Chapter 18 Hunter
Hunter
I watch as Weston’s arm lands across Rayne’s shoulders, both of them laughing as Noah snaps a photo.
All around me, Crimson fall lantern fair is in full swing.
The quad is lit up by dozens and dozens of hanging paper lanterns that are strung up in the trees, transforming the quad into a glowing maze full of rows and rows of fair games.
Rayne and Wes are in front of the ticket booth, because the rest of the Onyx boys just arrived.
I’ve been sitting here for an hour already.
Scoping out the place.
Because a campus fair is exactly the kind of place that somebody could attack Rayne, and I’m not going to let that happen.
I’ve been scanning the quad for anything that looks out of place the entire time I’ve been here, but it turns out that the only fucked up thing I’ve witnessed tonight is happening inside me.
Right now.
Because my blood’s fucking boiling as I watch the casual way Wes drapes his arm over the man that fucked me senseless, just a week ago.
My brother keeps his arm over Rayne’s shoulders for a while, even after Noah’s done taking the picture.
Roman and Oliver aren’t far ahead of the other guys, and with their tickets in hand, they’re starting to walk out into the fair and look at the games, food, and prize booths ahead.
And there’s Wes.
Still touching him.
And it’s a strange thing, feeling jealous of my brother for the first time in our lives.
It’s always been the opposite.
I have the upper hand. Always have.
But suddenly it feels like a table’s been turned right in front of me, because no matter how good Rayne fucked me the other night…
I’m the one here.
Hiding in the shadows.
I’m not allowed to walk around the fall lantern fair with my arm on Rayne, acting like he’s my real prize.
I don’t do well with rules.
I’m behind a row of food stands, and the sweet smell of frying funnel cake fills the air as I keep parallel with Wes and Rayne as they head down the walkway.
I have the hood of my black sweatshirt up, and the crowd is dense enough that I can hang out in the periphery and not be seen.
They take their time.
They stop at every booth, checking out the shelves full of stuffed animals and trinkets they could win at the ring toss, and looking at some stands full of Crimson College merch.
Rayne smiles.
Points out a particular stuffed animal shark to Oliver.
Does a little dance when one of his favorite songs comes on.
He’s acting so… normal.
In a way he never does when he’s with me. And I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about that.
Rayne’s been avoiding me since that night.
He won’t say it, but he is.
I’ve tailed him around campus as much as I can, but as the semester ramps up, I also need to study more for my European History class, because I’m not about to let my grades slip and get kicked out of Crimson.
Rayne’s been hanging out with Wes more this week than any other in the semester so far.
Like he’s trying to get back to normal.
And like he’s trying to only end up in our room late at night to catch some sleep and then head out early again the next morning.
I watch the guys head over to a stall selling fresh apple cider.
And then I watch as Wes slides a flask out of his back pocket and pours brown liquor into his cider cup, then offers some to Rayne.
Rayne gives himself a heavy pour of the alcohol, and they touch the paper cups together before taking a big swig.
So that’s the kind of night it’s going to be, huh, Rayne?
I’m only going to watch over him more closely if he’s planning on partying like that.
The guys loop around toward another row of games, and I walk beneath the canopy of trees nearby.
I keep my distance in the thick crowd of people, finding a tree to lean against as the guys start a round at the ring toss table.
“Hunter?” I hear from beside me and my skin prickles as I realize I’ve been noticed.
I turn and see Oliver, smiling sweetly and waving at me.
He heads down the little dirt path and stands next to me beneath the tree. Paper lanterns hang above us, casting a warm glow over his face.
He’s a good-looking guy, even though I’m not sure I could ever be attracted to a man other than Rayne.
“Ollie,” I say, giving him a nod.
“Not much of a fair kind of guy, I assume?” he asks.
I scan his face, trying to suss out why, exactly, he’s coming over here, and how the fuck he saw me in the first place.
“I’m more comfortable on the sidelines,” I tell him, though it’s not exactly the whole truth.
“God, I can relate to that,” he says, puffing out a shy laugh.
He’s holding a cup of cider, which clearly is mostly whiskey thanks to Weston’s heavy pours.
“I’ve been more social this semester than I’ve ever been in my life, but it’s not natural for me.
Usually I’d be the guy sitting on a bench far away, so… I get it.”
I nod.
I don’t have the heart to tell Oliver that there isn’t a shy bone in my fucking body, and there never has been.
I’m on the edge because I need to be.
Not because I’m a wallflower.
But as far as I can tell, Oliver’s intentions are neutral.
Not everyone’s a fucking suspect, Knox.
