Six
Phoenix
“There you are,” I grumble as I drop my tray on the table where Kason is all but devouring his lunch in the middle of the crowded dining hall. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
A mild exaggeration. Then again, the dining hall reserved for any of the college’s athletes is packed at noon, so we normally eat later. Not sure what made him decide to change things up, but since lunch is pretty much the only time I see him until the end of the day, I’m not gonna complain.
“Yeah,” he says back absently, eyes glued to his phone screen while he stuffs another fork full of vegetables into his mouth. “Not used to this many people here.”
I slide into place across from him and start digging into my food. The time change means I only have thirty minutes to eat and book it over to the main lecture hall for history—the wonderful class I share with Holden.
God, I’m annoyed just thinking about having to see him.
I do my best to brush away the thoughts, opting for any sort of distraction.
“Am I still helping you study for your poli sci exam tonight?” I ask Kason between bites of chicken. “I think I’ve still got the flashcards I made last semester.”
He chose the elective class thinking it’d be easy, but the course is quickly proving to be more than he can handle—at least without a little help.
I’m happy to provide it, seeing as I already passed the class; the only issue is finding nights we’re both home at a decent hour.
They’ve become less and less frequent—thank you, football season—so the time we have to go over the material is dwindling before his next test.
Two green eyes flick up to meet mine from across the table, and I can tell from the lines etched between his brow that something’s wrong.
“Shit,” he curses, dropping his fork to his plate with a loud clink.
It’s all the answer I need.
“You forgot.” It’s not a question, since we’ve been friends for a decade. And while I love him, he’s one of the most absent-minded people I’ve ever met. To the point where both my parents would poke fun at him, saying he’d forget his head if it wasn’t already attached to his shoulders.
There’s a plea of forgiveness in his eyes as he continues to stare at me. One that gets my forgiveness every fucking time he’s bailed in the past—albeit on accident—and I’m certain this time is no different.
Kason might be forgetful, but Mom always did say I’m loyal to a fault.
“I’m sorry, Phoe,” he says, his tone matching his expression. “Holden asked if I wanted to grab dinner and catch a movie tonight. I must’ve spaced on our study session when I said yes.”
The mention of Holden causes ice to trickle down my spine, and I bristle. A raincheck of any other kind, I can handle. But to do it so he can go on a date with Holden?
“You’re the one who asked me to help you with this shit, Kase,” I grind out through clenched teeth. “Something I can’t do if you cancel on me to get laid.”
“Don’t be like that.”
Pettiness isn’t in my nature—I’m normally a lot more easygoing than this.
I should be happy that Kason is branching out, meeting new people.
Dating a guy, or at least finally exploring his sexuality after being closeted for so long.
He was for me when I first started seeing Nico last year, though he’s since admitted he wasn’t a fan of the guy.
It should be easy for me to put my own feelings aside here and support him.
But I just can’t. Not when—
“Hey, guys,” an annoyingly familiar voice comes from behind me.
This motherfucker.
I stare straight at Kason while Holden slides in beside me, praying to God I have the willpower to not strangle my best friend on the spot.
And now I know why we’re eating at a different time today.
“What’d I miss?” Holden asks as he takes a swig of water.
Kason watches me silently, the expression on his face begging me to play nice, at least for the next fifteen minutes. Which very well might take every ounce of strength in my body and still not be enough.
I shift in my seat to face Holden. “Kason was just telling me that he won’t have time to study tonight because the two of you are going out on a date .”
There’s a gleam of amusement in Holden’s eyes at the apparent venom dripping from my voice. “Yeah, I’m excited for tonight.”
“Of course you are,” I mutter under my breath. Not quiet enough, though, because Holden’s brows quirk up.
“Is there a problem?”
“Yeah, I think there is.”
He studies me for a moment, eyes cataloging my face with scrutiny before he responds. “Well, the only problem I can see is your parents never teaching you how to share.”
My nostrils flare, annoyance growing as I stare him down. “Sharing is easy if the other person is deserving of it.”
“You two about done here, or do we need to whip them out and measure to end this?” Kason snaps.
For a second, I completely forgot he was at the table with us; all my attention barely veering off Holden and all his irritating glory whenever he’s in the same room as me.
I can’t help it, though. I’m sick of his smooth, silver tongue and cocky attitude. It radiates from him like a toxin.
“Not necessary,” Holden says, a smirk sitting on his lips. “We both know who’d win.”
