2. Corey

Chapter 2

Corey

The cute little cheerleader swallows like I’m about to devour him whole.

Good.

Looks like that reputation is working out well for me.

The rumors are ridiculous, but if believing a few stupid lies keeps people away from me, then I’m all for it.

Someone who can only be Bradley Palmer bangs on the door. Seth answers it, and Bradley saunters in.

“Dude, do you really need all the theatrics?”

Seth just shrugs. “It’s Sunday, and I’m bored.”

Luke hasn’t taken his eyes off of me the whole time. “Your front yard is as good as new, so does that mean I can go?”

I roll my eyes. Of course, he’s just another entitled sports brat who thinks consequences are for other people to deal with.

“Why would you think you can leave before we’ve even spoken?” I bite out, making him flinch. I ignore the voice in my head that tells me I need to reassure him. “Follow me.”

He hesitates for a split second before he’s trotting after me as I make my way down the hall and to my study. Having a study makes me sound as old as my dad, but as the president of Kappa Sigma Kappa, I get one. Makes sense with all the shitty admin I have to do.

“Bradley, you need to wait here,” Seth calls out. I look over my shoulder and see Bradley following us.

“This is between me and Luke. You can wait with Seth,” I tell him with a scowl. He looks down at Luke, who gives him a nervous smile.

“I’ll be okay, Bradley,” he whispers. He won’t, but whatever keeps the Gamma out of my office, I guess.

My office looks like the rest of the house: dark wood and bottle green. I think it’s meant to look intimidating and like old money. It mainly gives me a headache from how fucking dark it is.

“Take a seat,” I nod to the couch in the corner. This is also the room where my frat brothers come to tell me their problems or to ask for advice. And sometimes to just hang out. People on campus may think I’m the antichrist, but these guys know I’m not that bad.

He sits down, and I properly take him in. Cute, little cheerleader, fits him to a tee. He has a mop of rusty colored curls, and even if I didn’t know he was a flier on the cheer squad, I would have guessed with his slight frame. With his pouty lips and bold green eyes, he almost looks like someone I would be attracted to.

“I am really sorry about last night. I never meant to teepee your house. I really did think it was the Psi house. I swear.”

And then he opens his mouth and that almost attraction washes away.

“You think I should give you a pass because you vandalized the wrong house? A guy stands you up, and you feel so entitled to his time that you try to damage the home he shares with blameless people?”

“What? No…I…I mean,” he splutters.

“Look, I don’t give a shit what you meant to do. The fact is, you teepeed our home, and I can either call campus security, or we can work out your punishment privately. Your choice.”

“You. I want you,” he winces. “I mean, I want to work it out with you. I’m on a scholarship, and I can’t lose it.”

“Mommy and Daddy won’t pick up the bill?” I taunt him. “Actually, I don’t care. Show me your schedule.”

He looks like he wants to say something for a split second but then thinks better of it and pulls his phone from his pocket. He unlocks it and hands it to me.

That is weirdly trusting.

I look at the perfectly color-coded calendar. It’s one of the most attractive things I’ve ever seen.

“Cheerleading practice, football games, classes. Standard. What is B&T VC on Tuesdays and Saturdays?” I ask.

“They’re my brothers, Benny and Tyler. They live in Idaho, so we video chat twice a week.” He steels himself like he expects me to make a shitty comment.

“Fine, we’ll work around that.” His eyes widened in surprise. “You can be our very own handyman for two evenings a week, one morning, and four hours on Sunday.”

“What the fuck?” he splutters. “For how long?”

“Until I decide that you’re done.”

“That isn’t fair!”

“What’s not fair is vandalizing someone’s home because they didn’t want to be a notch on your bedpost.”

He throws his hands in the air. “That isn’t what happened. You know what? Fine, I’ll do your jobs, but the second one of your frat boys is homophobic; I’m out.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen, little cheerleader.”

Seeing his eyes harden does something to me. I get the feeling he isn’t used to not getting his way very often. It’s going to be satisfying as fuck putting him in his place.

“Be here at six tomorrow evening. The woodwork needs a good clean.” I say, handing him back his phone. “You can leave now.”

He stomps out of the room, leaving my door open, and a moment later, I hear the front door slam.

Sadly, I’m not left alone for long.

“Man, he was pissed. What did you say to him?” Seth says, coming in and throwing himself into the seat Luke just vacated.

“That he’s going to be doing odd jobs around the house,” I say with a shrug before pinning Seth with a scare. “I give him the jobs, though, okay? I don’t want anyone fucking with him.”

Seth rolls his eyes. “No one would. Even if you didn’t tell them too.”

Seth has a point there.

This used to be an “old boy’s club” type of frat where money talks and people can do whatever. That hasn’t been the case for nearly twenty years, but we still have the reputation. I’m pretty sure the dated decor and my attitude doesn’t help matters.

Now, when pledges rush, we make sure they know this is a safe space for people. I’m not having anyone feel shitty under my watch.

Which is something the little cheerleader is going to find out the hard way.