give a light knock over the door before letting myself in and find an older man, although much younger than my father, sitting behind an oversized desk with an overdone tan and white block teeth like some cartoon version ofhimself.
“Forest Orville.” He stands to greet me, and just as I lean in to shake his hand, I spot a girl sitting in the chair to my left, her hair slightly tousled, and Ifreeze.
I recognize those pouty lips, those dark brows that flex like caterpillars with her every emotion, and right about now she seems to be having a dozen all at once. She dons a pair of dark sunglasses, and she keeps her nose straight ahead so I have no clue if sheseesme.
“Harper?”
She slumps in her chair, and a dull groan expels from her as if she’s about tovomit.
“She’s not having such a great day.” Forest grimacesather.
“Join the party.” I fall into the seat next to her and glare at the talking orangespraytan.
“Geez.” He leans in and inspects me with a discriminatory gaze. “What the heck went on over at Briggs thisweekend?”
