Page 22 of Eat You Alive (Court Legacy 4)

That year had been difficult for all of us on so many levels, but I’d take a million of them to have her back. Sloane had been taken from my parents when we were babies, and though the transition back had been rocky, I didn’t think any of us would change it. She and my adoptive brother, Bruno (her brother), made our family fucking whole. Bru was actually away at college himself. He’d chosen to go to a fancy school overseas, on his own journey, and was a freshman like Wells and Thatch.

Sloane sighed after what I said, and though I didn’t like her disappointment, I expected it. Out of all of us, she was the purest. She had a soul still, a heart. She pressed her hands together. “Big—”

“But that was until I talked to her.” I faced the room, a show I was putting on. I didn’t like lying to my family, but it was necessary. They only didn’t see it now because they couldn’t, but they would. They had to. “I talked to her that day at the frat, and we had breakfast not long after that.”

“Breakfast?” Thatch barked, and I nodded.

“Yeah, dude, and through it, I realized she was human. Did she screw me over? Hell yeah, she fucking did, but she’s also a person. Flawed?” I watched Thatch’s jaw drop along with the rest of the room. I shrugged. “I decided to forgive her, and once I did, we talked and connected. I got out of my own way and saw she was pretty kickass.”

This was an Academy Award–winning performance I was giving, but in all honesty, this was the only way these people would ever believe I’d date anyone. If Dorian dating my sister taught me anything, it was that we guys attracted a certain type. We liked the challenge, sick like that. I’d want Fawn because I wanted to ruin her, break her.

“Holy shit. Holy shit. Okay.”

This came from Thatcher, his head nodding. I really did know these guys because Wells’s nod wasn’t far behind. Wells’s head shook. “Well, that’s good… then.”

I laughed. “Thanks.”

“Nah, man. Seriously.” Wells pounded my fist. “That’s great.”

“Real great, big,” Sloane said, and I was relieved to hear that. I thought she’d be harder to convince. She nudged D’s leg. “Isn’t that great?”

Dorian wasn’t saying anything, a harder sell, but I expected that too. We were the closest out of all of us. His shoulders lifted. “Yeah, great.”

I wasn’t convinced by that, but considering I had my hands full with Thatcher and Wells, I let it go at the present. The two fuckers proceeded to throw fake punches at me in congratulations, and shaking my head, I let them.

“Hope it works out, my dude. Legit.” The crosses in Thatch’s ears danced, his head nodding. He shook my shoulders. “I mean, after the year you had, you deserve that shit. A fresh start?”

Well aware of the year I’d had, I bobbed my head twice in acknowledgment, and that got a slap from both Thatch and Wells. They fed me their congratulations again before heading back to the party, but only after they made me promise to reintroduce Fawn to them. They said they wanted to apologize to her for the other night.

Feeling some kind of way about that, I scrubbed into my hair.

My sister came out of nowhere with her hugs.

I was still getting used tothat, never much of a hugger, but whenever she gave them, I didn’t fight her off. They felt like home and shit, so no, I didn’t fight.

“This really is so great. You here and just… ah!” Her shout in excitement had me laughing, and she nudged me. “Shut up. I’m just happy you’re back. Thatcher was right. Your year was bullshit, and you need this. Need something like this.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, so instead of choosing the wrong thing, I just tapped her shoulder. “Thanks.”

In my periphery stood D, and I assumed him waiting around meant the real challenge was coming. This kid and I knew each other, the first of our clique to come into the world. A year older than Thatch and Wells, we connected on that, but in general we were just really freaking close. Because of that, his bullshit radar wasn’t an easy one to work over.

So imagine my surprise when he put his fist out for mine.

“Sorry about my reaction before,” he said, tapping it. His arm went around my sister. “I was just shocked, but I am happy for you. I hope this works out, and Sloane’s right. You do deserve this. A break.”

I was sure that was the only reason for the fist bump, him being easy about this. I wasn’t quite sure he believed me, but other factors here were obviously edging him the other way.

Ignoring the locking in my chest, I nodded at him, surprised when Wells and Thatch made their way back.

“Eh, uh. Wolf, you should probably get out there.” Wells had his hands tucked under his arms, Thatch beside him. “It’s your girl, so…”

My girl…

Fawn.

Not sure what this shit was about, I cut around them both, and the guys shouted out I needed to get to the pool.

The commotion outside the room was already leading me there.

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