of Brody’s overseas adventure, my hesitance to live with a complete stranger who I had to pretend was my brother, and Drew filled in the part about how the arrangement benefited him as well.
I apologized for not telling Taylor about all of it sooner, but she understood. Our lives were hectic enough without the added drama Brody had heaped on me.
“Okay, so let me get this straight,” she said. “You’re Brody, and I’ve known you since I was little. Shouldn’t be too hard. I’m only here for two days. I’ll just refer to you as Brody no matter what so I don’t mess it up if I’m around anyone else.”
“Okay, that’s fine,” I said. I’d been expecting her to at least act like all of this was a bigger deal than it was, but I guess to her it wasn’t. Taylor had always been matter-of-fact and possessed an efficiency for getting things done that I’d envied since we were kids.
Other than the fact that she was my ho from long ago, Taylor’s determination and drive was much of the reason she was my first call after I’d realized what I’d need to do to become sorority president. If anyone could help me outline a plan for election, it was Taylor Peterson.
“That okay with you, Brody?” she asked Drew.
Clearly amused, Drew smiled and gave her a nod.
I looked between the two of them. “So if you didn’t fill her in on all of this, what’d you guys talk about for a half hour?”
Drew smiled almost to the point of laughter, but he didn’t let it fully erupt. “Taylor showed me pictures of the two of you from when you were kids.”
I put a hand over my face, but I was sure it didn’t do much to hide how red I could feel my cheeks getting. “You did not!”
“Don’t kill me.” Taylor was already backing away.
“Oh my God! What pictures did you have? They didn’t even have iPhones when we were little.”
“When I told my mom I was coming up here, she got so excited she started texting me all these pictures of us from the albums she has.” Taylor looked at me apologetically. “Nine to fourteen weren’t our best years.”
“Aww,” Drew said, glancing at me with a smile. “I thought you were cute.”
“In like a three-legged dog kind of way where my cuteness is directly proportional to how sorry you feel for me?”
He laughed but didn’t argue. “If I can find some old pictures of myself, I’ll show them to you. I wasn’t getting any modeling contracts either.”
“Do you get them now?” Taylor asked sincerely, causing me to smack her.
“You’re so embarrassing,” I told her.
“Seriously, though,” she continued. “What are you doing taking classes for some idiot when you could be in a magazine or starring in a Netflix Original?”
Drew laughed loudly, but I could tell he was a little embarrassed by the comment. He’d received more than his share of superficial compliments since I’d moved in, and something told me he wasn’t used to getting them. Damn college girls.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Acting’s not really my thing.”
Taylor let her gaze drift to me and then back to Drew, who was still showing off that sheepish grin that revealed just how modest he really was.
“Hmm, could’ve fooled me, Brody,” she said.
I loved Taylor, but I also wanted to kill her sometimes.
Chapter Seventeen
D R E W
“We’re done!” Taylor announced as she and Sophia emerged from the party-planning headquarters of Sophia’s room with an empty bottle of tequila.
They’d only retreated to Sophia’s room an hour ago, when Aniyah, Xander, and Toby arrived for another group project session.
“An entire bottle of tequila?” I asked.
Sophia wasn’t kidding. When Taylor put her mind to something, she got that shit accomplished.
Taylor looked at the empty bottle before tossing it into the recycling. It landed with a loud clang, and I tensed, unsure of whether I would hear the sound of glass breaking.
“Well, yeah,” she said. “But there wasn’t much in there to begin with when I brought it.”
“We’re done with the party planning,” Sophia clarified.
“Jeez, that was fast,” I said. Taylor really was an asset. Maybe I’d have to ask her to help me plan Cody’s before she left.
“Is that for the sorority thing or for Brody’s thing?” Xander asked.
“Sophia’s. My thing’s for my little brother, Cody, and it’s not till December, so I haven’t really started thinking much about it yet.”
“Cody and Brody?” Aniyah asked before looking to Sophia. “Your parents should’ve named you Jodi.”
“Ha!”