secluded corners by now.
“You texted me? How did you get my number?”
“I have my ways,” she replied.
Okay, but why? Not wanting to be rude to Tyra’s sister, I kept my thoughts to myself while wondering if I’d imagined the flirtation in her tone. I’d fucked enough sisters to know how ugly this always ended, and none of them had ever been remotely close to being someone special to me.
Feeling weird, I immediately started searching the area for the only reason I was even here. “Where’s Tyra?”
“She’s in the bathroom,” Selena said before nodding toward the crowded brick building twenty feet away. “Poor thing is still a little hungover. I had no idea she was such a wild, party animal.”
I felt myself scowl even as confusion ripped through me. Wild? Hungover? Tyra?
I’d seen her drink but never enough to get drunk much less enough to have a hangover the next day. I narrowed my gaze on Selena. “What exactly happened last night?”
“Nothing much.” I might have believed her if her gaze wasn’t meeting everything and everyone except mine. “Some guys we met got a little head start on the holiday weekend and invited us to a party.”
“What guys?”
“To be honest, I don’t remember.” She began twirling the ends of her hair. “One of them mentioned being home for the summer. I think he said something about being a Delta at NYU.”
Just then, Tyra stepped from the bathroom, and we immediately made eye contact even across the huge crowd. She looked caught red-handed when her puffy eyes widened, and I couldn’t help but notice her brown skin, which always glowed, appeared a little dull and gray. Selena hadn’t embellished her story one goddamn bit. My first instinct was to march over there and wring Tyra’s goddamn neck. Knowing I would never forgive myself if I hurt her, I decided to walk away instead.
Partying with frat guys? She must have lost her fucking mind.
I didn’t leave the fairground, but I didn’t bother seeking out my friends. There was no telling what I might do if I found myself within reaching distance of Tyra. Instead, I found myself at one of the food stands and then sitting alone while I mustered the stomach to eat.
“There he is!”
The sound of Jamie’s voice had me tensing nearly an hour later. There weren’t too many people in Blackwood Keep with a Boston accent, so I knew it had to be him. Ignoring my uneaten turkey leg, I looked over my shoulder and found my friends, along with Tyra and Selena, heading my way. The rest of the picnic table had been empty. I think bystanders could sense my foul mood, so my friends immediately crowded around me. Tyra wisely sat on the other end of the table, but I could feel her troubled gaze as I made a point to ignore her. Selena, on the other hand, was chatting with Four as if nothing had happened.
“Dude, you said sixty seconds, not sixty minutes,” Jamie fussed before snatching my turkey leg from the plate and biting a large chunk out of it. Usually, I’d punch him in the throat for poaching, but my stomach was still in knots.
Had Tyra finally figured out that she was too good for me and was looking for someone to give her what I couldn’t?
“We’ve been looking all over for you.” Jamie became distracted when he caught Bee glaring at him for talking with his mouth full. Grinning, he offered her a bite of the turkey leg, which she responded to by rolling her eyes before turning her head to talk to Lou.
Wren, to no one’s surprise, was absent again.
I just hoped he lived long enough to give Lou the ring I was currently keeping safe for him. At least then someone would get their happily ever after. Lou stood, her expression tight, before announcing she had to go to the bathroom. Bee, deciding to join her, stood too.
“Did you guys hear the news?” Jamie blabbed the moment they were out of earshot. “Wren and Lou are getting hitched.” I shook my head. News traveled too damn fast in this group, but this time, I only had myself to blame.
“He hasn’t asked her yet,” Four deadpanned.
Ever snorted. “Like she’s going to say no.”
I was both surprised and relieved to hear that coming from him. Ever hadn’t spoken two words to Wren since finding out they were half brothers. After blackening his eye first, of course. I could only imagine the tension whenever they