Page 9 of Play It Sinful

“I didn’t start anything!” Artie retorts.

“What the hell, Sean. I can’t believe you started a fight,” Kenzie chimes in.

“He punched me first!”

“You shoved him,” Ashley contests.

Of course she’d take his side. I shrug out of John’s and Billy’s hold and announce, “We’re leaving.”

“I don’t want to go. We just got here,” Kenzie protests.

“I don’t care.”

I walk away with my phone out, ready to call Dad. I’ll probably get in trouble for getting into a fight, but it was worth it. I don’t even care that my jaw is throbbing and I might get a bruise. Pain and I are old friends.

Kenzie and Ashley follow me, but only Kenzie is talking, saying how selfish I am and listing all the bad things I’ve done in the past year. Some are bullshit, but I don’t care. She can complain all she wants. The party is over.

CHAPTER 4

ASHLEY

THREE YEARS AGO

Freedom. That’s what today feels like. After years of juggling AP classes, cheerleading, art school, and volunteering to have the chance to attend my top-choice school, I’ve done it. I can hardly contain my excitement as I walk in a daze through the Hannaford U campus. I’ve been dreaming about this day for so long that, now that it’s here, it doesn’t seem real.

This is real, Ashley. You aren’t dreaming.

On the drive to campus yesterday, I had a mini panic attack. Imposter syndrome hit me hard. I called Kenzie, crying that I didn’t deserve to be a Hannaford U Warrior. She set me straight and reminded me that I’d worked hard to be accepted at one of the best universities in the country.

I love her. She’s the best thing that came out of my mother marrying Chris. The same can’t be said about her older brother, Sean. He’s a jerk who’s never been nice to me.He’s the reason I don’t like going to Birchen Beach anymore. First, there was the kitchen incident, then, years later, he got into a fight at the bonfire party and ruined that summer for us. Thank God I don’thave to see him as often now that I’ve moved out of our parents’ home.

I stop in front of the athletic pavilion, where first-year orientation is being held, and take a deep breath to get a grip on my nerves. I’ve always been prone to anxiety attacks, but they’ve gotten worse in the past year. I thought once I got into college, I’d get better, but no such luck. If I told anyone about it, they wouldn’t believe me. I’ve learned to mask it well. I was the head cheerleader in high school, and I was involved in several committees, and not once did I let people see what was going on with me. Maybe I should listen to Kenzie and seek out a therapist, but I’m terrified people will find out, and treat me differently.

I’m glad I stopped by Ditzy Donuts on the way here and got myself a treat. I take a bite of the pink glaze-covered sugar ball and close my eyes while I savor it. Sugary treats usually have a calming effect on me. Only when my heart stops racing do I open my eyes again. I finish the donut, square my shoulders, and walk in. The place is already filling up. I scan the room to see where I’m going to sit and immediately spot the jock area. I’m not sure why making them out in the crowd is so easy. It’s probably because they don’t look nervous.

I’m sure of one thing, though. I don’t want to sit anywhere near them. Some of my closest friends in high school were football players, and I know jocks can get super loud and distracting. I want to be able to pay attention to the presenter.

I’m about to turn and head in the opposite direction, but a familiar face catches my eye. My stomach drops to the ground.

Motherfucker.Sean is here.

I haven’t seen him in over a year. He didn’t spend last summer with us because he was in training. His hair is a bit different, longer on top and shaved on the sides, and it’s also lighter, as if he spent too much time in the sun.

I don’t know why he’s here though. He’s supposed to be playing in the Swedish junior hockey league, much to his father’s disappointment. He was recruited when he went to a hockey camp there. Hell, did Sean change his mind to appease his dad? If he did, then why didn’t my mother or Kenzie tell me Sean was enrolling at Hannaford U? Before I get mad at them, I need to know what’s going on. Kenzie would have told me her brother was coming here. She knows about our feud all too well.

I forget about finding a seat far away from the jocks and head toward the bane of my existence. My friends think my hatred of Sean is unwarranted. They don’t know how much the pest tormented me growing up. Sure, he picked on me in front of our folks, but that was just normal sibling bickering. He was too smart to show his true colors when there were witnesses.

I find him in deep conversation with a couple of super-blond dudes who look to be as tall as him. One of the guys looks my way and smiles appreciatively. Hell. I forgot how conceited jocks can be, especially when they have the looks to back it up. But I’m so not in the mood to be chatted up.

“Hello there,” the blond says, undeterred by my grimace.

Sean turns, and his expression darkens. Here we go. “Oh, it’s you.”

“Wait. Do you know her?” the second blond asks, and I realize he’s the identical twin of the other.

Double the trouble. I can already tell they’ll be very popular on campus.

“Yeah, she’s my stepsister,” Sean replies with the enthusiasm of a door.

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