He gives me a look. “How did I corruptyou?”
“I was perfectly innocent until you started stealing cigarettes and peer pressuring me into smoking them with you when we were a goddamn preteen.”
Sev rolls his eyes. “I was older than that.Peerpressuring you? You’re the one who begged me to steal them, then spent hours taking pictures of yourself smoking like you thought you were James Dean.”
I grin. “Those pictures were cool, even though I’m glad Iquit. Still. Anyway. Yes, Sevan was a badass long before I was.”
He taps the armrests of his chair like they’re drums. “I was also the reason you got your first tattoo.”
“I forgot about that. The little tree on the back of my leg.”
“You were so fucking nervous,” Sevan says. “God, I could tell these guys so many secrets about you.”
“Did… did you two date?” Weston asks.
“Oh. Sevan is mycousin,” I tell him. “He was like a brother to me, growing up.”
Weston initially looks relieved, then his expression shifts.
I see the same emotion in him that I saw the first night I got to Onyx House.
He’s regretful, almost.
It all hits me at once. Weston’s still deeply sad about the fact that we were robbed of having our own childhood together. I just told him that Sevan is like my brother, but Weston and Hunter are myactualbrothers, even though we never even got to meet.
And it probably hurts even worse due to whatever issues Sev and Weston have with each other.
“Sounds like you guys have had a lot of fun together,” Wes says.
“We were devious,” Sevan says. “I have the scars to prove it. Literally.”
“Well, you need to curb that devious energy right now,” Weston says in a warning tone. “We’re volunteering to set up for the winter formal, and if you start any shit, Sev, I will have you thrown out.”
Sevan glares at Wes.
“You still act like the fucking sheriff of Crimson College, don’t you?”
Wes stares right back at him. “When people fuck up good things around me, yes, I do.”
It’s like watching a Golden Retriever bark at a mountain lion. If Sev could, he’d definitely be trying to sock Weston in the jaw right now.
“Guys, come on,” Ollie interjects. “Let’s just work, okay? Untangle some lights.”
Ollie hands Sev a string of twinkle lights.
Sev finally rips his gaze away from Weston and grabs the lights. “Perfect. I can’t do any real physical labor, but I can untangle strings. Easy work.”
Oliver’s already walking off again, as unapproachable as he’s been all week.
I watch his ass as he walks away, and I get a pang in my heart seeing him leave.
I fuck you.
Then dream about fucking you.
Then you avoid me like the plague.
When I head to his side, he’s staring down at his phone, frowning. I step next to him and glance at the screen. He quickly moves it away like he doesn’t want me to see what he’s doing.
