Chapter 21
21
Bryce - 19 years old
Happy Valentine’s Day, Haruki. Mateo and Chris dragged me to a dorm party. Give me a call once you’re free. I miss you.
I put my phone in my jeans pocket and blow out a breath, amusing Cameron. “Man, you in a relationship was definitely not on my bingo card.” He chuckles as he sips his beer. “And a long-distance one, at that. That must have been some really good pussy you had.”
“Shut the fuck up, Cam,” I growl. “It’s not like that. She’s really special.”
Cameron puts his hand on his chest, joking around. “Aww, I’m hurt. I thought I was the only one who understood you in the pool of entitled douchebag friends you have.”
Rolling my eyes, I take a sip of my beer before answering him. “I was fucking wasted when I told you that. Speak about her pussy again and you might make it on my shit list this year.”
“Relax, it was a joke,” Cameron says as he slaps my back. “But shit, Bryce, you really love her, don’t you? At this rate, you’re gonna get married before you even graduate from this place.”
I feel a thickness in my throat. It’s not supposed to be a dirty little secret, but I can’t bring myself to tell anyone I’m married to Haruki. My dad would flip that we didn’t sign a prenup, and my friends would fucking laugh at me and tell me that she’s a gold digger. They will find a way to spoil this for me.
“I do. Now shut up, for real. I don’t want to talk about this right now.”
“Fair enough,” he says, his eyes observing the ludicrous number of drunk teenagers cramped on this floor. “Why don’t you live in a dorm, anyway?”
I shrug. “My dad got word that the sons of his colleagues were looking for a place to live together off-campus. He thought it might be a good idea for me to move with them and build some connections of my own. Network and stuff. He offered us one of his condos to live in.”
“Ah.” He nods in understanding. “Because you spent your high school years slumming it up at a public high school, rejecting his pleas to keep his golden boy in private school.”
“You know it.”
A guy approaches Cameron and stands close next to him. From the corner of my eye, I see him slip a fifty-dollar bill into the pocket of my friend’s hoodie and take out a bag of white powder. I scratch the side of my nose as I observe my best friend deal drugs. He’s taking it up a notch—it used to be just weed and Molly, now he’s moving on to the stronger stuff.
I’m not against drugs; I am an occasional party pill popper myself, but he could be doing so much more with his life. I want to help him. I’ve known him since he stood up for me in soccer club, before I grew tall and people started thinking I was one of the cool kids, when other boys made fun of me because my dad never showed up to any of the fucking games. When I was the odd one out. They didn’t know who I was because my dad left the housekeeper in charge of signing me up. She didn’t get the memo that the private school kids go to a different club in Radinger instead.
“Cam,” I tread carefully, “you know if you need money, you can always ask me for help, right? You don’t have to do this all your life.”
He pulls a cigarette out of a pack and lights it up, blowing the smoke in the direction opposite me. “I won’t take handouts, man.”
“But you’ll happily let me take you to parties so you can get all these college kids drugged up?” I cock an eyebrow and cross my arms over my chest. “Sounds noble.”
“It’s called market expansion. Don’t they teach you that in business 101?” After Cameron’s laughter dies down, his eyes tell me his conflicting feelings. “I appreciate you doing this for me, Bryce, and I appreciate your offer. But what am I supposed to do? Take your money and sell magnets to tourists? Flip burgers? I can’t do that. Not with my sister with us.”
“This is the last party I’m taking you to, man, alright? I’ve made enough introductions. After this, you’re on your own. It’s not a good look for me or you. You’re not selling weed anymore, Cam. At the rate you’re going, you’re going to get yourself into some deep shit a few years from now.”
Cameron gives me an understanding nod. “Anyway, tell me more about your trip to Japan. How was it?”
I’ve been on a lot of vacations in my life, but nothing tops the week I spent in Tokyo with Haruki. Which is why I was crushed when I found out that I was one of the few students selected to go to Berlin in March. A visiting professor from Germany is going back to Berlin and he has invited a few students to come for a semester as exchange students. Since the summer semester in Germany runs from March until July, with the professor requesting us to stay until August to participate in his international business management project, I can’t fly to Japan for spring break or summer break. Unfortunately for me, Haruki will be starting her bachelor’s degree during that time. She has been waiting so long for this and she’s working all the hours she can at her dad’s place to be able to afford a better camera and video camera for her studies. Just like Cameron, that girl is too stubborn to accept my help.
“Earth to Bryce.” Cameron snaps his fingers in front of my face. “You’re zoning out on me. What’s up?”
“Sorry, dude.” I smile. I’ve been doing a lot of that lately. Smiling. And zoning out. Like a motherfucking chick-flick on legs . “Cam, I want to tell you something, but you can’t tell anyone else.”
“Bryce.” My name comes out with a concerned undertone. “Did you get your girl pregnant?”
“Nope, but I did get hitched.” Cameron looks at me like I’m speaking in tongues. “Back in Hawaii. Spur of the moment thing.”
He crushes his cigarette butt on the ground as he snorts. “Count on you to marry the first girl you fall in love with, Casanova.” A shit-eating grin forms on his face. “What does Papa Arthur think about this?”
“Papa Arthur doesn’t know. And neither does her family, for that matter,” I admit, scratching the side of my head. “You’re the first person I’m telling this to. We’re keeping it on the down low.”
My best friend chuckles and shakes his head, probably still digesting the bomb I just dropped on him. “I can’t see this not blowing up in your face,” he says as he puts a hand on my shoulder. “But congrats, man.”
Just as I am about to say something to Cameron, I feel a friendly slap on my back. I turn around to see two emerald green eyes looking at me. Once I realize who this guy is, I immediately open my arms and a wide grin breaks out on my face, pulling my cheeks tightly. “Logan, how are you, man?”
Logan goes in for a light hug before pulling away and standing across from me, eye-to-eye in front of Cameron. “I’m good. Crazy that we haven’t bumped into each other yet. How’s your wife?”
“She’s good. Thanks again for everything. I owe you. Big time.”
And then I invite Logan to chill with us for the night. I don’t want to enable Cameron any more than I already am, but what harm can one more introduction to a rich RadTech student do, right?