Just For Christmas (Longwood U #4)

Chapter 1

RAFE HOLT

“Glory!” Kapri, one of our newest frat brothers, shouts. “That’s what this season is all about. Glory holes.”

I stop doodling on my tablet and glance up at him.

He has his hair in an elastic at the top of his head, but it’s short, so it sticks up as if he put his finger into a socket.

The part sticking up is bright orange today.

Kapri is five-foot-seven, and I’m partially convinced he wears his hair like this because it gives him a few inches.

“You want our holiday orgy to feature glory holes?” Mario asks, eyebrows knit together.

“I’m dying to know how the holiday season is about glory holes,” Presley says.

“Yes! Think about it, and it makes sense, right? The holidays are about surprise gifts. You happen upon a room with a cock sticking out of the wall. Ohhhh, for me? Bam! Best gift. For both,” Kapri says.

“Interestingly, I follow that logic,” Presley says.

“Okay, so… glory hole orgy. That’s what we’re going with?” I ask.

The four of us look at each other. Mario, Presley, and Kapri nod. Mario and Presley add a shrug, but Kapri is stoked.

“I guess we use the ballroom, then,” I say.

“We want to invite the Alphas to join?” Mario asks.

Our fraternity, Omega Xi Lambda—often referred to as Omegas—is one of two on campus. The other being DIK—Delta Iota Kappa. There are also two sororities: the Alphas, Alpha Zeta Psi, and the Sigmas, Sigma Theta Nu.

We’re all known for something a little different. DIK has a whole bunch of sex businesses taking place in its basement. The Omegas throw a sex party like no one’s business, though this’ll be the first one in a couple years.

Our frat brother, Edin Levine, used to live here with his then eight-year-old daughter, Morgan. But then his crazy as fuck mother tried to abduct Morgan and force them back into a shitty situation. As a precaution, Edin took Morgan out of the frat house.

I mean, I get it. You tell a judge that you’re raising a little girl—or little boy, for that matter—in a frat house filled with forty twenty-year-olds, there are going to be some turning heads and all kinds of disgusting accusations.

It wasn’t worth Edin taking the chance of losing Mo over. So they moved out last year right before Christmas, and I think we’ve all kind of been holding out hope that they’ll come back. Thus, being sans sex parties for a couple of years.

Edin is still a student here on campus. This is his last year. We see him and Mo often. But over the summer, they cleaned out their bedrooms. There wasn’t a dry eye anywhere in the house; not once we understood Edin’s story and Mo’s giant tears as we all packed her boxes with her.

We make up ridiculous excuses to see Mo now. Like last Tuesday was National Taco Day, so we invited them over for a taco bar. I’m not sure National Taco Day is actually a thing, but we made it one.

But back to the present. Right now, we’re getting ready for our very first party since before Mo and Edin moved in. We’re taking our party title back from the Alphas, who picked up the slack while we were housing a little girl.

“Eh,” Kapri says, face scrunching. “You already know my thoughts on that.”

I chuckle.

“No girl bits for you. I get it,” Mario says with a grin.

“Honestly, we’re leaving this last minute, and I think it’s too much logistics to coordinate co-ed,” Presley says.

“It’s not difficult. Color-code the halls. Simple as that,” I say.

“Explain,” Kapri demands.

“Not to be cliché with the colors, and we can totally change them up, but blue for boy on boy. Pink for girl on girl. Purple for girl taking either. Green for boy taking either. Four halls. Four colors. Simple.”

Kapri tilts his head and shrugs one shoulder, his expression a clear ‘Eh, yeah, that’s fine.’

“Why did I think it was so complicated?” Presley asks.

“Because it’s your first rodeo,” I say, grinning.

“I’ll reach out to Poppy and see if the Alphas are interested,” Mario says.

“What do I do?” Kapri asks as he leans across the table.

“Have whoever’s in the office show you how to design a couple floor options for the ballroom given the parameters we’re working with,” I suggest.

“Do you know what the measurements are?” Kapri asks.

“No need. We have the measurements for every room already. Just ask whoever’s in there to show you the program we use to create models. Put in the information we’re talking about, and it’ll begin popping out suggestions on layouts,” Mario says.

“Man! I need to get better acquainted with the office stuff,” Kapri says as he gets to his feet. “I’ll have things to look at in a couple of days.” He waves as he leaves the room.

