“Was he hurt?”
“Spent the night in the hospital, but the other guys were worse.”
He grunted. “He’s always been the better guy than me. Smarter, quicker, kinder. He even pays his own uni fees. When I grow up, I want to be just like him.”
I smiled. Declan was all those things and more. Sexy, sweet, hung.
He shot me a cocky grin. “You got a crush on him.”
“I do not.”
“You do.”
“Do not.”
“You so bloody do. Now shut the fuck-all up about it.”
“ I do not .” I stood up and stamped my foot on the sidewalk.
“Then let me come over to your place tonight. I’ll show you my sexy underwear—Union Jack flag and all.”
My mouth flapped open. “No. That’s just weird. You’re like … a brother.”
“Okay, gross, but you aren’t seeing anyone else, so why does it matter? I’ll be one of your famous one-night stands, no problem.”
I closed my eyes. “Dammit, does everyone know about that?”
“It’s a small university, but your friend Shelley also likes to talk when she drinks.” He grinned. “She’s been popping in at the frat house a lot lately. She and Blake are thick as thieves.”
Ah. Interesting.
He continued. “You have feelings for Declan. I know it because your eyes get all mushy when he walks in a room.”
“You’re an expert on me?”
A self-satisfied grin curved his lips. “I’m a psych major, remember? And not nearly as stupid as you may think.”
“You’re a lunatic major more like it.”
He leveled me with a serious stare. “I wish I was more like you. You don’t care what other people think and you’ve made your own way at Whitman—which sounds a lot like Declan—but you’re also completely gorgeous and unaware of it. Hell, I could have fallen for you in a heartbeat if you’d given me any indication we had a chance.” He smiled at my widened eyes. “You met me first, but I was drunk and Declan wasn’t. Not that that mattered. Once you took one look at him, you’d chosen him already. Fate. Karma.” He smirked. “Yeah, I believe in all that silly stuff. Anyway, I’m not here to hit on you—too late for that—but I am telling you not to crush his heart. He’s had enough of that already.”
This was family. Love. Emotion swelled and impulsively, I hugged him tight.
I pulled back to stare up at him. “Is he back with Nadia?”
“No, but I heard Donatello broke up with her, so she’s free.” He took my hand. “Come on, let’s go see him.”
On the way over, Shelley and Blake texted us and wanted to meet for lunch too—even after I told Blake that Declan was coming—so we arranged to meet outside the student center and walk in together.
All I could think about was seeing Declan again.
My eyes searched the milling crowd until I found him standing next to a big column outside the entrance to the stone building. His dark brown hair was disheveled as if he’d raked his hands through it. As I watched, he took his bottom lip between his teeth and pulled as he read Pride and Prejudice .
He checked every box I had.
“He’s a dream,” Shelley purred next to me.
“He’s okay,” was my reply.
“Girl, you crazier than my mama when she’s got her menses and runs out of coffee.”
She grinned and gave me a hug. She’d been over to the apartment for the past two nights to keep me company. Between Declan and the whole Mom and Karl mess, I’d needed a friend. I’d also cooked dinner for her both nights in appreciation of her getting me the jewelry interview.
I pulled her aside. “Heard anything about Colby?”
She nodded, a worried expression on her face. “Officially, the word is he left NYU because he wanted to be closer to home.” She rolled her eyes. “As if anyone would miss Petal.”
I nodded.
She held a finger up. “The gossip is he got caught sniffing coke at a party the cops busted. He got off, thanks to dear old dad, but he also got kicked out of school—and went to some fancy rehab. Looks like our perfect poster boy isn’t so clean anymore.”
She sent me a hard look. “And if he comes to your house again, you have to call the police. You can’t take any chances, especially if he’s doing drugs. Think about it, Elizabeth. He was always on the edge in high school, and I guarantee you, Colby on drugs is crazy as shit. As soon as you see him, you run straight to Declan’s or you dial 911. Okay?”
I nodded. “Okay.”
Declan looked up at that moment, his gray eyes zeroing in on mine, and I lifted a hand in a wave. I shoved thoughts of Colby away.
He tucked his book in his backpack and headed our way.
“Just watching him walk is like art moving.” Shelley sighed.
He stopped in front of our crew, gave Dax a fist bump and nodded at the rest of us. We all headed inside Zoe’s, a pizza place.
Declan slowed his steps until he was walking next to me. “Hey, you. Been wanting to talk to you.”
“Hey.” I set my pace with his. “You didn’t come to class today.”
He sighed and tucked his hands in his pockets. “Yeah. I had an appointment at a bank. We had some flooring issues come up at the gym, and I went in to see if I could adjust my loan.” He rubbed his jaw.
My lips parted. He needed more money? “I wish I could help you.”