Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 178117 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 891(@200wpm)___ 712(@250wpm)___ 594(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 178117 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 891(@200wpm)___ 712(@250wpm)___ 594(@300wpm)
“Awesome,” Calvin says. “So what are you studying?”
“Economics. I want to take over my dad's business one day.” I add a smile.
“Obviously,” Jeremy says, “I mean, we’re all studying business at a business university.”
Crystal laughs. “I only want to be rich.”
Kayla and Crystal bump their drinks against each other.
“Same, girl, same,” Kayla jokes.
I take another bite of my sandwich. “So you’re Kayla’s best friend, right?”
Crystal blushes and grabs Kayla’s hand. “We’ve only known each other for like a few weeks now, but it feels like it’s been ages.”
I take another bite of my sandwich. Swallowing it is hard, though.
Because across from me, a few yards away, leaning against a stone fencing, are none other than Felix, Dylan, and Alistair. They’re smoking what appears to be marijuana right here on the university’s grounds without even a single care in the world even though I know that isn’t allowed here, let alone in this state.
But rules don’t apply to boys like them.
“Don’t look.” Kayla nudges me, pulling me from my thoughts.
“What?” I mutter.
“If you stare, they’ll see,” she murmurs, leaning in to whisper. “You do know who they are, right? Those guys belong to the Skull & Serpent Society.”
“No, I don’t know them,” I lie.
I technically don’t know them, but I have definitely heard of them.
“That society is like the worst of all the fraternities near this university combined. No one ever gets in except when they’ve got the right connections, and with that, I mean the criminal ones.” Kayla lowers her eyes at me. “They practically run this place.”
So they’re the leaders? Interesting. That only makes me want to look harder.
“You really don’t want to mess with those guys. Even a simple look can trigger them to come after you,” Kayla explains.
“How do you know?” I ask.
“Because they targeted her brother a few months ago,” Crystal explains, injecting herself into the conversation.
Kayla cringes. “Only because he dared to try to apply to their society. Gave him a rough initiation and then told him he didn’t make it.”
“What did they do?” I ask.
“Well, it involved piss,” Calvin fills in. “I only know that because of what one of my friends told me. I wasn’t there myself.”
Crystal gags and nearly vomits right there and then, but she covers her mouth. “Excuse me.”
“Okay, I get the picture,” I say.
“Point is, you don’t ever want them to point their arrows at you,” Kayla says. “I know they do a lot of bad shit, but if you stay out of their way, they won’t cause you trouble.”
“They’re sick,” Crystal adds.
“Right,” I mutter, but I’m way too distracted by the fact that Felix’s eyes have already homed in on me.
And no matter how hard I try, I can’t look away.
He’s been staring at me in class too, even mentioning my name to his friend Dylan.
And I didn’t give it to him, so there’s only one way he could know.
My sister.
Dylan
Felix can’t stop staring at her.
In a way, I’ve only ever seen him look at the people he either wants to fuck into oblivion or kill.
And now that I know who she is, neither can I.
I wonder why she transferred here, out of all places. It can’t be a coincidence.
I take another hit and burn away whatever remains of my restraint.
A smirk forms on my lips. Looking at her now, maybe I should go up to her and just … ask.
Some girl suddenly bumps into me and slaps her arms around my neck. Cathy, Sadie, Kiera … I don’t know, I don’t remember, and I don’t care.
“Hey, Dylan. You up for some fun later this evening? Carry on where we left off at the bonfire?”
The mere mention of that fucking party puts me on edge.
I throw her arms off me. “No, I have other plans.”
She eyes Alistair. “Is he taking up all your time again? You two planning something?” She licks her lips. “A surprise?”
I tilt my head. “If we were, it’s now ruined.”
“Aw, Dylan,” she muses, pecking me on the cheek. “You’re sweet.”
“Well, it’s not for you.”
Her smile fades as quickly as the autumn leaves, and it’s fucking magnificent. “Oh, I thought you had something planned for my birthday.”
Is it?
“Yeah, well, my schedule is full, so see you next week, okay?” I wink and turn toward the guys so she can’t butt in again.
“Yeah, I’m keeping my boy busy.” Alistair throws his arm over my shoulders to pull me into our group.
The girl tries for a moment but gives up after a few attempts at squeezing underneath my arm. Deflated, she walks off, her heels click-clacking across the pavement, a snooty look directed at me thrown over her shoulders.
What was her name again?
All I can think about is that girl sitting there in the grass and how much she reminds me of someone else … someone I used to know.