22. Jax
JAX
Myles is nervous as we walk through campus together, but he does his best to ignore the many stares and whispers that follow us as we head toward Hamilton House.
When we’re finally in front of the gate, his hand is shaking when he taps his ID on the sensor. He lets out a big, relieved sigh when his card is accepted and slips his hand back into mine.
Myles’s eyes are as round as saucers as he stares up at the building while we cross through the front lawn and to the main doors, and I’m not sure if that’s because of the impressive architecture or because his nerves are back in full force.
The main foyer is almost empty when we step into it, and Myles squeezes my hand so hard my fingers crack when the few guys milling about all stop dead in their tracks and openly stare at us.
I don’t pay them any attention and bring Myles to the stairwell.
“You good?” I ask as we start climbing the stairs together.
“Yeah.” He shoots me a weak smile. “Just not used to people noticing I exist.”
“It’ll die down once the novelty wears off.”
We fall silent as we finish climbing the stairs, and Myles’s grip on my hand is tight when I push the door to my floor open and wait for him to walk through first.
“This is it.” I point to our door.
Myles draws in a big breath, like he’s fortifying himself, as I push the door open and bring him inside.
“Wazzup, bro,” Jace greets as he spins around in his desk chair to face us. “Hey, you brought him.” He beams a big smile at Myles. “How’s it going?”
“Good, thanks. How’re you?” Myles asks. His cheeks are flushed pink, and the slight tremor in his voice gives away how nervous he is, but he’s doing his best to hide it.
“Fan-fucking-tastic.” Jace rocks back and forth in his chair. “Did Jax tell you what he did to that guard from earlier?”
Myles shoots me a quick look, a ghost of a smile tilting his lips. “He told me he did something, but he didn’t say exactly what.”
“Then I probably shouldn’t give you the deets,” Jace says with a regretful smile. “This is probably one of those better left unsaid things. But trust me when I say the dude got what he deserved.”
Jace pulls one of his butterfly knives out of his pocket and casually flips it around his fingers as we sit on the couch together.
“You’re into knives too?” Myles asks as I drape my arm over his shoulders.
Jace grins. “I’m the one who got your boy into them in the first place.”
“You did?” Myles asks at the same time I say, “Liar.”
“Yup.” Jace shoots me a lazy grin. “And we both know I’m not lying.”
“You’re not being entirely truthful,” I point out.
“Aren’t I?” Jace asks innocently.
“No.”
“He’s just mad because I’ve got better skills,” Jace tells Myles as he rocks back and forth in his chair and flips the knife around in a complicated pattern of clicking metal on metal.
“Sure,” I say dryly. “We’ll go with that.”
Jace keeps spinning and flipping the blade, moving between both hands as he does. “I’m better at combat with them.”
“I’m better at throwing.”
“I’m better at flipping.”
“Only because you’re constantly practicing.”
“You could practice and get as good as me too, but you don’t. So I win.” Jace snaps the blade closed and tosses it back on his desk.
“You don’t have plans tonight?” Myles asks Jace.
“You wondering if I’m gonna leave so you two can bone?” Jace asks with a salacious grin.
“No! I just mean it’s Friday, and I’ve heard people with lives do things on Fridays.” Myles looks between us with a shy smile that makes something in my chest clench. It’s obvious he’s feeling awkward, but he’s trying to connect with Jace, and that proves I was right to bring him into our circle.
“Nope.” Jace swipes a pack of gum off his desk and pops out a piece. “Not in a peopleing mood.”
The door to our room flies open, and Killian and Felix walk in.
Myles stiffens beside me, and all the color drains out of his face when he sees them.
“Hi,” Felix says brightly as he drops down on the ridiculous settee across from us. “Happy birthday.”
“Hi, and um, thanks.” Myles presses closer to me and gives Felix a tight smile.
“Piss off any more guards today?” Killian asks as he sits next to Felix, who immediately snuggles up to him.
“No.” Myles clears his throat. “Thankfully not.”
“Too bad. I’m in the mood to fuck someone up tonight,” Killian says and kisses Felix’s temple.
“When are you not in the mood to fuck someone up?” Felix asks teasingly.
“Hey, Myles?” Jace calls from his desk.
He glances over at my brother.
“Grab a chair and come look at this.” Jace waves him over.
“What is it?” Myles asks as he stands.
“Remember those blackmail files you found in the Kings’ system?”
“Vividly,” he says and looks around like he’s searching for a chair.
“Use mine.” I point at my desk.
