Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Charles
We walk along the path toward the fountain, where Zeke asked us to meet them, and with every step, I’m becoming less and less sure of this plan. My brothers are obviously picking up on my hesitation because Sam keeps muttering under his breath.
“I already said no one has to be here,” I whisper. It’s after midnight, and this part of campus is deserted. I’m sure there’s security monitoring the grounds somewhere, but we haven’t caused any trouble they can pin on us … yet.
“Like I’m going to leave you to deal with those jocks solo,” Sam says. “We still have no way of knowing whether we’re being played.”
“I told you, the truce was my idea.”
“Yeah, but they’ve never agreed to one before.”
“They’ve never needed us before.” And that’s what it all comes down to. I’ve suggested a truce more times than I can count, but I’ve never had something to bargain with. Now I have leverage, I plan to use it, but even more than that, I want to help Zeke.
Our brothers have gone all out in getting Robbie’s bake-off idea organized, and even though Zeke and I are supposed to be working on figuring out who Anon7136 is, we’re floundering.
First, I don’t know where to start with it all, and second, I’ve been up until this time every night, trying to get through my assigned schoolwork.
I can’t remember ever hating something more.
And that includes the Sigma Beta Psis.
“Still feels like a setup,” Sam complains. Surprisingly, Lucas is quiet on the matter, and Bailey and Neilson are talking about some upcoming test.
“Not too late to go back.”
Sam doesn’t answer me. He’s a good friend, and I value his opinion—I also totally get where he’s coming from—but without being able to tell him why I trust Zeke, I’m never going to be able to reassure him.
I reach over and squeeze his shoulder. “Just trust me. I know what I’m doing.”
“Let’s hope so.”
We round a bend in the path and find Zeke and his brothers exactly where they asked us to meet them. Unlike the four of us, there are at least twenty Sigmas waiting.
Sam curses softly and hesitates, but I straighten my back and keep walking.
“Evening, gentlemen.”
“’Sup, Chuck.”
Dammit, Zeke. He’s right. Every time I hear that name, it reminds me of the deep, husky way he called me Charlie.
I refuse to let him know it affects me, even though it’s been close to two weeks since we last hooked up.
I’ve hardly seen him, and the only time we’ve spoken is to exchange some texts around fraternity duties.
All I’ve wanted to do is reach out and organize a meeting with him, a …
a fuck, but with how all-consuming the last week has been, I haven’t found the time.
I meant it when I said I didn’t want to keep hooking up under the illusion we were other people.
Thinking of other people only reminds me that Zeke hasn’t reached out either. It doesn’t do me any good to wonder if he’s been finding release elsewhere. He’s sexy as hell, and whenever there’s a party, people fall at his feet, but it’s something I actively try not to picture.
We’re not together; he can do what he wants.
It doesn’t mean I have to like it.
“Good night for it,” I comment lightly, trying to ease the tension radiating from the Sigmas toward us. And maybe from us to them to a lesser degree.
“This is your army?” Chad asks, nodding toward the guys behind me. “Geez, don’t hold back or anything.”
“You’re lucky they came at all. Do you understand the level of insanity needed to trust you guys in the dead of night after everything you’ve pulled?”
Robbie Harrows huffs, but Chad’s grin spreads wide. “Aw, you trust us? We’re so flattered.”
I don’t waste my time answering him and turn to Zeke instead. “What’s the plan?”
“We’ve brought a butt fuck ton of flyers to cover campus with. And when I say ‘cover,’ I mean cover. Buildings, windows, benches, walkways … staple that shit to trees and hang the notices from anything overhead.”
I cross to the stack of flyers on the side of the fountain. They’re being held down by a rock, but from what I can read around it, the flyers look like an invitation to the first-ever Great Greek Row Bake-Off.
This had better work.
A Sigma hockey player who I haven’t had much to do with … Mark? Miles? … picks up the flyers and hands stacks of them to each person.
“We need to get people talking,” Zeke explains. “When people show up on campus tomorrow, this needs to be all they see. It needs to be all people are talking about. We need to create a tidal wave through this school that washes away all the fucked-up rumors and replaces them with this.”
His brothers cheer softly, clearly in agreement, while Lucas, Sam, and Neilson look on. They’re all holding paper though, so that’s a good sign.
“Are you sure this is the right move?” I ask. “We’re supposed to be making a positive impression. Is littering really the right option?”