“Fitting, seeing as you’re the biggest dick.”
“Jesus take the wheel,” Kason mutters, eyes shifting to the ceiling before landing on me in a death glare.
I raise my hands in surrender. “Just saying, irony works in many ways.”
Kason’s thoughts are written all over his face, so I’m not surprised in the slightest by what comes out of his mouth next.
“Can you not be an asshole for five minutes?”
“Happily,” I say, plastering a fake, innocent smile on my face when I glance over at Holden. “So glad you could join us for lunch.”
There’s a slight lift of his brow, amusement and challenge in the action.
“Really? Then maybe we should make it a regular occurrence.”
I’m one smart-ass comment away from losing my shit on him—maybe even causing a scene in the middle of the dining hall. Something that would not only embarrass all three of us, but also piss Kason off to no end—the latter being something I’m trying really hard not to do.
Which is why I bite my tongue and shove back from the table before grabbing my half-eaten tray of food.
“I better get going,” I tell Kason, even though I still have ten minutes. But leaving now is the best thing I can do for everyone involved, considering I have the massive urge to wipe Holden’s smirk clean off his stupid face.
“Already?”
I nod. “Yeah. I’ll see you later.”
The heat of Holden’s gaze on my cheek as I attempt to ignore him is searing, and I make the mistake of looking over at him while grabbing my bag from the ground.
“Save me a seat,” he says with a taunting lilt.
“Only in Hell,” I whisper, just for his ears, before rising to my full height.
Not giving him a chance to make another comment, I drop the remnants of my lunch in the trash and push through the exit, needing the fresh air and space from Holden and Kason and this entirely fucked situation I’ve found myself in.
The cool Chicago wind hits me the second I step outside, yet it does nothing to temper the anger bubbling inside me.
“Fucking asshole,” I curse under my breath as I storm off toward the lecture hall.
More than anything, I wish I could just ignore him. Pretend he doesn’t get under my skin or irritate me to the levels he does. Life would surely be a lot simpler if that were the case.
But I can’t.
I can’t ignore him and pretend he’s not the most irritating person I’ve ever met. So at this point, the only thing I can do is try limiting the amount of time I’m around him.
Like that’s possible if he and Kason are seeing each other.
Just thinking about the two of them getting closer and Holden spending more time infiltrating the dynamic between Kason and me only serves to frustrate me even more.
I shove open the door to the lecture hall with far more force than necessary, wracking my brain for some sort of solution.
A circumstance where Kason would finally see what’s in front of him—and that he can do far, far better than the one-and-done king on campus.
But the more I think on it, the more I realize the only way it would happen is if Holden starts severely screwing shit up.
Something he’s made very clear is not happening if he can help it.
Unless I make it so he can’t help it .
Ideas swirl in my brain as I slide into my seat, and I start silently working out the details and logic behind them. And as ‘Operation Cock Block’ takes form, I figure the likelihood of pulling it off and also having the desired effect are highly, highly probable.
Movement out of my periphery causes my gaze to slide over to the aisle, and I watch as more people file in for the lecture—Holden being one of them. He catches me staring at him within seconds of entering the room, his eyes staying locked with mine as he closes the space between us.
He’s barely dropped into the seat on my right when I turn to him and ask, “What time are you supposed to be picking up Kason?”
A crease crinkles his forehead. “Seven-thirty.”
Not long after practice ends, giving him maybe…forty minutes to shower, change, and make it to our apartment.
Perfect.
“Okay,” is all I give him for a response, but it’s not enough for Holden.
His imploring eyes analyze my face before they narrow on me. “Why are you asking?”
I offer him a sardonic smirk before lacing my tone with the perfect amount of malice. “Just making sure I’m not there to watch.”
A soft snort leaves him as he pulls out a notebook and pen from his bag, though I’ve witnessed firsthand that he has no intention of using either. “Remember that thing I said about jealousy?”
“Remember that thing I said about not giving a fuck?” I counter, brow hitching up. My quick reply and sharp attitude must surprise him, though, because he doesn’t respond.
Good.
“That’s what I thought,” I mutter before pulling my phone out and feigning disinterest.
He drops it, though I can still feel the weight of his stare on the side of my face—much like back at lunch. Only this time, I don’t let it bother me. Instead, it acts as fuel as all the pieces of my plan start coming together.
I have no idea how to pull this off without being caught—by Holden or anyone else.
But shit, it’s worth a shot.