He shoots me a quick smile and hurries over to grab it.
“I found something else in their system,” Jace says, his attention on his computer. “And I could use a hand figuring it out.”
“What did you find?” Myles asks as he rolls my chair across the room.
“Hopefully something that will help us get them off your tail. I suggested to my brother that we just take them all out and call it a day, but that got vetoed.” I can hear him roll his eyes as Myles sits next to him and leans closer to examine his screens.
“Apparently the mass murder of an entire frat is too far.”
“I imagine that might be hard to explain.” Myles points to something on his center screen. “Is that what I think it is?”
“Yup.” Jace’s fingers fly over the keys as he brings up a new set of screens. “Check this out.”
“You’ve lost him to the dark side,” Felix says with a smile as Jace and Myles start talking excitedly, their voices hushed and their heads bent together.
I lean back against the couch cushions. “Nerds are gonna nerd.”
“I heard that,” Jace calls over his shoulder. “And nerds rule the world, right, Myles?”
“Right,” he agrees.
“Where’s Xave?” Felix asks as Jace and Myles start geeking out over whatever is on Jace’s screens again. “I thought he was coming over tonight?”
“He is, but Jordan and the boys needed him to take care of some things first, so he’ll be by later,” I say.
“So I take it you guys are officially together now?” Felis flicks his gaze to Myles’s back.
“We are.”
“Good.” He grins. “Because the pining was getting annoying.”
“I don’t pine.” I give him a flat look.
“You were totally pining.” He looks up at Killian. “Right?”
Killian shoots me a smirk. “So much pining.”
I flip them both off.
I didn’t tell anyone except Jace about my plan to reveal myself to Myles. I’ve filled both Killian and Felix in on what’s been going on with the threats against both Myles and Felix but didn’t tell them many details about what’s been going on between us beyond that we’re hooking up.
I knew for sure they were okay with the idea of Myles being one of us after they both jumped in to help when he was being accosted earlier, and when Killian helped me deal with the guard after.
Their easy acceptance of him shows how transparent I’ve been, and how obvious, since neither of them even blinked when they saw him in our room tonight. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to admit that to them.
Soft laughter behind me draws my attention to Myles and Jace, and more of those weird feelings from earlier fill my chest at how well they’re already getting along.
My family will always be the most important people in my life, but that family now includes Myles, and it means everything that they think so too.
“So, was that a typical Friday night for you guys?” Myles asks as we walk down one of the many paths on campus.
“For the most part.” I glance over at him. “Why?”
He shrugs, but an embarrassed smile lifts the corners of his lips. “I kind of assumed you’d spend your weekends partying and doing all the stuff that college kids are supposed to do.”
“We do when there’s frat events or business going on, but parties aren’t my thing. Jace’s either.”
“No?” He shoots me a surprised look.
“Do you want to know a secret?” I ask in a hushed voice.
“Yeah, of course.” He leans in like we’re about to share state secrets. “What is it?”
“I don’t like people,” I tell him. “Don’t like being around them, don’t like dealing with them, and I don’t trust anyone outside of family, so I don’t drink or get high around anyone but them.”
“Really?” He shoots me a surprised look. “But I saw so many tagged videos and pics of you acting like a stereotypical frat guy when I was doing a deep dive on you. It looked like you were having a blast.”
“That’s because I’m good at faking it.” I meet his eyes so I can see his reaction when I tell him this next part. “Most of my life is an act. Every day, I put on a mask, and I play the part, and I do the things, and I act how I’m supposed to, but it’s all fake.”
He tilts his head to the side like he’s thinking hard about what I said.
“That tracks with what I read about people who are like you and Jace. I do that a lot too in my real life, but I don’t really interact with people on a regular basis, so it’s only a sometimes thing for me.
Doing it all the time would be so exhausting. ”
“It is,” I agree.
“Are there ever times when it’s not like that?” he asks, some of his shyness from earlier coming back.
“Are you asking if I’m faking right now? Or maybe earlier when I had you bent over in your room?” I arch one eyebrow at him.
He nods, and the flare of heat in his eyes makes my cock stir.
“I don’t fake it with my family. I only do that with people who don’t matter to me.”
“So you don’t fake it with me?” he asks, his voice catching.
“No.” I look at him so he can see that I’m telling the truth. “I never have. That’s how I knew you were different. And it’s one of the reasons I was so interested in you even before you put that note in your window and challenged me.”
His smile is soft and sweet, and more of those warm feelings fill my chest. I like seeing him smile like that, and I really like being the reason he does.