“Where are your folks?” He looks around me to see if they’re hiding in my gown or something.
Hitting him with a hard look, I sigh. “Don’t ask questions you know the answer to.”
His gaze hits mine and the softness in his deep green eyes threatens to take my breath away.Why does he even care?
“You look good in black,” he comments. “Long, drapey clothes suit you, too. Is that Prada?” He pulls at the oversized gown I’m wearing, a smile creeping onto his face. He’s doing that thing he does when he wants me to feel better. He’s making me laugh.
“Gucci, actually.” I smile. Because it’s working. Like it always does.
Arden laughs and I realize we’ve sort of drifted closer together. When I look up at him again, I need to lift my chin.
“I think we—”
“Arden!” Margot calls from the garden. Immediately, we both turn in the direction of her voice. She beckons him over to take a picture with the whole family.
“Family calls,” I say, gesturing toward Margot.
Without a second thought, Arden grips my hand. “Let’s go, then.” He pulls me through the doorway and into the garden where Margot’s family is waiting.
“Hey, sugar,” Memaw says, pulling me in for a hug. I grip her tightly, always loving a Memaw hug and needing one a little extra today. Once she releases me, I go to grab the phone from their dad’s hand to snap their family photo but Margot doesn’t let me.
“Uh uh,” she shakes her head. “All family in. I’ll ask a rando to take it.” Margot sets off to find a stranger before I can stop her. I sigh like this isso exasperatingbut actually I’m ecstatic to be included this way. I’ve always thought of Margot’s family as an extension of my own, and I’m overjoyed that they see me the same way.
I step toward Arden to pose in front of him but he catches me by surprise, pulling me backward by the hip until my back is right up against his chest.
“Smile, brat,” he says in my ear, his voice sending a shiver down my spine. I look up instinctively and meet his intense gaze over my shoulder.
Margot runs up and poses on my other side, having no idea the hold her brother has on me right now. “Everyone smile!” she says.
The flash goes off in front of us, but all I can see is Arden’s deep green eyes boring into mine. All I can feel is his hand on my hip. And all I know is that I’m not sure how I’m going to survive four more years with my best friend’s brother on the campus with me.
Chapter Six
Arden
Iwatchhersmilewith my sister and their roommate and I can’t help the grin that forms on my own face.
“So, when are you gonna make a move, boy?”
Memaw’s voice startles me to the present.
“Huh? Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh hush,” she tuts. “You’ve had eyes for that girl ever since you were a kid. You were always running around after her.”
I roll my eyes, pushing off against the wall I was leaning on. “I was notrunning aroundafter her.”
“You were and you know it. I heard she’s staying for medical school. Perfect chance to spend some time together.”
I’ve thought about this a lot. It was a gamble choosing to come to TU for my degree because I knew it meant I’d be seeing Danika around for most of that time. To be honest, I didn’t think it would affect me, but I can’t help but double take when I see her in passing on the quad or at the coffee shop.
We have class in the same building at the same time on Monday afternoons. I don’t know if she’s noticed that but I certainly have.
Danika and I have always had an interesting relationship. She’s my little sister’s best friend so she practically grew up at my house. Her and Margot were always together, playing dress up or hide and seek. Then, when they got older, it was make-up and parties in high school. Only then did I start to take notice becauseDanimalwas constantly dragging my sister into trouble. And by trouble, I mean boys. It wasn’t lost on me that Danika is beautiful and even though she was a few years younger than me in school, I did notice her, especially as we both matured.
But I wasn’t the only one that noticed her.
The disgusting adolescent boys at our school were constantly talking about the depraved things they wanted to do to her. They knew well enough not to say any shit like that about my sister but since Danika wasn’t related to me, she was technically fair game to be a pig about.