and now Spider says you’re passed out. Hartford is here, and I don’t know what to do. I need you, Dax. You said you’d be here for me. Please.
Remi, Day 2:
Spider says you left for Raleigh this morning. I know you’re reading this. I thought our friendship meant something to you. Guess I was wrong.
Remi, Day 3:
I can’t believe I let myself get sucked into sleeping with you. If that was all you wanted, why didn’t you just say so instead of going to all that trouble of pretending to be my friend! You’re a douchecanoe and I hate you.
Remi, Day 4:
I don’t hate you, but I hope your dick falls off.
That had been the final message.
I sighed. In the end, it was good that Hartford had shown up.
Because girls like Remi weren’t meant for me, and it’s better to nip it before it festered.
Love hurts, Dax.
Nope. It wasn’t love. It was LUST. And now that I’d nailed her, I could move on.
Another box was on the kitchen table and when I opened it, I saw it was the new glasses Father and my stepmother, Clara, had given me as a housewarming gift. They still had the store stickers on the bottom, so I filled up the sink with soap and hot water to wash them, making a mental note to consider investing in a dishwasher. On a whim, I grabbed the red and white apron off the hook by the back door that said Mr. Goodlookin’ Is Cookin’—a gift from Declan.
I didn’t know how much actual cooking I’d be doing, but the sentiment had made me laugh.
A bit later, the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it,” Elizabeth called from the living room.
“’K,” I answered back, my hand in sudsy water. “It’s probably Axel. He wanted to bring over pizza on moving day.” Axel was one of my frat brothers and a football player; I was closer to him than any of the other guys.
A few minutes later, I sensed more than heard movement behind me, and I paused, my skin prickling. I couldn’t tell you why except that it had to have been a sixth sense or a gut feeling. Fuck.
“Hey, you have someone here about the house,” Elizabeth said.
“Dax?” a hesitant voice asked.
Shit, shit, shit.
That voice. Remi.
And when she said my name like that, as if the word actually hurt, my chest constricted.
Schooling my features into a mask, I turned around. My eyes ran over her, taking in the fiery hair and the bruised look in her eyes. I smirked and smiled cockily. “Hey there, angel.”
A slow blush stole up from her neck to her face, and she looked down, refusing to meet my intense gaze—that was fine because my eyes were on the arsehole beside her.
I RANG THE doorbell and a blonde girl answered, wearing cut-off shorts and a gray tank top that read Front Street Gym. She looked vaguely familiar, but I was too unfocused to pin it down.
Since arriving back from London, I’d spent the last few days scouring every apartment building, duplex, trailer, and rental within a few miles of Whitman. Everything was rented already or in a shitty neighborhood. If I could get this house, I’d win the freaking lottery. I crossed my fingers, hoping the roommate was just as nice as the house.
If this didn’t work out, I’d be forced to live with my mother and drive sixty miles’ round trip each day to class. Not to mention listening to my mom berate me about my weight, what I wore, what time I got up, how late I stayed up, and who I hung out with.
Clutching the advertisement from the Whitman website I’d printed off, I let out a breath, feeling the urge to vomit.
“Can I help you?” the pretty girl standing at the door asked.
“Um, you asked for a roommate and I’m applying. I even have the first month’s rent and a deposit ready today—that is if you haven’t found anyone yet.” I sent her a hopeful look.
Classes did start in two days.
She blinked, her eyes raking over my two companions, Malcolm and Hartford, then landing back on me, taking in the blunt cut hair, denim sundress and yellow flats.
I smiled, indicating the guys with me. “This is Hartford, a student at Whitman, and my brother, Malcolm. They tagged along with me to check it out.”
Wearing a light blue polo shirt and khaki shorts, Hartford nodded and smiled. “Hi, I think we’ve had a class or two together.”
Yep. There he was. My missing