31. ~Brianna~

31

~Brianna~

Life was good.

My classes were going well.

After that duet a couple of weeks ago, it had drawn a lot of attention to me and the students on campus had made the connection to my apps and now I was labeled App Girl , with hundreds of people wanting the app. It was a major deal and it was all thanks to Colt.

Actually, my upbeat mood was thanks to all three of my guys.

My guys?

I couldn't believe that was where we were at now.

Things were going so well.

We'd fallen into a really nice rhythm too.

I felt freer than I had in… ever.

I was happy. Actually happy.

I shrugged my fuzzy pink messenger bag onto my shoulder as I stepped out of my coding lab, headed for the café to grab a quick bite for lunch before my next class.

Usually, me and the guys would meet at this point to hang out. It was like the halfway point through our days. Then at night we'd hang at their place, or sometimes mine. Levi had helped me to make dinner at my apartment two nights ago and it had been cute seeing three big guys filling the small space. What had happened afterward had been far from cute, though, as the four of us had basically dirtied up my bed all night long.

But today, it was just me for lunch because Mason had a mock trial he was prepping for, Levi had a call with his father, and Colt was interviewing a bass player and drummer.

I ordered a coffee and a special meatball sub from the café then made my way out to my favorite bench at the back of the quad out of the way of everything to decompress and chill out before my next set of classes.

The café never used to carry this sort of special sandwich, but after Mason had found out it was one of my most favorite sandwiches, he'd thrown his weight around as co-leader of Hex and had not only made them carry it, but he'd also ensured it was always ready for me on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I ordered it. They even had freshly baked chocolate chip cookies now too.

And the bench we ate lunch at together now was always unoccupied unlike before when I'd only been able to gain access to it two out of five times a week. I'd found out from Colt that it had been Levi's doing, using his power as co-leader of Hex to keep everyone away and mark it as off-limits.

Just like I was now.

Nobody bothered me or even looked my way. Things were so peaceful for me, so nice.

So life really was good.

In a completely different way to how this academic year had started off.

Because of them.

As I placed my bag down beside me on the bench and then unwrapped my sandwich and savored the first bite, my phone buzzed in the pocket of my pink houndstooth jacket.

I pulled it out and blinked in surprise at a text from Chloe.

I'd been communicating with her a lot via text, but she'd barely been replying.

For the last couple of weeks, I'd left her alone, figuring she was upset and dealing with the issues with her mom and needed some space from me and the reminder of this place in order to do that.

I opened it with bated breath.

Chloe: Sorry I've been AWOL, Bree. Lots been happening here. Are we still good?

Brianna: We're good. I get it, no worries.

Chloe: Oh, thank fuck. I thought you'd be pissed at me for basically ghosting you. It really wasn't intentional, I swear. Life just got in the way, all the craziness, you know?

Oh, I did know. Definitely.

Brianna: Totally understand. Things have been crazy on my end too.

Chloe: I'll say. I heard the rumors and the talk all over the campus social media. You're dating the leaders of Hex? That's some insanity right there. The hot kind, no doubt.

Before I could figure out how to respond to that, she sent another text.

Chloe: I want to hear all about it. Every dirty little detail too. I'm coming back tonight! For real this time. You up for meeting for a coffee?

Oh my God.

Brianna: Of course! Send me the details and I'll be there.

Chloe: Yay! See you soon, babe.

I couldn't believe it. After all this time, I was finally going to see my friend again.

And, boy, did we have a lot to talk about.

She had been the only thing missing from things being perfect, so with her coming back now everything could fall into place.

I fired off a message to the group text with the guys.

Brianna: Need to raincheck tonight. Chloe coming back into town. Meeting for coffee.

Colt: I'm bummed we can't hang, but happy you get to see your friend again. It's been way too long for you guys.

Brianna: Thanks, cupcake.

Colt: Love you calling me that.

Brianna: Well, it's so accurate, I can't help it.

Levi: Chloe Anders is coming back here tonight? Why?

I figured he wouldn't be pleased we had to cancel our date.

