Page 6

I’m on a date with the university mascot and his brother.

The date part isn’t weird, I’ve been on a few in my time, it’s who it’s with that is taking some getting used to.

We’re sitting in one of the dining halls, nothing fancy, and not a typical location for a first date, but I’m having such an unexpectedly wonderful time.

I pull out my phone, under the guise of checking for messages, open the camera and hold it upright for a few seconds. The Wicawiil brothers bicker about laundry, of all things. Ty is doing it just to get a rise out of his big brother and Lyndell takes the bait.

“No! No!” Lyn shakes his head. “Why do you hate me so much?” he asks with a hearty chuckle.

“I don’t hate you; I just think you’re making it too complicated.

I wear clothes on my body, that body lays on sheets and under a blanket, and is dried daily with towels.

It’s all mine…why can’t I just wash them together?

The days of sorting into lights, and whites, and darks, and bedding, and towels…

over! Gone. Get with the times, brother.

” He flashes me a sinful grin of white teeth and pure happiness.

“Heathen!” Lyndell snaps back and I can’t hold back my own laughter any longer. They continue as I stop the video and text it to my mom.

Edee: *video* My dinner dates for the evening.

Mom responds less than a minute later.

Mom: Lucky girl! I hope you’re dating the one who knows how to properly sort his laundry. The other needs Jesus.

I snort, lifting my head when the two stop speaking all together. They are both staring at me expectantly.

“Sorry, gentleman. I relayed this particular debate to my mom, and she says that I better be dating Lyndell, because you,” I give Tyrone an unimpressed glare, “need Jesus. And I’m afraid I have to agree with her.

I had no idea how you played life fast and loose.

One red sock gets into a load of whites… complete anarchy!”

“Embrace the anarchy!” Tyrone yells, pounding his fist on the table. Lyndell loses it, laughing so hard tears fill his warm chocolate eyes. Several others in the dining hall offer their own support for overthrowing the system.

We finish eating dinner and have dessert. “I’ll trade you, Ty.” Lyndell offers after he’s cleaned his bowl of pudding.

Ty grins, leaning his elbows on the table and giving his brother his undivided attention.

Butterflies take flight in my stomach at the way he cares for Lyndell.

The devotion, admiration, love. Tyrone is a good man.

I slide my hand on his thigh under the table and squeeze.

I just want to touch him. His eyes slide to me, and his grin grows as he places his hand over mine and entwines our fingers. “Let’s hear it, Lyn.”

“I will give you…” Lyn’s eyes dart to me then back to his brother. “Edee for a piece of the chocolate chip cookie cake.” I gasp in outrage, but I start giggling and ruin it immediately.

“I’m worth more than a piece of cake!”

“It’s served warm with ice cream on top.” Lyn explains, like that will make me feel better about being bartered. Hmm…warm with ice cream? Now I want a piece of cake.

Ty sits back in his seat, his brows dipping down in consideration. These two, I swear. “You’ve already had dessert, Lyn.” Ty is stern in his reply, but Lyn isn’t dissuaded in the least.

“You haven’t had yours yet though.” Oh, that cheeky bugger. Ty definitely had dessert, but Lyn is talking about me!

“Lyn, watch yourself.”

Lyndell’s instantly crestfallen and remorseful. “I’m sorry, Edee, that was rude.”

“Thank you for your apology, Lyndell.”

His lips stretch to the side, his eyes lifting in amusement, “I’m sure warm chocolate chip cookie cake with fresh ice cream would make you feel better. And if you were to share…I heard that is caring.”

“Jesus!” Ty barks, his head falling back as he howls with laughter at his brother. I rest my head against Ty’s arm, my entire body shaking with merriment. Best dinner ever. Ty waves his hand at Lyn. “Go! Get your damned second dessert…you’re like a giant Hobbit!”

“Lyndell Baggins.” I laugh harder, watching Lyn hop up from his chair and practically skip back to the food line.

Sucking in a harsh breath, I tap Ty on his shoulder and wait for him to look at me. “ Thank you. ” I close my eyes, lift my head and press my lips to Ty’s. It’s soft, sweet, and over too quickly, but absolutely perfect.

“You’re welcome?” he responds, his words lifting up at the end in question. Men are clueless sometimes. I don’t need to explain, he’ll figure it out soon, I’m sure. Tyrone Wicawiil is a smart man.

Changing the subject, I ask, “Hey, have you spoken to Phia or Prib? How is she?”

“Yesterday.” He pulls his phone from his pocket, unlocks it, and hits Prib’s contact for a video call. A few seconds later, Phia and Prib fill the screen. Before any of us can speak, Phia squeals and claps her hands.

“Oh! Oh! Yay!”

“Babe, those are my sounds, you don’t share those with other people,” Prib growls adorably at his woman. Warms my heart to see them happy together.

“Hush! Ty and Edee are together! Oh, Lyndell! Hi!” She’s all kinds of chipper…

“She’s on medication.” Prib offers, as if reading my mind.

“Doesn’t mean I’m not happy to see them.” Phia shakes her head with a humph. “Lyndell, how’s my hydration gear? Are you keeping it safe for me?”

“Yes.” Lyndell shoves a bite of cookie cake into his mouth, then slides another plate toward me. Yummy! “Are your green apples still splattering?”

Phia stares silent and unmoving for so long I think the call has frozen. “What?”

