Page 18 of Mad Love

“—girl,” Devon quickly amended, “was taking a shower. I didn’t fucking know.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Okay, show’s over, people. Move it.”

“He hit a brother,” Devon cried, pointing a finger at Court like a fucking five-year-old. “I want—”

“You want what?” I growled, glaring at him. “Tell me what you fucking want, Dev. I’m dying to know.”

Devon might not have been the smartest guy here, but he wasn’t the stupidest either, and he knew the look on my face meant he needed to tread carefully. Teeth clenched, he fixed his gaze on the floor. “Nothing.”

“That’s what I thought,” I replied and jerked my chin down the hall. “Get your ass to your room.”

Pissed but compliant, Devon stalked down to his room and slammed the door as the hallway emptied out.

“You okay, Bex?” Linc asked, bending at the knees to look her in the eye.

She nodded, cheeks flushed either from the heat of the shower or embarrassment. “I’m so sorry. I could’ve sworn I locked the door—”

“You probably did,” Ash assured her as Court moved into the bathroom doorway, blocking her from view. “One of the freshmen has a habit of locking the door to have some, uh, alone time. It can take a while, so Devon and some of the others don’t bother waiting anymore. They have keys.”

“Oh, ew,” Bex whispered, her nose scrunching up with distaste.

“He could’ve fucking knocked,” Court snapped.

“Bro, come on,” Ash argued, “the guys aren’t used to having a girl living here.”

All of our gazes went to Bex because, yeah, she was basically living here now.

After Maddie had been taken, Court hadn’t been willing to let Bex out of his sight. Linc and Ash had agreed and moved her in here while I’d been detained thanks to the district attorney buying Gary’s bullshit story of me killing Adam Kindell. She was currently sleeping in Court’s room, and I wasn’t entirely sure what that meant for my friends.

“I’m sorry I’m complicating things,” Bex murmured, shaking her head. “I should go back to my dorm.”

“No,” Court and Linc said as Ash and I shook our heads.

Bex was one of us. Maddie had already been taken, and I knew my girl would rip my ass to shreds if I let anything happen to her best friend.

“Why don’t you get dressed?” Court suggested, starting to reach for Bex’s cheek and then stopping himself. His arm fell awkwardly back to his side as he moved out of the bathroom doorway and pulled the door shut.

I sighed. “Maybe you guys should take my room,” I told them. “It has its own bathroom, so…” But I hated the idea of giving it up. Maybe it made me a selfish douche, but when I was alone in there, I could almost imagine Maddie was in the bathroom on the other side of the door. I could still smell her on my sheets—peppermint and fresh air.

“Maybe it’s time we all had a real talk about our living situation,” Ash countered.

Linc rubbed the back of his neck. “You want to move?”

“Maddie and I talked about getting a house in town,” I admitted, my voice catching for a second before I swallowed around the emotion. I met their eyes. “She wanted you guys to live with us.”

The corner of Linc’s mouth kicked up. “Always knew she was a kinky girl.”

“Ass,” I muttered, but a smile tugged at the edges of my lips. “She loved us all being together. And when she comes back—” because it was when, not if “—she’ll need all of us.”

Court glanced at the closed door. “Bex’s parents won’t let her. She isn’t eighteen for a few more weeks.”

“Who says we give them a choice?” Ash replied, folding his arms. “We have plenty of shit on Malcolm to make him sign off on it, if it comes to it.”

“Blackmailing Bex’s dad?” Court scoffed. “What about Betty? She hates us.”

It was true; Bex’s mom hated each of our families, and especially who she thought Maddie was. Madelaine had made Bex’s life hell for years.

“I’m sure the good doctor has plenty of her own skeletons,” Ash replied.

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