Page 79 of Patiently Yours
I wasn’t aware of this before pledging at Alpha Xi, but every fraternity and sorority on campus has a designated charity that they earn money for. Our first year in Alpha Xi, the events were an absolute dumpster fire. Our old president, Matt, didn’t put much thought into them, and we only barely scraped by when it came to raising funds for the charity he chose. It used to stress Atlas out beyond belief. He even offered to take over the philanthropy chair duties but Matt refused. We nearly lost our chapter.
Things changed when Sam joined the fraternity. Matt allowed him to take over the charity planning so he could enjoy his senior year. It was the most successful fundraiser Alpha Xi had organized in a long time. It’s part of the reason why the Dean gave Sam the new presidency despite being one of the youngest members. That and all the natural dominance that pours off of him.
Sam runs his hand through his blond hair. “Not for this event. I wanted to do something for this local shelter for teenage runaways. It’s for all teens, but most end up there because they’re running away from designation abuse or homophobia. I’ve already got the green-light from our advisor, we just have to figure out the details. Do you guys mind assigning the booths while I do some calculations?”
We sit there for a while, going through the different attractions that’ll help bring foot traffic to the event. Sam’srented out downtown. With what money, I have no idea, but the area is nice and there’s surely going to be a lot of people gallivanting around considering the day it’s planned.
Ciro suggests we give Dax and Everett the water tank, which is genius. They’ll have a good time and entertain anyone who walks by, which is their specialty. Thatcher’s a bit of a grump, so I put him at the free water station. And Atlas and Sam talk about a potential scavenger hunt for a couple of the guys who can’t sit still for eight hours.
“Okay, so. What should we do?” Ciro asks, skimming the page.
Sam takes the page to see what else is left before giving a haughty laugh. “Don’t worry, I’ve got the perfect thing.” He circles something on the page before turning it back to us.
Oh my god.
Ciro and I burst out laughing, while Atlas puts his hand in front of his mouth to hide his smile.
“Uriah is going to throat punch you,” Ciro huffs out between laughs.
Sam joins in, shrugging his shoulders. “He should have been here.”
The sentence makes me laugh that much more. “That’s kind of evil, Sam. I love it.”
“How do you even have this trick up your sleeve?”
“I have a friend who likes to give back, that’s all I’ll say about it.”
We’re still laughing and discussing the logistics of our booth when the front door slams. It stops us in our tracks as the room begins to fill with the scent of burning lake water.
Freaking Derek.
He walks in, fury rolling off of him in spades. It legitimately looks like smoke is coming out of his ears.
The silence in the room is heavy, so I decide to break it. “Hey, Derek. Send any menacing texts today?”
Ciro chokes on his water.
Derek gives us a cruel smile before walking closer. It’s only then that I notice he’s got some kind of paper rolled up in his hand. “That bitch of an omega sent me a restraining order? Really?”
My jaw tenses at his dig towards Stacia. But per our lawyer’s request, we all keep our mouths shut.
“Oh, so it’s official? Cool.” Sam smooths out his pants before standing up. “That means I can officially do this. Derek, you’re no longer a member of Alpha Xi.”
He balks. “What the fuck did you just say to me?”
Sam continues in the same calm tone, “You have two weeks to find alternative housing.”
I’m floored.
Sam interlaces his fingers and watches Derek, waiting for his response. It’s the wildest fucking stand-off I’ve ever seen.
And that calm exterior of Sam’s? It pisses Derek off even more.
“You can’t kick me out because some omega fucking lied about me. I’m a legacy, my father and grandfather were in Alpha Xi, andyouof all people are going to kick me out?” he scoffs, but his eyes betray his confidence. He looks terrified, like he’ll have to explain to his family why he’s no longer living in the Alpha Xi house.
“When you pledged, you signed a morality clause. That was before I was president, Kirkpatrick. If you get into any trouble with the law, especially when it comes to harassment and assault, you are no longer a member of Alpha Xi.” He gives a tough sigh. “You shouldn’t have done it, man. What was the point? These guys are her scent matches. Move the fuck on.”
Derek huffs before spitting on the carpet. He looks over at us, giving Ciro an especially hard glance that stirs up a growl in me. “This is a load of bullshit.”