By some unspoken agreement, none of us offer an explanation, not wanting to revisit that horrible day when she was attacked. She’s healing and that’s what we need to focus on.

“I’ll be right back.” Phia gets up and wanders off screen.

“She’s been pissing non-stop.”

“Because you keep forcing her to drink?”

Prib shrugs, looking at Ty. “She will never be dehydrated again.” His eyes dart to the side, then he leans closer to the phone and whispers, “Edee, I can never thank you enough for your photos. They helped the police and the university immensely.”

I’m uncomfortable with the praise, so I reply, “Happy to help.”

“I mean it, Edee, the photos you supplied were invaluable. Those fucking morons high-fiving each other outside the stadium while Phia was being placed in the ambulance—” Prib cuts himself off, his voice and anger rising with every word.

“You managed to tie Yanok and Chester to Coach, and they turned on him real quick.”

I get a little thrill knowing my instincts were right. “How fucking dumb, right? Coach talked to them and hit them upside their heads…in plain view.” I feel Ty’s heated eyes on me, but I can’t look at him right now. It would be inappropriate to mount him in the middle of the commons dining hall.

“Hey, Edee?” Phia enters the frame, her head sideways like she’s leaning over the phone.

“This guy won’t tell me all the details, but I know enough to realize how grateful I am for your help.

And Ty? Thank you for being there for Prib and I, for looking for me.

I owe every one of you who took the time to search a debt I can never repay. ”

Ty clears his throat and grins, “You don’t owe me a damn thing, Lady Hydration.” His gaze shifts to Prib. “But you do.” Prib smiles, and Phia practically hip checks Prib to sit in front of the phone.

“Oh, how will you make him pay?”

“Dude.” We stare at Prib waiting for him to continue, when he shifts his focus to Phia.

“Did you just call me ‘dude’?”

“Uh…yeah. How you gonna sit there excited for my debt while he lets you off with a cutesy nickname?”

Phia’s expression has Lyn, Ty and me laughing. She’s unimpressed. “Because of the cutesy nickname.”

“Whatever.” He puts his hand on her forehead and pushes her back. “I owe you, man, you name it, I’ll do it.”

Ty steeples his fingers and maniacally laughs like a movie villain. “Excellent.”

“Phia? When you return to campus, we’re hanging out. We’re friends.”

Phia’s eyes light up. “Yeah? Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

“I’m warning you, I don’t like sappy rom-coms, popcorn, or pillow fights.”

“Woah! Woah! Woah!” Prib and Ty exclaim. Ty continues, “Pillow fights are a staple in any female friendship.”

“Ty, we have pillow fights,” Lyn offers.

“Yes, but our clothes are still on because we are literally fighting with pillows.” I bite my bottom lip so hard I draw blood to keep from laughing out loud at Lyndell’s confusion.

“Why wouldn’t we wear clothes? Our hot dogs and beans would be flopping everywhere!”

I’m still chuckling a little later, on our walk back to my dorm.

It’s easy being with Tyrone and Lyndell.

They are a package deal, and I feel like I’m getting a two-for-one special.

They love each other, that’s obvious. I’ve met people before who cared for a family member, and several have behaved as if it’s an obligation, rather than a privilege.

But Tyrone is truly honored to be with his big brother.

He takes pride in providing him with a safe space to learn and grow and be himself.

We haven’t spoken about our upbringings, but I can’t imagine they had a good one if Lyndell is with Tyrone here at college rather than at home with their parents.

I hope Tyrone will feel comfortable sharing that with me someday.

Until then, I’m just so damn happy to be here with him. With them.

We stop outside the main doors to my dorm. Ty stares down at me, his expression unreadable as he shifts from foot to foot. My heart races and my palms start to sweat. Every inch of me itches for him to reach out and touch me. I’m not sure how to tell him that though.

Lyn scoffs, loudly. Ty and I both look at him and I chuckle when he rolls his eyes so theatrically, he should be nominated for a Golden Globe.

“Ty.” There is so much imbued in those two letters.

Exasperation, fondness, and a little stern brotherly love.

“Ask to kiss her. Then kiss her.” He spins around and starts walking down the path toward a bench.

He throws over his shoulder, “On the lips or it doesn’t count. ”

“What?” Ty’s voice is strained, and it relaxes me enough to take the initiative.

We’ve kissed already, I don’t know why either of us is being shy now.

I put the toes of my shoes against his. Our bodies so close I can feel the warmth of him, breathe in the soothing scent of his cologne or body wash, whatever it is that makes me want to rub myself against him like a cat in heat.

His eyes, normally a dark brown, seem to shine lighter as he stares down at me, his lips twitching, resisting a smile.

“May I kiss you?” he husks out and I can’t do anything but nod.

One large hand on my hip, the other sliding up my neck to rub his thumb along the apple of my cheek, he brings us closer.

My tits smash against his firm chest, my arms wind around his middle.

He lowers his head as I raise mine and our lips meet briefly.

Tenderly. One of us growls. One of us whines.

And then our mouths open and our tongues meet, and I suddenly can’t get close enough to him.

He tastes like chocolate and vanilla ice cream and so damn delicious.

The doors open behind us, but we don’t separate, just slow down the kiss, softening. He sips from my lips and that is the best way to describe the way he overwhelms me. It’s a connection. A promise. A beginning.

I’ve never been more excited to see what tomorrow has to offer.