“I guess that means we’re finished here,” Presley says, amused.

“That’s fine. I need to study. Whoever thought it was a good idea to have finals right before the holidays should be plunged into the Arctic Ocean for a few hours,” I say, getting to my feet.

Mario grunts his agreement. “I’m heading to DIK if anyone needs me.”

Presley and I wave as we pack up our things. I stick my tablet back into my backpack and sling it over my shoulder. Gym bag on my other shoulder. Then, I pick up the few loose books I’ve been lugging around since I stopped into the library on my way back.

“Have enough shit?” Presley asks as he watches me with amusement.

“I’m old school. I like the feel of books in my hands,” I complain. “But there’s something to be said about e-readers. I’d be fifteen pounds lighter right now.”

He laughs. “Later.”

The first floor of the OXL house was once common living areas designed to entertain and impress.

The Omegas before us worked hard to keep the integrity of the old Victorian while bringing it up to date.

We have a state-of-the-art kitchen and bathrooms, but everything else looks like it’s plucked right out of the late 1800s.

I never get tired of looking at all the intricate carvings and woodwork. To be able to say that I lived in a Victorian mansion through college is something most people never get to say.

My parents’ house is probably just as grand, but it’s a castle so you know, a little different. I love this old house, though.

My phone rings as I move down the hall, and I struggle to dig it from my pocket without dumping my load. Hands full, I don’t bother to look at the screen before hitting accept. “Hella?” I answer the phone as I swing my bedroom door open.

“Rafe, really?”

I cringe, laughing. “Sorry, Ma.” I drop my bags and loose books from my hands onto the floor next to the desk. “Was just walking in the door. What’s up?”

“You’ll be home for Christmas break, right?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I’m just checking. Rice and Annie will be arriving the day after you with their beautiful babies.” Translation: Hellions. They’re hellions. I shudder. “Royal and Beatrice will be here with their newborn.” Translation: Devil incarnate.

My mother continues listing everyone who’ll be attending our annual week-long festivities for Christmas, when they’ll arrive, and which room they’ll be staying in, as I straighten my belongings before my roommate comes in and tenses.

Brent Mitchell does not like a mess. I smirk as I consider leaving my backpack on the floor. Just for fun.

“Are you listening?”

Nope. “Sorry, Ma. Like I said, I just got back.”

She sighs dramatically. “There is a nice girl I want you to meet. Her name is Penelope Black.”

I freeze, scowling. “Ma, I’m not interested in being set up.”

“Don’t be silly. It’s time for you to be serious about finding a wife.”

“I’m twenty,” I deadpan. “It’s not like I’m old and frail.”

She tsks me. The door opening makes me stand and turn. Brent walks in, giving me a half smile as he crosses the room to the other desk, the door slowly swinging closed behind him.

“What happened to Juliana Walerin?”

Ah, yes. My ‘high school love.’ In reality, we’d struck up a bargain that we’d ‘date’ and be our families’ perfect little couple while in high school.

In reality, we were each other’s alibi and slept with whomever we wanted.

After graduation, we went our separate ways. And our ‘relationship’ dissolved.

“We’re in touch,” I say, the same practiced line we agreed upon. “But as we’ve said, we’re too far away to worry about a long-distance relationship. We don’t need that kind of stress added on top of our studies.”

“All right, then. You’ll meet Penny at our pre-Christmas Eve party. There’s also Ava Delaney for you to meet. Oh, and Rebecca Royce.”

“Mom—”

“Unless you’re planning on bringing someone?” There’s hope in her voice. Always wanting more than what we have. Not understanding that we aren’t ready to grow up.

It isn’t her fault. That’s how she was raised.

That’s how our families were raised. It wasn’t a secret that she and my father were a matched pair from the time they were in their early teens.

My oldest brother Rice followed that tradition, pairing with someone of our parents’ choosing.

Royal did as well, though with a little more fight.

And now I’m next in line.

Except that I’m not willing to just go with the flow. I will not allow anyone to choose a wife for me. Especially when I’m not at all ready to settle down. Have a family and a mortgage? No thanks.

Unlike Rice and Royal, my parents truly don’t care who I get with.

