PART 3
Saturday, September 7 th
Blake
This afternoon, the Dickson Dragons beat Pennington, one of our biggest rivals, keeping our winning streak going with a blazing win of thirty-two to fourteen.
And right now, I’m out celebrating with my closest friends in the middle of a dusty basement in the psychology building. The only thing that would make this better is if my girl Lexi were here, but she was adamant that I didn’t want to miss tonight’s first official Double C event of the year.
I don’t know much, but from what little Lexi revealed to me last night in bed after we had celebration sex over her big contract with Medivanta, since she’s officially done with college, the torch has been passed to someone else. And while she is still considered a chair within the society, her role no longer includes attending the actual events.
Not to mention, Ace has sent exactly one thousand text messages today, even while I was in the middle of a fucking football game, telling me I had to be there tonight.
I have no idea what is on the agenda for tonight, but I know my friends haven’t stopped smiling since the moment we walked inside these doors.
Ace, well, I think he’s just fucking pumped to be back on campus and getting all the attention he loves so much from Dickson’s social scene. And Julia is most likely just vibing off him.
But Finn and Scottie are happy for a completely different reason. Yesterday, Lexi’s dad, Dr. Raines, confirmed that Scottie has the official green light for the surgery and treatment plan he believes will make her walk again.
And she’s going to do it. Her surgery is set for the end of this month.
“It’s kind of weird not seeing Lexi here, running the show,” Scottie says, looking up at me with a smile. “Though, I guess it’s not that weird for you now, huh, Blake? You see your girl all the time.”
“Damn straight,” I say with a big smile. “I see my girl all the time.”
Finn laughs. “Man, I still can’t believe, over a year ago, I thought you had lost your fucking marbles when you said you were going to marry the girl who didn’t give you the time of day. And now, look at you.”
“When you know, you know.” I give his shoulder a hearty pat. “Right, Finn?”
He looks down at Scottie and gently squeezes her shoulder. “Right.”
“I wonder what tonight’s big event is going to be,” Julia muses, but before she can say anything else, Ace squeezes her shoulders playfully and looks at all of us.
“I’ll be right back, okay?”
“Okay, weirdo,” Julia says, rolling her eyes and laughing at the same time.
But when Ace walks away from our little friend group that’s gathered in the center of the rest of the Double C society, I don’t miss the fact that he doesn’t head to the dingy bathroom near the entrance or to the center of the crowd to chat with all the people he knows.
Instead, he makes a beeline for the makeshift stage at the front.
And then, he hops onto the stage and grabs the microphone.
What is he doing?
“What the fuck?” Finn questions.
But the answer comes from the smiling man with the mic. “I’d like to welcome everyone here tonight. This is our first official Double C event of the year, and while I think we can all agree that filling our previous president Lexi’s shoes is quite the big responsibility, the secret chairs of our even secreter society have chosen me to take on that role.”
Several hoots and hollers come from the crowd at his announcement.
“They made a good choice, right?” Ace muses into the mic. “I mean, if there’s one person who knows how to have some fucking fun, it’s me.”
“Hell yeah!”
“President Acer!”
“This is going to be a good fucking year!”
It’s clear he has the approval of the crowd, and I swear I can see his ego grow right along with his smile.
“Holy shit,” Finn mutters. “Ace Kelly is president of Double C.”
“This is awesome!” Scottie says through several amused laughs.
And I can’t disagree with her. If there’s one guy who should be running a secret society, it’s Ace Kelly. Though, I’m a little scared to think about the events he’s going to be tossing our way. Fingers crossed, none of us ends up in handcuffs.
Ace continues to schmooze his constituents with jokes and commentary, and as I look around the room, taking in all the smiling, entertained faces, I’m shocked to find Julia standing there with a furrowed brow and her lips set into a firm line.
She’s not smiling or laughing or enjoying the fact that her best friend is standing on that stage. Instead, she looks…upset.
“You good, Jules?” I ask her, and when she meets my eyes, the smile that follows on her lips feels off. It feels forced.
“Of course,” she says, clearing her throat. “Just surprised, you know?”
“You didn’t know about this?”
