Rich Prick – Tijan Page 0,95

friends. We’d been more than friends, but I’d said all I could. The rest was for her to figure out. There was physical cheating, and there was emotional cheating. Letting Mara lean on me now would be giving her something that should only be Aspen’s. And it would also only prolong her pain. This conversation was done, and she sensed it, looking up at me.

I shook my head.

“You’re such an asshole,” she hissed before fleeing.

She left her plate behind.

Zeke headed back over, sat in her spot, and eyed the plate. “You think she’s coming back for that?”

“Have at it.”

He popped it in his mouth in two bites, then grinned around his chewing. “Nice and plain, but grilled to perfection. I’m going to watch her, see if she leaves any more food around. Can’t have the bears getting it.” He winked at me.

I grinned, but just slightly. “I’m always the bad guy.”

“Nah.” He hit me with the back of his hand, a distracted pat. “You’re just usually the bad guy. Everyone knows you’re doing what’s right with Mara. She’s got issues. You came, and she saw a guy who was strong enough to help shoulder some of her problems. You told her you weren’t that guy, but she chose to ignore that for a semester. That’s on her, and everyone else here knows that.” He paused, raising his cup to the fire, and then indicated my brother’s group. “Except them. They don’t know any of us.” He grinned at me. “They think we’re rich pricks.” He belched and added, “Which we kinda are.”

I grinned. “My brother’s family isn’t that bad.”

“Nah. They just ain’t in our league.” He leaned forward. “So whatever. We’ll be the bad guys. Not like we’re not going to get that all our lives.”

He had a point.

We sat in silence for a while.

“Are you going to get wasted tonight?”

I shook my head. “I can’t. I’ll start a fight if I do.” I wanted to be sober for Aspen.

“That’s too bad. I was hoping for some entertainment.”

I grinned, but my hand shot out, punching his arm. “Asswipe.”

“Dickhead.”

“Dickwipe.”

“Dude. Something other than wipe. Please.”

I thought about it. “Fucker.”

“Nice.” He gave me an approving nod. “Sticking with the classics. Right on.”

ASPEN

I was drunk.

And giggly.

And stumbling.

I swear, that table had not been there two seconds earlier.

Bumping into it, I almost fell down and dissolved in laughter.

Hands caught me, righting me.

Yes. I’d forgotten they were here too.

I looked up. Bren and Taz. They were wonderful. I didn’t know why Blaise didn’t like them.

Bren’s hand tightened around my arm, and she tried not to smile. “You, uh, don’t have to share all your thoughts.”

Um…

Had I?

Taz laughed on my other side. “I don’t know. I appreciated her giving us drunk GPS directions as we walked across the campsite.”

Right. I had done that. Drunk GPS…

We neared my camper, and I felt a smile on my face. “This is my place! This is where I’m sleeping.”

“We’re very aware. The whole campsite is now aware.”

I had no clue who said that, but I didn’t care.

Blaise stood from his chair.

“No!” I launched myself at him.

He caught me, like I knew he would, and I curled up in his lap.

“I love you.” An alarm sounded in my head, but I wanted to get this out. “I love you, and I’ve known for a while, but I didn’t share.” I frowned. “I don’t know why I kept that to myself.”

He was frozen, his eyes latched to mine as a strangled laugh came from him. His hand curled around my leg, and he grasped me tighter as he sat with me on his lap.

“Uh, thanks,” he said over my head. “I got it from here.”

Bren took off right away.

“Bye, Bren!” I yelled, waving.

She was only four feet away.

Taz was still laughing. She’d been laughing at me most of the night.

And she wasn’t leaving.

Yay, Taz!

She sat in a chair next to our camper door. She nodded toward me. “You sure you’re okay with her?”

“I’ll be fine.”

I peered up at Blaise. He sounded sad. Why’d he sound like that?

I didn’t like that.

Blaise was sad a lot of the time. He was sadder than most of us, to be honest.

“Okay.” He patted my arm. “You don’t have to say that with everyone.”

Taz covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. Why now? She’d been laughing openly most the night.

“This is live television,” she said. “I would sign up for this subscription.”

“Shut up.” But Blaise grinned.

Oh good. I could relax.

I laid my head against his shoulder.

He wasn’t so