Wicked (Somerset University #2) - Ruby Vincent Page 0,41

she was lying, I couldn’t tell.

“Fine,” I said, stepping back. “I’ll let it go for now, but I will find out how it got in there.”

She gave me a mocking smile. “And I care? Are we practicing or not?”

“Right, I lied about that being the last rule. The real one is when I say I’m busy, I’m fucking busy. I’m not sitting in my broom closet sucking down paninis and laughing about pissing you off. I’ve got work to do and the reason I’m late home most nights is I’m forced to let it pile up while I’m playing bitch for one band. Hint: yours.”

She sniffed. If she was any less apologetic, she’d be laughing in my face.

“If you respect my time, I’ll respect yours.” I held out my hand. “Deal?”

Serena eyed it like I wiped my ass with it and refused to wash. “Fine.”

We shook.

“That said,” I continued, “I can run through some stuff with you now in between listening to the demos. Take it or wait until tomorrow.”

“Take it.”

Serena dropped my hand and set off, leading the way to my office. I held back, dropping my head and tempering a sigh. The weird thing was my chat with Serena actually turned out better than I anticipated.

VALENTINA

“You’re kidding?”

“I wish I was kidding.” I stuck the phone in the crook of my neck, switching my bills for coffee. I thanked the barista and got back with Sofia.

I had a full day ahead of me. Two classes, lunch with Jaxson, and then a meeting at the Sally house with our new house mother, vice president Blair, and our council. We had to plan the semester’s activities in light of my promise to toss all the old ways out the window. In spite of everything I had going on, there was always room to vent with Sofia.

“Jaxson drove the band to Marchant yesterday and the car returned sporting a new thong. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m betting the wind didn’t blow it in.”

“It was that Blackwood chick,” she said automatically. “That is screwed up, Val. What was she trying to do— Forget that. I know what she was trying to do. How were you supposed to take it when you found that in his car? You would’ve taken his head off and then Little Miss Glitter Hair would have been there to stitch it on and take your place.”

“Exactly,” I said. “Thank you. I thought I was the crazy one.”

“Absolutely not. With the way she blows him up whenever he’s out of her sight, it’s obvious she thinks she owns him. That she’s playing these kinds of games does not shock me the way it should.”

I left the café sipping on mocha and vindication. “Jaxson reminded me we didn’t have proof it was her. The panties weren’t labeled or anything. All the same, he promised to talk to her and set boundaries. Plus, the car rides are over.”

“Good,” she said. “What about you two? Are you okay?”

My first smile of the morning appeared on my lips. “We are. Jaxson’s been making more of an effort even before all of this shit went down. Coming home early, spending time with Adam, crazy hot monkey sex on the balcony.”

She laughed. “That’s what I want to hear. You’ve been stressed and it’ll only get more stressful, Madam President. A girl needs hot monkey sex to unwind.”

I groaned. “Why did you have to remind me of my presidency?”

“You’re regretting it already? It’s day one.”

“I was cool until Blair sent me the agenda. I’ll be the one getting home late tonight. The girl wants us to plan the entire semester down to what we’re doing every millisecond.”

“Rough. But think of it this way, control freaks make excellent seconds-in-command. Every job you give her, she won’t rest until she’s got it perfect.”

“True.”

I peeled my shirt from my skin, fanning some breeze in there. The coffee was delicious, sweet, and spiking my temperature on an already warm day.

Summer in Evergreen was as beautiful as its fellow seasons. Beaming rays beat on swaying flower gardens while friends and cute couples lay on their blankets around them, soaking up the heat before autumn began to steal it away.

I peeked over my shoulder. “How ya doing, Juliet? Sure you don’t want any coffee?”

My bodyguard shook her head. She hung back four steps as agreed. Her colleagues—my two other guards—blended so well in the background, I wasn’t sure where they were.

“I have any more and I’ll jitter out of my pants,” she