Chapter 1

Chapter One

Simon

“ H ey, so I need you not to be a pain in the ass about this.” Yeah, I already don’t like where this is going. My big brother is my idol and one of my favorite people in the whole world—but he’s... blunt. To say the least.

“About what?”

“The storm dumped a shitload of snow on us last night. I’ve never seen this much damn snow before.”

“O-kay... So you can’t come get me?” Our parent’s house is a five-hour drive from where I’m going to college, and the plan was for my older brother, Zane, to drive here today to pick me up for winter break. But if he’s buried in snow, I don’t want him risking his life to come and get me.

“Well, this is where you’re probably going to be a pain in the ass...” I frown. This can’t be good. “Hunter is leaving today...”

“No,” I say instantly, not even caring that I’m proving his point because absolutely not. I’m not riding with his loud, obnoxious, jock best friend. They met when my brother was playing college football at this particular college. Hunter is in his final year here, while my brother graduated last year, and I can’t say not seeing Hunter has been any kind of hardship. I miss the hell out of my brother, but his annoying sidekick? Not so much.

“Simon...” I hate how calm he sounds. Zane is the perfect human specimen. I’m not joking. He’s tall. He’s smart. He’s athletic and funny. But he’s also caring and so very kind. Girls have lost their shit over him since I can remember, but only one has had his heart since junior high. Rebecca. They’re getting married over winter break, but more toward the end.

Rebecca is in Hunter’s grade and will be graduating at the end of the year, but apparently, they can’t wait any longer. Why didn’t I just skip my final yesterday and ride with her?

Yes—I know why.

I’m the smart one. That’s pretty much all I have going for me. I’m nowhere near as tall as my brother. I’m nerdy with dark-rimmed glasses and curly brown hair that’s the same color as Zane’s but unruly, unlike his silky, perfect locks. I’m the opposite of athletic. I hate sports and would much rather read.

So grades are just pretty much it for me.

“Did Rebecca make it okay?”

I swear I can hear the goofy smile he’s sporting, just hearing his fiancée’s name. “Yeah. She did, thank fuck. But now I need to make sure you make it okay.”

I snort at that. “And you think Hunter is the way to go? You’ve met him, right? Giant oaf of a man. Can’t take anything seriously.”

“He’s really not that bad.”

“He is,” I argue immediately.

Hunter is mind-numbingly gorgeous. I mean there’s no way else to describe the six-foot two, muscularly built man with green eyes and dark-blond hair. He even has dimples. Dimples that I swear only pop out when he’s giving someone shit—usually me. With a strong chin and sharp cheekbones, perfect teeth and full, plump lips...

Nope. Not at all. I’m not going there.

Yes. He’s hot.

But then he opens his stupid mouth, and all he is, is infuriating .

“Can’t I just wait until the snow melts?”

He’s frowning. I know he is now. “No. You need to be home with your family, and I need my two best men here for my wedding.”

“Your wedding isn’t for two and a half weeks.”

“Please do this for me.” I can hear how desperate he is for me to say yes. It’s not often my brother sounds desperate. “Or I’ll just have to try to brave the weather...”

“Low blow,” I deadpan, but I’m not really upset. I mean, I am about having to ride for hours in a car with Hunter, but I’ll survive I suppose. “Will we even be able to make it? If you all are covered in snow.”

“Well . . .”

My brow furrows. “Well?”

“So you can probably make it about halfway today.”

“Half...” He’s got to be kidding me. “Halfway?”

“Yeah, well the roads up to around Goodwin aren’t bad, but after that, they’ll need a couple of days to thaw.”

“Goodwin? Where Hunter grew up?”

“Yeah. His family has a cabin there. If the roads are too bad to make it all the way here tonight, he said you can stay there for a night or two.”

“How is that any better than the dorms?” My voice has gone up an octave. This is not good. Not good at all.

“It’ll get you close to home, and if the roads aren’t too bad, then you’re free to drive the last two hours to us. This gets you closer though.”

I look out my dorm window. It’s snowing but not too heavy, and I don’t really want to be around here for winter break. I miss my family desperately. I’m the baby out of five kids. Zane is next, and then we have three older sisters. Older sisters, who are all married with kids. I can hear my nieces and nephews in the background, making my heart ache to see them all.

I’m sure Mom and Dad are in the kitchen making food for the entire hoard of humans invading their home right now. Probably living their best lives. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

“Yes! I knew you wouldn’t be too much of a pain in my ass.”

I roll my eyes. “We’re going to try to make it tonight. I can’t stomach spending a night with Hunter and his family.”

“No family. It’s an empty cabin, apparently. His parents don’t live there, and they’re out of the country for Christmas.”

I frown at that. Hunter is an only child, but he usually spends Christmas with our family. I wonder momentarily what he did before he met Zane but push that thought away. It’s really not my concern.

“That’s even worse.”

He chuckles. “Just don’t kill him, okay? I kind of like the guy.”

I grumble but promise him I’ll try not to murder his best friend before I hang up and grab my bag to go meet Hunter downstairs. Apparently, they were both pretty confident Zane could get me to agree to this.

This is a horrible, horrible idea. I know it in my gut, but I can’t say no to Zane. I really can’t make him worry about me or try to come and get me himself when Hunter is right here.

So I guess I’m doing this.