Crushed - Pamela Ann Page 0,24

need a moment. Maybe even a day—”

“No, you don’t,” he interrupted with a commanding voice. “Trust me, this will be good for you.” With that, he rudely hung up on me while I remained frozen atop my bed, wondering what in the world had just happened.

Was he right? Or was he out of his damn mind? How could he even fathom suggesting I live with him, Cooper, and Brody of all people? It was going to be chaotic. If things were different, I would most likely jump at the chance of living with and cooking for them, but fuck, seeing Brody in a domestic setting? Just as Carter had said, it would be overkill.

I was pondering so hard I somehow didn’t realize the time had passed until I heard movement outside my door before it was drastically opened by an eager-faced Carter Mason.

With his hair still wet from his shower, typical cargo shorts on along with flip-flops and his wife-beater shirt, he was the poster boy of So-Cal surfer dudes.

“If you don’t have any essentials left to pack, I’ll just take your luggage from downstairs. Is that cool?”

I hadn’t even changed from my long flight. My hair still had some of the icing Trista had been feeding me from dessert when she was too drunk to realize where my mouth was located. I mean, I was a complete mess, and he simply expected me to just hop on board, looking like a slimy rat, and move in the same house as Brody?

“Did you tell Cooper or Brody about this? I mean, do they even agree with you?”

He merely shrugged, opening my door wider. “It’s my fucking house, and I don’t ask anyone for rent, so I don’t think they’ll mind who I invite in. Besides, since when did you care, really? You and the girls practically lived there during last summer, so what’s the difference now? We all grew up together, and you’re one of us, so I don’t get why you’re acting this way.”

Glaring at him, I felt as though I had to take a moment to lay it out on him. I did have to admit, though, Carter had a point. We all had grown up together, and yes, as he had pointed out, as well, in a sense I was one of them. I was a part of their crew. Indeed, I surely was, so why did I feel so fucking unsure about it?

“See, you don’t even have some smart comeback. Come on, let’s go,” he said hurriedly before raising his brow at me. “Unless, of course, you want me to carry you. I could do that, too.”

“Oh, shut up!” I rolled my eyes at him, feeling defeated. “I have legs, and I can still use them to get me from point A to point B; thank you very much.” Huffing out, I dejectedly got out of bed with a worried face. “If they utter one bad word about me staying there, I’m outta there in a flash. Deal?”

He stupidly wiggled his brow before beaming his signature smile. “It’s a deal, yo.” With that said, he was immediately gone in a flash, leaving me no choice other than to drag myself downstairs and join him.

Since I hadn’t unpacked any of my things from Athens, I technically had everything I needed to make my small two week jaunt to his house. Before I knew it, I was secured in his car, making our way towards his house, reaching it in a manner of minutes.

Damn, it had better pan out well, or I was going to kick Carter’s butt big time.

The moment I jumped out of his car, I could already feel my heart pitter-pattering like mad, leaving me utterly nervous. Glancing towards a relaxed Carter as he was opening the house door, I braced myself as I followed behind him.

“Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you, but you’re going to be staying in my room,” he nonchalantly informed me as he looked around the house that was packed with random people from school.

“What happened to the spare room?” I hissed at him, not wanting people to overhear our conversation since some people were already curious at seeing Carter with luggage in hand. Since he had already come here, they knew the luggage wasn’t his and most likely mine.

“I forgot to tell you?” he cocked his head sideways. “We took in an exchange student for a few months. His name is Johann, and he’s from Denmark.”

“What?” I