Sleep was overrated anyway. Around two in the morning, I got up and distracted myself with studying. At least I could stay on top of my academic work even if my mental health had gone to shit.
My Friday schedule was light, with just one class in the late afternoon and—if memory served me correctly—none of the guys were in that class. Then again, I hadn’t been paying a huge amount of attention to Haze or Connor. Andrew was the only one who’d made a noticeable effort to befriend me, for some fucking reason, and Brodie was, well,Brodie Keller.
Since I’d been studying since two in the morning, I was more than ready for a break by thetime the sun was up. The whole house was silent when I unlocked my room and headed downstairs. None of the guys really struck me as early risers, except maybe Ethan. But maybe he’d already have left for work? He must have other classes to teach…
Shit. Just thinking about Ethan had me touching my lips and remembering thatkiss. And then remembering the fact that four guys who owe me no loyalty all saw it happen. Would they turn us in to the dean? There seemed to be no love between Ethan and Connor, despite the fact they were brothers.
Then again…would the NDA cover me as much as it covered all of them?
I made a mental note to check the contract, then headed out of the house in search of coffee, since the kitchen was largely empty. We really needed to tackle the grocery situation, because it was a decent hike to get to the dining hall for every meal otherwise. Trouble was, we’d need to leave the security of campus to get those groceries.
As early as it was, the coffee shop was quieter than I usually found it. Nina’s friend Sven was seated near the window, reading aTheory of Relativitytextbook and sipping his usual matcha chai latte. He waved to me with a smile as I entered, so after I ordered my coffee, I went to join him.
“We heard you moved out of Marigold dorm yesterday,” he said by way of greeting, and I groaned. So much for keeping that quiet.
“Does everyone know everything around here?” Holy hell, what if people already knew that I’d kissed Ethan in the library? Did they know that the guys living with me in Bluebell House were all secretly friends of some sort? Surely not, or why did I sign that fucking contract?
Sven grinned. “You’ve met Nina, what do you think? She feelsawfulby the way. She even tried to go to Dean Attworth and explain it was her who had attacked Laura, but he wasn’tbuying it. Apparently, Laura was adamant it’d been you and someone else confirmed her story with an eyewitness account?”
I glowered, folding my arms. “Probably Andrew, the fucking traitor. Totally took Laura’s side even though I was nowhere near the bitch.”
Sven shrugged. “He’s pretty whipped by her, it makes sense. So…is it true they made you all move into Bluebell House? That place is one hundred percent haunted.”
“Brodie thinks so too,” I agreed with a laugh. “It’s just a house. A really run-down, old house, but it’s got good bones.”
A sly smile crept over Sven’s face. “Brodie thinks that does he? Are you guys friends now?”
I groaned again, remembering his infectious energy last night, how he’d insisted on calling mebestieand then how he’d kissed my cheek and nearly made me faint. Fuck he was as gorgeous as expected, but I’d really thought he’d be a total arrogant twat in person. His celebrity status was so huge, surely he would have an ego to match? But no…he was just as likeable in person as he was onscreen. Infuriating.
“Just watch yourself, Eve. He’s ahugeplayboy. You’re alluring, mysterious fresh meat right now and he, among others, probably just wants to score.” He was warning me with the best of intentions, I was sure, but that comment stung nonetheless.
I gave a hollow laugh. “Or maybe I have a great personality, and he wants to be friends without wanting to fuck me. Maybe.” I shrugged, trying to cover my hurt feelings at being reduced to little more thanfresh meat. No, I didn’t seriously think Brodie and I could fall in love, but was it reallysopreposterous to consider it a possibility?
“Eve, I didn’t mean—” Sven started to backtrack, but the barista called out my name and I stood up.
“It’s cool, Sven. I get it. I’m heading to the library, but I’ll see you around.” I hurried over to the counter and collected myhuge drink, then exited the shop before Sven could apologize further. I was embarrassed more than anything, because it wasn’t until he said it that I realized I’d been getting a bit stupid about myfriendshipwith Brodie. My therapist told me I already had attachment issues due to mydaddy issueswhich were compounded after the attack. I clung to anything that made me feel good, even if it wasn’tactually goodfor me.
Brodie’s attention made me feel good, but that didn’t mean he actually likedme.
He wanted something, whether it be information or sex, but he wasn’t being nice for the sake of being nice. Was he?
With a heavy sigh and my mood sour, I headed to the library. I had my laptop in my room and plenty of high-speed internet, but there was just something about thesmellof a library. The quiet simply couldn’t be replicated, and it gave a certain sense of calm that helped me sort my head out.
Like trying to figure out why Connor pulled a gun on me simply to make me sign a contract.
There was something seriously suspicious going on in that house, with those guys, and while part of me wanted to figure it all out, another part was sure I should have nothing to do with their drama. It wasn’t my business. I’d just been in the wrong place, wrong time.
“I hoped I would find you here, Eve. Or is it Lilith today?”
I startled so sharply, I nearly spilled my drink. Nearly. That would have been an infraction worse than breaking Laura’s nose—if I had actually been responsible for that.
“Ethan,” I gasped, breathless in my shock. “What…um…what are you doing here?”
His brows hitched and a small smile curved his lips. He was leaning against a huge shelf, a book in hand like he’d been looking for something when I arrived. I glanced around with a small frown. This area seemed…vaguely familiar.
“You didn’t come here looking for me?” he asked, bemused.
Ignoring the twist in my gut at being near him, I realized exactly why this area looked familiar. This was where I’d run that first day in my panic attack, and I’d unintentionally walked right for it again. Searching for the calm I’d felt in those few seconds Ethan had kissed the thoughts away.
