BENNETT
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“We’re going to the costume party tonight at Kappa,” Zach says from beside me on the couch, like he’s already decided tonight’s plans for us all. “Listen, what better way to spend Halloween than surrounded by beautiful, half-naked women wearing outfits literally out of your dreams?”
He’s not wrong. Except when you’re trying to be celibate… and starting to be into your fake girlfriend.
Then I can think of much better ways.
I have no fucking clue how, but by some miracle, we don’t have a game tonight, which means for the first time in my college career, Halloween night is wide open.
Grabbing my phone off the arm of the couch, I text Merritt.
ME: Wanna go to Kappa’s costume party tonight? We can do one of those cute couple costumes. *winky face*
I’m surprised when I see the dots dancing across the screen almost immediately. After the kiss yesterday at the arena, I haven’t heard from her.
STABBY GIRL : I’m truly afraid to ask what a “cute couple costume” would be to you
STABBY GIRL : Actually let me guess. Mr. & Mrs. Smith? Hugh Hefner and a Playboy Bunny. Oh or probably like a hockey player and a cheerleader
I grin.
ME: First of all, there are no cheerleaders in hockey
ME: And as my girlfriend, you should probably know that BABE
STABBY GIRL : FAKE girlfriend
ME: The details don’t matter.
ME: And actually, I was thinking something more along the lines of…
STABBY GIRL : ….
STABBY GIRL : Seriously??
ME: What’s wrong with that?
STABBY GIRL : You just sent me a picture of SHREK AND FIONA, Bennett? They’re ogres. That’s like the least sexy thing of all time.
ME: So what? I’m a fan of the Shrek franchise
ME: Plus, you’d look cute as shit in green. It would really go with your eyes
ME: But… if you reallllllly wanted to go as a playboy bunny I’m cool with it. Ears are a nonnegotiable though
STABBY GIRL : You’re ridiculous.
STABBY GIRL : I can’t go out anyway. I’m taking my brother trick or treating tonight. Sister duties. My dad’s working another overnight.
I don’t even think before I respond, my fingers tapping across the screen.
ME: Cool if I tag along?
STABBY GIRL : YOU want to come trick or treating??
ME: Yeah why not?
STABBY GIRL : I mean it’s just going to be me dragging my little brother around all night. Dunno just doesn’t seem like… your vibe
ME: Maybe you don’t know my vibe then. Maybe you just think you do, Mer Bear
The dots along the screen flash once, then disappear, then again, then again, and then finally after a minute, her response comes through.
STABBY GIRL : No one is going to be there to see us together so…
ME: We’ll take some pics for socials. It looks good… Us taking your little bro trick or treating shows that we’re serious you know, not just hooking up
Even though the thought honestly didn’t cross my mind until she just mentioned it. The truth is I just want to spend time with her, and obviously, I can’t fucking say that to her because she’s… Merritt.
For whatever reason, one I haven’t been able to figure out yet, she’s still holding back and keeping me at arm’s length. Something I hope to get to the bottom of.
ASAP.
STABBY GIRL : Fine. You can come if you want. Be at my house by six.
ME: So is that a no to Shrek and Fiona or…
STABBY GIRL : Don’t make me block you Goalie
ME:
I drop my phone into my lap and look up, finding both Ty and Zach staring at me.
“What?”
Zach’s dark brow lifts, and he tosses the Xbox controller onto the coffee table. “That your new girlfriend?”
“Who told you?” I say.
“Brother,” Tyler mutters from the other side of Zach. He leans past him, deadpanning. “The entire fucking campus knows about you two basically dry humping outside the locker room yesterday. Have you not been online?”
I shake my head. “Nope.”
“Unsurprising.” Zach rolls his eyes. “You know, I’m actually hurt that we had to find out from the internet and not our best friend. That we literally fucking live with.”
“It’s not a big deal. I got a girlfriend,” I retort. “Why are you two making it a big deal?”
“Oh, I dunno, maybe because in the entire time I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you commit to anything but hockey. Literally ever. So yeah, this new girlfriend is a red flag.”
I scoff. “Not true. I commit to plenty of shit.”
Zach’s brow arches. “Yeah? Like what?”
Like…
Shit.
“Okay, maybe I… commit to less things than I thought,” I say, rolling my lips together. “But you know what they say. It only takes one woman to change a man.”
I get to Merritt’s five minutes early. With how stabby I know she gets about people being late, I’ve quickly learned my lesson.
I ring the doorbell and step back on the porch, shoving my hands in the pockets of my sweatpants. It’s an unusually cold night for late October in NOLA, in the fifties, so I threw on a hoodie and sweatpants since I knew we’d be outside most of the night.
A few moments later, the door swings open, and it’s not Merritt on the other side but a younger, boy version of her.
