Page 80 of Insatiable Park Avenue Prince

donovan

WE HADN’T GOTTEN around to talking later, at least not last night. It would have to come soon, though, and I had no clue how to handle this situation.

I stared out the window of the Sprinter, absently twirling my hair around my finger as Scotty drove us to Astor the next morning. I wasn’t even sure why I’d bothered, since it wasn’t like I’d be able to focus on anything other than my current dilemma, but I’d forced myself to get dressed and join the rest of the guys for our Thursday classes.

Fingers snapped somewhere near my ear, and then I heard someone say, “I think he’s broken. Does he take batteries or a charger?”

“Knock it off. Something’s obviously wrong.” Gavin plopped down on the seat in front of me and waved a hand in front of my face. “Van? Hello?”

Sighing at the interruption in my thoughts, I slid my gaze over to concerned pale eyes. There were questions written all over my brother’s face, but I wouldn’t even know where to start.

“Is everything okay?” he asked. “Because you—”

“Look like a fuckin’ zombie.”

Gavin looked past me, shooting Daire a dirty look. “Can you not?”

“Just bein’ honest.”

West rolled his eyes and moved to the seat on the other side of me. “When it comes from you, Daire, sometimes it’s better just to not say anything.” Then he took one look at my face and cocked his head. “On second thought, hedoesremind me of something fromThe Walking Dead.”

“Seriously, guys?” I said, my annoyance overriding my thoughts. “I’m right here.”

“See, that worked.” West’s smile grew, and he leaned back, resting his ankle over his knee. “Just tell a model they look undead and it horrifies them to the point of coming back to life.”

Normally I’d have a response to that, but I couldn’t find it in me to care. Not when I had more important things to deal with.

“Kelly has to fuck other guys starting next week,” I blurted out, just as Scotty pulled the door of the van open wide. I hadn’t even realized we’d arrived at Astor, much less that our poor driver would have to hear all that, but he’d definitely heard worse from us.

Silence filled the van for a long moment before Preston turned his head toward Scotty.

“I think we’re gonna need a minute,” he said.

To Scotty’s credit, he didn’t react, just gently shut the door as my friends all turned my way.

East was the first to speak, which was never a good sign. “And this is a problem why?”

Preston glared him down. “Did you not hear him?”

“Yeah, I heard him. A porn star has to fuck other guys? Shocking.”

“East is right,” Travis said, but held his hands up. “No offense, Van, but what did you think would happen?”

My stomach was doing all sorts of dips and dives I wasn’t at all familiar with, and the frustration of what I was feeling had me snapping, “I sure as hell didn’t think I’d catch feelings for him.”

The silence that followed was deafening, shades of surprise on all my friends’ faces.

“Oh shit,” Travis muttered, running his hand through his dark hair, locking eyes with Preston, and inclining his head.

Preston nodded and opened the sliding door. “Hey, Scotty, we have a situation. Take us on a drive, please. A long one.”

Relief flowed through me as the Sprinter pulled away from the curb and the buildings once again became a blur. I didn’t mind skipping class, and I was grateful that no matter how mouthy and unhinged my friends were, they were willing to do the same for me.

We’d figure this out. They’d know what to do.

“Okay, since I was the last one to be on the receiving end of a Van Talk, and I have a sexy-as-fuck boyfriend as a result, I think it’s only right I lead this one,” West announced, causing the rest of the guys to groan.

I wasn’t sure how “Van Talks” had started, or why any of the guys came to me for advice, but it had become a thing in the last couple of years. Van Talks in the van. Maybe it was that I had experience with relationships, unlike the one-night-stands most of the guys embarked on. Or maybe it was that I wasn’t quite as hotheaded and sarcastic as a couple of the others and could actually give decent advice.

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