I might have noticed him going to a lot of effort to tone down his intensity so it didn't come off as overbearing, and him also loosening up a little there, but it wasn't going to disappear entirely, it was a part of him, of our dynamic.

Brianna: Didn't say exactly. Just happy I get to see her.

Levi: Right, sure.

I frowned at that. Levi was usually so supportive with absolutely everything. Maybe it was just about me having to raincheck things?

Before I could think more on it, a message from Mason came into the group chat.

Mason: Have fun with your friend. We'll come by your place for a nightcap.

Colt: Translation: we'll fuck you to sleep, cutie.

Mason: Do you have to be so crass?

Colt: You know you love it. You're just pissed because it's making your dick hard while you're in your mock trial thingy.

Mason: Fuck, Colt.

Colt: LMFAO. Wanna step out and I'll give you some relief?

Mason: Stop.

Levi: Save it for later tonight once Brianna is done with her fair-weather friend.

What the hell?

Colt: What's up your ass, brother?

Brianna: Seconded. You don't care for Chloe?

Levi: I don't care for her screwing you around and getting your hopes up about coming back.

Brianna: I'm a big girl.

Levi: Still don't want you hurt.

Mason: Let's tone it down. Bree, have fun with your friend. We'll come by later and I'll make sure Lev is in a better mood.

Colt: Me too. I'll cheer him up.

Brianna: Thanks. TTYL. Get back to your stuff.

We finished texting and I pocketed my phone and settled into eating my sandwich, pushing Levi's strange reaction to the background and focusing on the fact that I'd get to finally see Chloe again tonight.

"I was surprised when you wanted to meet over coffee, not booze or hard liquor," I said, eyeing Chloe across from me in the little coffee shop in downtown Stonewell.

Her short purple hair was striking against the black lace dress she had on that was held together with safety pins and what appeared to be buckles. A pair of silver, shimmering denim boots added an extra edge to her look.

"Not exactly my preference, but my mom is sending two movers down early tomorrow to pack my stuff up for me so I can't exactly be hungover and useless."

I choked on my sip of coffee. "What? This isn't you actually being back then? You're really done here?"

She smiled sadly. "Yeah, I am. I tried everything, but her mind was made up."

"Jeez," I groused. "It's not the way I thought it would go, especially with the spotlight on your designs that we were able to get for you all over social media."

"That was the sweetest, so thank you. Thank you so much for trying for me, Bree. But my mom just turned that around, citing that I'd been noticed by fashion influencers and a couple of designers looking for fresh talent, so I needed to capitalize on it by attending the hoity-toity design school in the city."

"Shit. I'm so sorry, Chloe."

She shrugged, clearly resigned. "It is what it is." Laying her hand on mine, she told me, "I swear we'll keep in contact. Much better than I have been at it too, once I get settled. We can visit each other too. We won't lose our friendship."

"I'll make sure of it."

"I know you will. You're cool like that. Caring too. You've got a lot of that to go around." She winked. "Enough to give to three guys."

I chuckled. "Yeah, that came about completely unplanned."

"I always thought those three were nightmares walking. Well, except for Colton. Are they nice beneath the hard surface then? Like, actually human, after all?"

"They are with me, yeah. We mesh well together somehow."

"Well, damn, I honestly didn't see this coming. I didn't see any of this coming, anything that's happened to the two of us when we started back at Stonewell U this year, you know?"

"It's certainly been full of surprises, for sure."

Intensity took her over and she leaned in closer, dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Just be careful with them, okay?"

I frowned. "Is there something specific you're worried about?"

"I want you to be happy and I get that it's hard for you to let go and all that, so the fact that you have with them is a big deal. But the thrill and relief of that might be clouding some things for you."

"Like?"

She blew out a breath. "I know who bent my mom's ear about pulling me out of here. I'm sorry, Bree. It's one of your guys."

I tensed and a chill rolled down my spine at the accusation, and the corresponding awful implications.

"I guess they wanted me out of the way so they could have a clear shot to you or something. Either way, it's fucked-up, so I wanted you to be aware."

"Of course, yeah. Thank you. Who was it?"

"It was Levi Knight."

Son of a bitch.