They have the same shade of dark hair and upturned nose. But it’s the cool stare he pins me with that is the copy and paste of his older sister. Wary and guarded.
“Who are you?” he asks, his hand curled around the edge of the door like he hasn’t decided whether or not he’s going to close it in my face.
Yeah, this is Merritt’s little brother. For sure. If the fact that they’re identical didn’t already give it away.
“Bennett,” I say back. “Who are you?”
He eyes me for a second before he responds. “Elliott. You’re my sister’s boyfriend.”
I nod. “I am.”
I’m thinking this might be some kind of test, and I’m hoping like fuck I pass if it is.
I respect it though.
“What are you supposed to be?” he asks.
“Uh…” I say, glancing down at the OU Hockey hoodie I just threw on, not realizing we were going to be dressing up. It was the first clean one I had in my closet. “A hockey player?”
Elliott squints, his gaze dropping to the front of my hoodie as he crosses his arms over his chest. “Original.”
My lip twitches. “Yeah, fair. In my defense, your sister shot down my idea of Shrek and Fiona.”
“Lame. She wouldn’t have even had to dress up since she’s a troll every day,” he says with a hint of a smirk pulling at his lips.
A laugh slips out of me, and I shake my head.
I like this kid already.
“What are you supposed to be?” I nod toward the long, black robe thing he’s got on.
He pulls a mask out from behind the door and holds it up to his face.
“Ah. Ghostface. A slasher classic. I like it.”
“Watch this,” he murmurs from behind it, and a second later, fake red blood pours down the inside of the mask. “It has a blood pump.”
“That’s so sick. Yeah, your costume is way better than mine, man.”
Elliott tugs it away from his face, and there’s a wry grin sitting on his lips that feels like a stamp of approval of some sort. “Thanks. Wanna come in?” He holds the door open wider, and I nod, stepping past him into the small foyer.
Pictures of Merritt, Elliott, and their dad line the walls in mismatched frames, but I realize there aren’t any photos of their mom, and I can’t help but wonder if she’s in their lives.
I’ve never heard Merritt talk about her, but then again, it’s not like I know much about her outside of the things I’ve observed.
She’s not much for volunteering things about herself or her life.
“So you’re coming with us tonight?” Elliott asks from behind me, and I spin to face him, nodding.
“Yeah. I’m pumped. How do you feel about Reese’s?”
He shrugs. “Eh. I’m more of a Snickers kinda guy.”
“Sweet.” I chuckle. “Well then, I’ll take them off your hands. I’d get them myself, but ya know, I think I’m a little too old.”
A look passes over Elliott’s face, and he sighs, rolling his eyes.
“Yeah, I am too. I’m eleven. Almost twelve.
I’m like the only one in my entire class going trick-or-treating.
I tried to tell Merritt that, but she’s making me go because she said”—he lifts his fingers in quotes—“‘Enjoy being a kid while I can.’”
I shrug. “She’s not wrong, man. One day, you’re trick-or-treating and playing Call of Duty, and the next, you’re in college. Kinda sucks. Plus, it’s free candy. It’ll be fun.”
He nods. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. There’s a house at the end of the street that always gives you full-size candy bars. Maybe we can go twice.”
I laugh just as footsteps echo down the stairs beside us, and we both turn, watching as Merritt steps onto the landing, her gaze on mine.
Her brown eyes appear smoky tonight with the charcoal eyeliner she’s framed them with. “Bennett. Hey. Sorry, I didn’t know you were here yet.”
She’s wearing a dark gray sweater beneath a cropped leather jacket and black boots. Her long hair is straight tonight, falling down almost to the curve of her ass.
She’s beautiful. As she always is.
“No worries. I was just hanging out with Elliott. What…” I trail off, my eyes slipping down her body again, slower this time. “Are you supposed to be?”
“It isn’t obvious?”
“Not really? The leather jacket is new, but the rest feels pretty on brand,” I say, reaching up to rub my palm along the back of my neck.
Merritt brushes past me and stands beside her brother, throwing her arm over his shoulder and grabbing his other hand and bringing the fake plastic knife he’s now holding to her throat. “What’s your favorite scary movie? I’m Sidney Prescott, duh.”
Damn.
Yeah, I missed that.
“Okay, duh. Now I see it. Sorry, I forgot how much you love your ’90s movies,” I tease, then turn my attention to Elliott. “This was her idea, huh?”
“How’d you know?” he says, arching a brow.
Merritt’s elbow connects with his side, and she bristles. “Rude. You love Scream too. You’re just as much of a fan of cult-classic slashers as I am, dude.”
Elliott lifts the plastic knife in one hand and the mask in the other in surrender. “Fine. Fine. Fine, dude.”
“Actually, you know what, you should really be thanking me for your superior taste in music and movies at such a young age,” she adds. “Now, get your bucket, Killer. We’ve got lots of candy to get to replenish the stash.”