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“You know, I’m not sure that’s the best course of action here, Sum.”

I frown and hand her back her phone, her use of the nickname surprising me once more. “What do you mean?”

“I think you need to give it to him yourself,” she says, shoving her phone back into her pocket. “Listen, I know you got your stuff, but I think Connor is,” Alice scrunches up her nose like she’s smelled the most vile thing, “a good guy.” The effort it takes for her to grate out the end of her sentence is almost painful, and I grimace along with her.

“Gross.” The idea of a guy being anything other than a bastard is probably the most unbelievable thing I’ve ever heard. That is saying something, considering I was a fae living in a mortal realm before coming to a magical university that I didn’t even apply for.

“I know.” She shudders. “It’s the worst, but I think you should give him a chance.”

I think about his eyes, his smile, and the gentleness of his touch. I think of the ease I feel around him, which is something I’ve never experienced. What happened last night was shitty, and I’m still deeply hurt by it, but can I blame him for the actions of his moronic brothers?

“Well, fuck,” I curse and stand up. “I’ll be back in twenty. Order me chocolate chip pancakes?”

16

Summer

My stomach flutters the entire walk to the Morningstar House, and I take deep breaths to calm my nerves. I’m not good at apologizing. It’s not something I do very often, or ever, because I’ve rarely had anyone in my life important enough to apologize to. But the closer I get to his house, the more I realize I’m partially at fault here. Yes, I was running on emotions, and honestly, if I were in the same situation again, I’m not certain I’d change my actions. I needed to have those emotions. I have always been like this, unable to just push feelings away. Only once I’ve felt and processed them can I then return to some level of rational thinking and move forward with a clear head.

The Morningstar House looks very different in the light of day without dozens of students littering the front lawn. It’s a pretty idyllic house, to be honest. The light blue paneling with the white porch makes it look homey and inviting. The garden is beautifully landscaped, and the house is obviously well-cared for. A lot of thought has gone into making this house a home for these boys.

I pause at the gate and take a steadying breath. I truly hate admitting that I was wrong.Just do it, Sum.I exhale and walk up the path, not allowing myself any more moments of hesitation before I knock on the door.

Rafe, in all his broody glory, opens it. When he sees me, something lightens in his eyes, but his face remains blank. “Summer.”

“Is Connor in?” I ask.

Rafe narrows his eyes, but that sparkle is still there. He opens the door a bit wider but shifts, blocking my entry. “That depends. Are you here just to tell him to fuck off?” He’s obviously glad I came, but he is also extremely protective of his brother.

I roll my eyes and push past him. He moves easily, which I imagine wouldn’t be possible if he were truly trying to keep me out. Like his brother, Rafe is built like a brick fucking wall.

Zane groans on the couch, his face buried in a pillow. “He’s upstairs. Can you just… not be so loud?”

I flip him off and head up the stairs. The banisters are painted white, and the wallpaper is a lovely sky-blue color with the faintest pattern of clouds. The decor I can see is plush, comfortable, and completely stunning.

The stairs open up on a wide landing. There are two bedrooms to the right with silverZ’s hanging on the door. Almost directly in front of the stairs is Luke’s room. His door has a lovely cross-stitched sign with his name on it. To the left of the landing, there are two more rooms. Rafe’s has anRsimilar to the one the twins have, but his is black with red reflective flecks throughout. Connor’s room is to the right of Rafe’s. His door doesn’t have a letter or a stitched sign. Instead,CONNORhas been etched into the door. It is not a skilled carving. The letters are shaky and extremely poorly executed. I knock softly on the door.

“Go away, Rafe.” Connor’s voice is barely audible, but the sadness is clear.

I open the door. Connor is no longer looking out the window, but he’s staring at the wall, which seems even more depressing, to be honest.

“I’m much hotter than Rafe,” I say, stepping into his room.

He tenses but doesn’t look at me. “I thought you wanted me to leave you alone.”

I take another step into his room, watching him. All I want is to erase his sadness and then punch his brothers hard in the balls.

“I came to give you something.”

Connor turns his head to look at me, his eyes guarded. “Give me something?”

I nod. “Let me see your phone?”

Connor’s brows furrow a little, but he stands up and pulls out his phone. He unlocks it and hands it to me. I take it and key my number into it before snapping a quick selfie to set as the contact photo. I toss it back to him, and Connor catches it easily. He looks at the new entry in his phone and then back at me, confusion clear on his face.

“Why?”

I take the steps separating us and lift to my tiptoes, kissing the corner of his lips. “I’ll see you later, Morningstar.”