“Are you guys taking bets on which one will bring home some superficial jersey chaser first?” my brother joked, only reinforcing the reputation it seemed Jase and Dylan had.
Before we could talk any more about the two guys I couldn’t stop thinking about lately, another one of my brother’s friends walked in.
“Hey, party people!” Declan headed our way.
I’d known Declan for a couple of years, having met him back when he was hooking up with my brother regularly. Now he was working for Morgan’s dad at his law firm, so it seemed he was fully integrated into our circle at this point.
After saying hi to Fallon and Tyler, he took a seat next to me and loosened his tie. He looked like he’d sprinted over straight from the office.
“Hi, Faye. Hi, Morgan,” he said, grabbing a cocktail menu.
“Hello, Declan,” I replied, coolly.
Morgan didn’t say anything, but I wasn’t sure whether she was ignoring him or hadn’t heard him over the music.
I leaned toward her and said, “I’m going to the ladies’ room. Want to come with me?”
She stood, and I told the rest of the group we’d be right back.
Morgan and I were fixing our makeup in the mirror when she glanced at me. “So what’s the story with Declan? The two times I’ve seen you around him, you’ve given him the ice-queen treatment.”
“I have not.” I slicked on some gloss over my bright red lipstick.
She lifted a brow.
“Okay, maybe I do, but I have a good reason. He hooked up with my brother for months, and now that Fallon’s moved on and is getting married, I think it’s odd he’s still hanging around.”
“You think he’s like a stage-five clinger or something?” she asked.
“More like he’s someone who knows how to attach himself to people with power,” I stated. “He went from being a law school scholarship kid to working for your dad, who happens to be best friends with the president.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Do you think he’s using everyone?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I just have questions.”
Fallon was always telling me to watch out for people who might not have the best intentions, but he wasn’t the only one protective of our family. As I navigated my constant media appearances, and even in my so-called private life, nothing meant more to me than ensuring I didn’t do anything to harm my family's name.
After what turnedout to be a super fun show, our group headed down to the nightclub. The bass thumped so hard I felt it in my chest. Pink and blue lights flashed through the room as a mass of bodies moved together on the dance floor.
As soon as Rhett joined us, he reached for Fallon, and they disappeared into the crowd. Morgan hadn’t even made it to the bar when someone asked her to dance. Even though most of the men in the club appeared interested in other men, Morgan never had trouble finding someone to have a good time with.
Tyler and Declan hung back near the high-top tables with a couple of Fallon’s other friends. They were laughing about something, and though they had waved me over, I didn’t really feel like I belonged with their group either.
I took a sip of my mojito and started scrolling through my phone. Out of habit, I opened my group chat with the guys and typed a message:
What are you two doing tonight?
Five minutes passed, and neither had replied.
It shouldn’t have bothered me, but it did.
It was a Friday night. They were twenty-two years old, gorgeous, and probably still riding the high from the national attention they had received because of the draft. The odds of them just chilling at home were basically zero. More than likely, they were out partying, surrounded by women, and taking full advantage of being able to call themselves professional athletes.
After what felt like an eternity, but was probably only another ten minutes, my screen lit up.
Jase: Just got home
Dylan: We were at the gym