“Enjoying the fair so far?” I ask him.
I’m no good at small talk, but I’ve seen Weston and my father do enough of it that I can fake it if I need to.
“It’s a lot,” Oliver says. “A lot of people, and I’m not great with crowds. But the quad looks beautiful. I wanted a moment to myself so I looked around the perimeter for a place to relax, then I saw you.”
“Seems like the entire student body showed up.”
“Have you thought about what you’re going to write for the Confessional?”
I bite the inside of my cheek.
And I have to hold myself back from rolling my eyes.
“The Confessional’s a fucking joke.”
Already I know I’m being too blunt, because Ollie is clearly just a sweet, awkward freshman trying his best to make conversation.
Luckily, Oliver’s drunk enough that he may not remember me saying it.
But the moment I heard about the Confessional, I was pissed off.
It’s an Onyx Society tradition.
A tradition they’ve done once per semester, since Onyx was founded.
Once per semester, all of the guys get a little sheet of paper.
Every guy needs to write down his darkest secret on the paper.
And then everyone puts their anonymous secrets into a box, groups up together in candlelight in the front room of Onyx House, and the secrets are read out loud to the whole fraternity.
Otherwise known as… bullshit.
Pointless bullshit, meant to look like honesty.
But apparently a lot of the guys took it pretty seriously, and they really do write down what they consider to be their current darkest secret, ready to have it read out loud to the entire group.
“It’s kind of wild,” Oliver says. “But also kind of cool, I think. Keeps the guys real with each other, I guess.”
“If realness, or honesty, means picking and choosing what you wish to say? Sure. A guy can write down whatever the hell he wants.”
Oliver nods. “But that’s the whole point of Onyx. You’re supposed to want to tell the truth. To have the other guys really know you. The families of Onyx members are some of the most influential and powerful people in the world, and—”
“Don’t I know it,” I mutter.
Thinking about how influential and powerful my father is just makes me want to blow my brains out, anyway.
He has money and power, but it sure as fuck hasn’t made me happier. It's a colossal privilege, but it isn’t a recipe for perfect mental health.
And it certainly doesn’t mean I’ve ever been loved.
“Have you thought about what you’re going to confess?”
I puff out a bitter laugh. “I’ll confess that I think Onyx should quit pretending the Confessional matters at all.”
Oliver looks down at the grass, kicking at a rock with the front of his shoe.
For a moment, I almost feel a pang of sympathy.
I don’t want to crush the dreams of a hopeful, wide-eyed freshman.
But I also can’t be anyone but myself.
When I look up at his eyes again, he’s giving me a sidelong stare.
“I know you’re having sex with Rayne,” Oliver says.
I’m silent.
My heart pounds harder in my chest.
I hold Oliver’s gaze, and my body instantly switches into fight mode.
“Say more,” I tell him, keeping my tone even, holding back the rabid monster inside me.
“I walked by your bedroom door at the wrong time, and I heard some stuff I probably wasn’t supposed to hear,” Ollie says.
As I watch his expression, I realize there’s no bargaining in it.
He’s not trying to catch me, he’s just… being honest.
Stupid.
Fucking.
Honesty.
“I wouldn’t think too much about what you heard.”
My heart is still pounding. I don’t know what to expect out of someone like Oliver, and in reality, I don’t know him very well at all.
“Oh,” he says, his eyes going a little wider. “I’m not going to tell your brother. It’s just that Rayne is the first person who was welcoming to me in Onyx. I don’t want to see him get kicked out.”
I let out a breath of air. “Rayne Colson will never be kicked out of Onyx. It’s impossible.”
“Why?”
“Because everyone loves him,” I say simply, realizing how true the statement is when the words leave my mouth. “Rayne could do anything, and still be beloved. It’s a gift he has that other people don’t. Don’t ask me how. It’s just… him.”
I expect Oliver to act confused, but he doesn’t. He just nods, looking down at his cider again.
He takes a big swig, and I can tell he’s enjoying the liquid courage from the alcohol.
“Seems kind of impossible not to like Rayne.”
It feels like there’s a live wire in front of me, and I’m not sure the best way to defuse the bomb.
Oliver has information that he shouldn’t have.
But soon I realize that the situation is going to resolve itself for me, very quickly.
“Oliver—”
“I won’t tell a soul,” he says, “but I do want something in return.”
“You’re here to strike a deal, aren’t you?”
He nods slowly.
And despite everything, I can’t help but smile.
“I am.”
I sigh. “You’re going to fit right in at Onyx, I promise. What deal do you want?”