“Nope.” She shakes her head, and her throat bobs a little as she swallows. “I just found out right now…with everyone.”
Of all the people in the world Ace talks to, Julia Brooks is his go-to girl. They’ve been best friends their whole lives, and even in college, they’re basically attached at the hip.
But maybe he couldn’t tell her? Maybe there’s some kind of rule against it?
I don’t know.
Scottie asks Julia to go the bathroom with her, and Julia doesn’t hesitate to take hold of Scottie’s wheelchair and guide her toward the entrance doors behind us.
Ace is still working the crowd, and I just sit back and enjoy the show, reveling in one of my best friends living his moment in the sun.
Though, my attention gets diverted pretty quick when my phone vibrates in my pocket, and I find a text message from Lexi.
Lexi: You shocked?
Immediately, I know what she’s referring to.
Me: Completely. But also, not at all. It makes sense.
Lexi: Yeah, I thought so too.
Me: What are you doing right now?
Lexi: Watching a documentary on YouTube in bed.
Me: And what are you wearing?
Lexi: Does it matter?
Me: Yes, it matters. I need a visual, babe.
Lexi: Just one of your T-shirts.
Me: Let me get this straight. You’re in my bed, and you’re only wearing my T-shirt? No bra? No panties?
Lexi: That is correct.
Me: I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.
Lexi: Oh my God, you’re insane. Stay with your friends. I’ll be here all night.
Ha. Like I want to stay out when I have Lexi in my bed?
Me: Make it eight minutes. I can run.
Thirty seconds later, I’m out the entrance doors after giving Finn a lame excuse of needing to go home. Two minutes after that, I’m running across campus, straight in the direction of my apartment. By the time I’m walking through my door, I’m a little sweaty and out of breath, but the fact that I shaved a minute off my estimated time makes it all worth it.
I don’t waste another minute slipping off my shoes at the door and heading straight for my bedroom.
Though, when I get there, I find a completely naked Lexi in my bed.
She offers me a little wave. “Hi, honey. I’m so glad you’re home.”
“Yeah. I made the right choice,” I say and start to remove my own clothes. “I mean, it was cool seeing Ace running the show—a little odd that it wasn’t you—but I’m happy for him.” My jeans and T-shirt hit the floor. “Though, not going to lie, it kind of felt like Julia was mad or something,” I update as I slide off my boxer briefs and crawl onto the bed. “Which is weird, right? I would’ve thought Julia would’ve been happy for him.”
“Blake?”
“Yeah?” I question, my mouth already busy kissing a trail up her legs.
“How about we continue this whole conversation a little later?” Lexi says with a smile as she sits on her knees and pushes me back into the mattress. “You know, after I make you come.”
“Damn, I’m one lucky son of a bitch,” I say, looking up at this beautiful woman in awe as she straddles my hips.
“Yeah, you are.” She smiles. “But I’m lucky too.”
I wrap my arms around her and pull her tight against my chest, burying my face into her neck as I kiss the tender skin below her ear. “We both are,” I tell her.
“One day, I think I’m going to marry you,” Lexi whispers into my ear, and her words slip under my skin until they find their way to my heart. It pounds excitedly in my chest, and I lean back to meet her eyes.
“Oh, Lexi Lou Winslow, that’s a certainty I’ve known since the first moment I saw you at that Double C event.”
She snorts. “You’re lying.”
“No.” I shake my head, just barely brushing my lips against hers. “I’m not. I actually said those words aloud. I’m going to marry that girl. Ask Finn. He heard it.”
Lexi leans forward and presses a slow and seductive kiss to my lips. “I’d like to make a plan.”
“A plan?”
“A five-year plan.”
“And what does this five-year plan entail?”
“Both of us succeeding in our careers and getting married.”
“I’m in,” I exclaim and wrap my arms around her as I flip her onto her back. My gaze locked with hers, I reach up to brush a few strands of her pretty blond hair out of her eyes. “I’m fucking in. Call your lawyer and have him start the paperwork. I want to sign my name in blood just to make sure it sticks.”
Lexi bursts into laughter. “No contract or blood oath needed. You have my word.”
“And you have mine.”
Lexi and me together forever. That’s my plan, and I’m sticking to it.