I’m far enough down in the family heir line (especially since Rice has kids and Royal just had his first a few months ago) that all they care about is me having a wife.

I’m free to choose who I want. As long as I do so on their time frame.

I’m not going to.

“Ma, I need to go get dinner before the cafeteria closes.” Not true. My parents just don’t know I’m in a fraternity, and for now, I’m going to keep it that way. Once I graduate, I won’t care as much.

“Okay, baby. I’ll arrange everything with Penny, Ava, and Rebecca. Just leave it up to me.” I sigh. “Or you can bring home whoever it is you’re hiding.”

I shake my head, frowning. Why she thinks I’m hiding something is beyond me. “Sure, Ma. When I find who I’m hiding, I’ll bring them home. Thanks.”

She laughs. “We’ll talk soon.”

“Probably not until I arrive,” I warn. “I have finals coming that I need to prepare for.”

“Understood. Love you, my baby boy.”

“Love you, too, Mom.”

The line goes dark, and I toss my phone on the bed over my head.

Brent and I chose to bunk our beds, so we have more room.

Instead of the second bed on the other wall, we have a couch and a television.

We even managed to get a big chair, too.

Otherwise, we have two tall wardrobes, two desks, a mini fridge, and a microwave.

The building the fraternity owns was once an enormous mansion.

Many of the really large rooms on the second and third floors were split into two or three smaller rooms, but someone got memos crossed and inducted far more members than we have room for.

Thus, there’s a handful of the larger rooms that are shared between two people.

Having never shared a space in my entire life, I volunteered. It seemed like a nice thing to do. Brent and I have shared a room since we joined Omega Xi Lambda two years ago.

“Your family ever try to set you up?” I ask, dropping to sit on his bed.

He turns his green eyes to me, raising a brow. “My family disowned me when I told them I was gay.”

My eyes widen as I stare at him. “What?!”

His half smile holds no humor as he nods, turning his attention back to his phone.

“The first two times I told them, because I was ‘too young to make that decision,’ they didn’t believe me.

But when I told them again at seventeen, I’d apparently reached the benchmark where I was allowed to ‘decide’ my sexuality, and I was promptly disowned. ”

Only when I close my mouth do I realize it’s hanging open as I stare at him. And I continue to stare rudely for several minutes as I wait for my brain to kick on.

“Where do you go during breaks?” I ask.

He shrugs, not committing to an answer. Not looking at me.

“Brent, look at me.”

His shoulders tense as he raises his gaze to mine.

“Where do you go?”

“I stay here,” he says, shrugging and looking away again.

“In the summer?”

“Summer courses.”

I look out the window, my stomach dropping. How had I not known that? And here I thought we were decent friends. “Brent—”

“Don’t. I don’t need or want your sympathy, Rafe.

I get by just fine. And I don’t want to be part of a family that can’t accept me for who I am or thinks that ‘liking outside plumbing’ is a conscious decision to taint our family.

I don’t want to be around a family that insists I’m going to hell for being gay.

One in which I can just ‘turn off’ like a light switch. ”

Fuck’s sake. Every word that comes out of his mouth makes me angry. It’s not until I’m nearly shaking that I realize it. “That’s fucking stupid.”

Brent laughs. “Tell me about it. Southern hospitality for you.”

I snort. “Come home with me.” Before he can argue, I land on the couch beside him, gripping his forearm. “Trust me, my mother will eat you up. In a good way. She’s going to be mortified that you don’t have a family and probably try to set you up, but they’re good people. Full of love.”

When he smiles this time, though it remains small, it’s genuine. “Thanks, Rafe. But I’m really fine. I don’t mind being alone.”

“Whether you believe in what the holiday season is supposed to be about or not, this is a time to be with family and friends. Don’t make me tell my ma. She’ll come here herself and drag you home.”

He laughs, laying his head back on the couch. “Rafe—”

I squeeze his arm. “We’ve been roommates since we started college. And I thought I was a good friend. But, fuck, I feel like an idiot. Spend break with my family. I swear, it’ll be like you’ve always been there.”

“If I tell you I’ll think about it, can we go get food?”

“I was planning to call in pizza. But yes, we can drop it for now if you promise to tell me yes later.”

“I’m not promising anything more than I’ll think about it.”

I accept that, but only because I’m not willing to let it go.