The Ideal - L.P. Maxa Page 0,1

image I’d had in my head only minutes before. “Right. Like I’d ever get this one to go to an actual party. Come on, it’s Saturday, come play with us.”

Her words went straight to my dick like a zap of unwanted electricity.

Savy was Nathan’s girl. Not romantically. I’ve never once seen them approach anything close to sexual intimacy. But he loved her. She was so off limits it wasn’t even funny. If my brother lost Savy, it’d destroy him. If he lost her to me, it’d destroy us all.

“All right, all right.” I got up and dove into the pool. When I surfaced I felt Nathan’s gaze on me, watching, scrutinizing, always studying. Did he see the lust in my eyes I tried so carefully to hide? “So, bro, did you pick a school yet?” Nathan was crazy smart. He could pretty much go anywhere he wanted on a full academic scholarship. If he wasn’t so damned dark and unfriendly, he would’ve been homecoming king and student council president.

Like me.

He cocked his head to the side and stepped closer to Savy, making waves bank against my chest. “Sav is going to Emerson, so I think I might go with her.”

Savy groaned and splashed water in his direction. “You are so frustrating. You want to go to Yale. We both know that. You’re brilliant. Emerson is a small liberal arts school. There’s no reason for you to go there.” She turned to me, hands on her slender hips, water sliding down her cleavage I wanted to lick away. “Right Jeremy?” Was that pleading I saw in her eyes? She seemed to be communicating more than a simple conversation. “Tell him he needs to go to Yale.”

I didn’t like coming between Savy and Nathan, no one did. It never ended well. But I was finding it near impossible to deny her anything, even when I knew better. Especially since it appeared she wanted me to help her out.

“Yale is a really great school Nathan. Do you know how many kids dream of going there? It’s not that far away. You’ll still get to see Savy all the time.” I kept my attention on him, watching every nuance in his facial expression to make sure I hadn’t pissed him off by taking her side. Not that Nathan had ever or would ever hurt me, but he’d give me the cold shoulder, a full-blown silent treatment like no one’s business.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Savy glance back and forth between us, and then roll her eyes when she saw Nathan’s smile disappear. She swam over to him and punched him teasingly on the arm. “Jer is right, Nate. We’ll still see each other. You know Yale is the best choice for you.”

Her gaze found mine, and what I saw made my chest tighten. Desperation and fear. It’d been only a flash, a quick glimpse that disappeared in an instant. Then her smile slipped firmly back into place as she ruffled Nathan’s hair. “Hey. Who knows what life holds for you? Maybe, since you won’t have me around all the time cramping your style, you’ll find a girlfriend.” There was humor in her tone, she was being self-deprecating to soothe him. No way could she believe she was “cramping” his style.

We both knew that Nathan didn’t want anyone else.

I laughed too, following her lead, trying to take the edge off what she’d said. Trying to lessen the sting I’m sure he felt. Trying like hell to forget the terrified look I’d seen flash in her eyes.

“Yeah Nathan, a smart chick with those hot black framed glasses. I’m sure girls at Yale find geniuses like you irresistible.” Not that girls here didn’t. I’d seen them checking him out. I’d seen the yearning written all over their faces. He was dark, brooding, and he rarely spoke to anyone other than Savy. The other girls were all curious. They wanted to be the one to crack his shell. To break him. Little did they know that he’d been born broken.

Nathan grabbed Savy’s arm, lightly, like she was made of glass. He pulled her to his side, hugging her to his chest. He at me looked over her head as he spoke, “I don’t need anyone else, Sav. You don’t cramp my style.”

Sad, but true. For Nathan. But, it seemed, not for Savy. He sure as shit cramped hers.

Savy had never even been on a date, not that I’d noticed or heard about. She was