“First,” Robbie answers, “it’s recycled materials.” Like that makes all the difference. “Second, flyers are allowed. Not our problem they’ve failed to specify how many.”
“Do you think campus security will agree with that loophole?” Sam fires back.
“They don’t actively patrol,” Brandon says. “Ask us how we know.”
“We don’t need to know how you know,” I quickly say. Plausible deniability is needed in case the Sigmas’ behavior is ever called into light. “We don’t need ammunition against you.”
“Good call,” Zeke says before jumping up onto the side of the fountain. “Now, listen up. You all have an hour and a half to get as many of these up as possible. Think big; don’t play it safe. We need the message out. If campus security does find you, ditch your shit and run.”
“What happened to them not patrolling?” My voice takes on that slightly panicked edge, but the last thing I want is to drag my brothers into trouble.
“If, Chuck. I said if. We might not actually be breaking any rules, but I doubt they’re gonna be happy about us redecorating.”
He has a point.
“Then maybe we need a new plan,” Lucas calls.
“You’re playing with Sigma house now, baby,” Mark or Miles says. “This is the way we do things. Don’t like it, fuck off back to bed.”
“You think you’re so above the—”
“Anyway,” I cut Lucas off. “The faster we get this done, the less chance of being caught. So can we get to it?”
“Go,” Zeke says. At his word, the Sigmas scramble. Bailey races off after Chad, and Sam exchanges a look between Neilson and Lucas before turning to me.
“You coming, prez?”
“Actually, he’s staying with me,” Zeke answers before I can. “We’re running point, so we’ll be here if anything goes south.”
Sam throws him an unimpressed look before the three of them reluctantly leave.
“Running point?” I ask him as soon as we’re alone.
He shrugs. “Seems like something two leaders would do.”
“I think commanders have more buy-in when they join their troops on the front line.”
“That’s not their role.” He jumps down from the side of the fountain and plants his ass on the stone. Then he pats the place beside him.
I immediately take it because what’s the point of acting like I don’t want to?
I already gave away way too much the last time we saw each other.
I told the guy I want him to fuck me. It’s not as though I haven’t fantasized over it a million times before, but I was never supposed to admit that out loud.
And in the light? Shit. I might as well tell him I’m falling for him at this rate.
“You okay over there?”
I jump at his voice. “Fine. Why do you keep asking that?”
“You’re staring.”
“So first I’m not looking at you enough, and now I’m looking at you too much. Have you ever thought that maybe you give mixed messages?”
“Nah, I’m a straight shooter.”
“Says you.” And maybe I won’t act as though I don’t want to be near him, but the urge to resist his charm is strong. Because holy hell does he have charm.
“And says you.” He nudges me. “Admit it. You’re starting to like me a little bit.”
“I like your dick, but I don’t think that’s the same thing.” I hold my breath the whole time I say it.
“Of course it is. My dick takes full control and responsibility for me. Therefore liking my dick is basically liking me, so I’m going to take that as a compliment.”
“I know it’s dark, so you probably can’t see, but I’m rolling my eyes at you.”
“Lucky you keep me up-to-date.”
“I’m also thinking about how flirty you are now but haven’t taken the time to send one text about our conversation since I last saw you.”
And apparently I’ve got him because he lets out a strangled noise. “I … dude, neither have you.”
“Because I’ve been up to my eyeballs in criminal law for a paper.”
“And I’ve been swimming every morning and studying every evening.”
He has a point. “We’re busy. Maybe we should have left it when we said we would.”
“Nuh-uh. You promised I could fuck you.”
“It wasn’t a promise.”
“It was basically a promise. And a verbal contract is binding. Shouldn’t you know that, Mr. lawyer?”
I turn to look at him, hating that I find him sort of endearing. “While an oral contract may be enforceable in Connecticut, you’d need to be able to prove it. Good luck finding a jury who is going to rule that I have to have sex with you.”
Zeke screws up his face. “Okay, this is sounding creepy. Can we go back to flirting now?”
“Hmm … maybe.”
“I think it’s more of a yes or no question.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Shoot.”
“Are you …” Shit, the nerves are kicking in again. They always take over right when I want to sound confident and in control. I lift my head and fake it. “How many people are you sleeping with at the moment?”
Silence meets my words. I slowly force myself to look up at him and find Zeke wearing a bewildered look.
He glances around. “At the moment?”
“Yes.”
