Page 35 of Twisted Legacy

I whip out my phone and text the guys. Our to-do list just keeps getting bigger. We have to get Thea to like us, teach her what it means to be a legacy student, and come up with a plan to make sure her joining the Lady Lions or any other sorority that isn’t Zeta Nu doesn’t happen.

Chapter23

Thea

Last night, Sasha and I stayed in stuffing our faces with pizza and drinks. Today, we’re heading out to the beach. After my run-in with Van, Sasha’s the only person who could get me to go anywhere near that side of town. Her exact words were, “I don’t give a shit if you’re avoiding your family at the hotel. I want to see the water and have a huge slice of that pie you’re always raving about.”

LJ’s meeting us there. On the drive, I keep telling myself that it doesn’t matter if I see Van, because I don’t care. She’s a liar like everyone else. I have Sasha park the car at the end of the boardwalk so she can get the full experience of walking it.

I side-eye some of the shop owners we pass, wondering if they were in on the big secret too, but none of them look guilty. Although, that could just be because they’re so good at lying.

LJ’s holding a booth for us when we arrive. It’s my favorite one with the view of the beach. She shifts over so I can sit next to her, facing the door. Sasha slides all the way over to the end of the booth on her side, shifting so her back presses against the wall.

“So LJ, I hear you’re the girl I have to thank for nursing Thea back to health.”

LJ ducks her head. “No, it was the doctors. I didn’t really do much.”

“That’s not how I hear it. She says you’re the one who was sitting by her bed and moved in with her.”

“Coach Wolfe was there too.”

Sasha wiggles her brows. “Yup, heard all about howhelpfulhe was, too.”

When LJ glances over at me, I say, “It’s fine, LJ. She knows everything.”

“Everything, everything?”

Sasha’s face splits into a grin. “That’s right, every sordid detail. I can’t wait to see this guy in person.”

Sasha has also convinced me to swing by the gym today so she can see where I was training. I told her I’d have LJ take her since she’s going in to make up a workout she missed last week, but she insisted it be me. I get it. Trust doesn’t come easy for either of us, and just because LJ’s earned my trust doesn’t mean it extends to Sasha.

Mel comes over with a couple of menus. I see her checking out my arm. Most of the bruising has faded, but I’m stuck wearing this sling for a little while longer.

“Hey hun, haven’t seen you in a while. How you doing?”

That’s a loaded question. “Depends on how gossipy this town is.”

Tapping her pencil against her order pad, she says, “Now that depends on which part of town you’re talking about. Up on the hill, they keep to themselves and hide their secrets. Down here in the cove we’re a family. We look out for each other, but we also know how to mind our own business.”

“So that means you heard about my initiation prank gone wrong?”

Mel snorts out a laugh. “That’s the official line the spokesperson for the college gave to the news. Now if you wanna tell me something different. I’m all ears, and if not -then like I said- we’re family on this strip, but we know when to mind our own business.”

I get what she’s saying. She’s heard the official and unofficial version of what happened, but won’t press me for answers or mention it.

“Now, what can I get you guys to drink?”

We place our orders, then settle back to talk. I let Sasha and LJ dominate the conversation, happy the topic is anything and everything but me. I’m glad to have a distraction from my problems. By the time we make it to the beach, I’m laughing and enjoying the time with my girls.

I let Sasha talk me into a game of how many new followers can we get. It’s stupid since I don’t use my social media account, but she’s up for a laugh and I’m always up for a challenge. We even rope LJ into playing, which is actually good practice for her, since we’re supposed to be working on bringing her out of her shell.

We’re still in game mode when Sasha pulls into the parking lot outside of Wolfe Pack. She’s in the lead because she honked at a guy at a traffic light two blocks over and held up traffic while they yelled at each other through the rolled down windows.

LJ laughs, “Girl, you are nuts. What happens when they hit up your direct messages and ask to see you again?”

Sashas’s been telling everyone she’s new to town and leaving out the part where she leaves tomorrow night.

“They don’t need to know all that. And who knows… if whatever they’re saying in the messages vibes with my vibe, then I might let them come to Vegas for a visit.”

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