“As in right now?”
“Well … no. Not right now right now. Obviously. But in the recent past and possible present, how many people are you exchanging orgasms with?”
A smile creeps over his lips.
“It’s not funny,” I warn him.
“Of course not.”
“Like, at all.”
Zeke struggles to control his grin. “Are you asking me if I’ve slept with anyone other than you recently?”
Of course he couldn’t just answer the damn question. “I am.”
“And what would you say if I said I was?”
My heart sinks. “That it’s your business.” I sniff and turn away, trying to act as though I couldn’t care less. Even though I do care. More than I want to. I want Zeke to think I’m … special. I want to be enough. And I kick myself for everything I want because it’s unrealistic to think about.
“You jealous?”
I scoff. “Get over yourself.”
The air stirs as Zeke slides closer. Then a soft breath brushes my ear. “What would you say if I said you were the only one?”
Butterflies spring up, but I refuse to encourage them. “I’d say that’s also, umm, your business.”
He hums. “It is my business. It’s my business that I’m getting tired of hookups.
That drunken sexcapades don’t interest me anymore, and neither do all-night fuckathons.
It’s also my business that all senior year, I’ve been getting incredible regular blow jobs from this sexy little redhead, and now all I’ve been able to think about is owning his ass. ”
A shiver tears through me that has nothing to do with the night air. When I turn to Zeke, his face is right there, and he’s staring at me in that way that steals the breath from my lungs. “I don’t know any redheads,” I whisper.
One corner of his lips pulls up. “Your pubes say otherwise.”
“Fuck … Zeke.”
“Now, are you going to stop playing around or what?” he asks.
“I don’t have the time, energy, or want to hook up with anyone else.
Your mouth has kept my attention for months, and if we start fucking, there’s every chance I’ll make it all the way to graduation a happy man. Is that what you want to hear?”
“Yes,” I answer truthfully. I have no right to claim all his attention like this, but I’m going to do it anyway. He doesn’t ask me if I’m seeing anyone else though, and I’m torn on whether that bothers me or not. “I can keep you satisfied until then.”
“So confident.”
“I know this is shocking information for you, but I’m usually confident.”
“Not in my experience.”
“Because you make me nervous.”
It’s the wrong thing to say because the smile Zeke’s been fighting takes over. “What about me makes you nervous?”
Everything. I’m relieved I have the sense not to say that.
When I don’t answer, he leans closer. “You’re never nervous in Hush Hush. Are you sure it’s you I’ve been meeting up with there and you haven’t been sending a stand-in? Because that guy is confident and always takes the lead.”
“Apparently when your dick is up for grabs, I don’t hold back.”
“So you’re saying I need to keep my cock out.”
“That’s a surefire way to get creepy fast.”
“Anything for you, Charlie.”
I laugh, and while I meant what I said about his dick, there’s also one other reason why it’s so easy for me to take what I want down there. I don’t mean to say it, but the words slip out. “You’re nice.”
He cocks his head. “What?”
“When we’re down there … you’re nice. You don’t tease me or have this weird guard up. We’re … two people. No rivalry. No history. I like …” Fuck, am I even making sense? “I like how everything else disappears and you treat me like I … like you’re happy to be there with me.”
The only sound that answers me is the wind whipping through the courtyard.
Then his fingers trail down my cheek. “Would I be a real douche to confess those moments have been a relief to me?”
“What?”
“Everything else I deal with, all day, every day, is this constant mad rush. It’s on fast forward.
Some days I barely remember I need to eat because it’s so …
” He shakes his head. “The point is, those moments, with you, I can take a minute to breathe. You’ve been my escape.
I might not have said it, but I needed you. ”
And I don’t care if he only means that he needed the orgasms. My heart bursts with happiness. “Happy to help.” I grin at him and get a soft smile in return.
Then he clears his throat and rubs his palms over his thighs. “Wanna join in?”
“What?”
He holds up some paper. “They all seem to be fine. What do you say we give this fountain a makeover?”
And even if these dumbass things aren’t my idea of a good time, I can’t say no with how excited Zeke looks over the suggestion. “I guess …”
“Good.” He hands over half of the pile. “You start making the statue a skirt while I work on a dick and balls.”
And just when we were having a serious moment, Zeke has to go and remind me what a frat boy he is.
I should be more concerned than I am when I don’t argue, just grab the tape and get to work.
Smiling harder than I have in a while.