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“Not that I’ll be much help over the phone, but feel free to call me. I’ll have a good laugh at your expense.”

“I think Kai is rubbing off on you and I’m not sure I like it,” I tell her, laughter vibrating through my words.

“Well, given that he’s the love of my life, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It wasn’t one.”

“Says you.” I can hear the smile in her voice.

“I’ll remember this conversation before I answer your phone call next time,” I playfully warn.

“Yeah, right. You love me too much to ignore my calls.” If she were standing in front of me, she’d probably have stuck her tongue out at me following that sentence.

“I love you a little less afterthisphone call,” I grumble, clearly joking.

“I’m gonna pretend like you didn’t just say that.” She chuckles softly. “Now, for the reason I actually called... Are you coming down for family weekend again?”

“Why? Aren’t Mom and Dad coming this time?”

“Yes, but I want you to come, too. I barely got to see you all summer. Besides, we had so much fun last year.”

Last year...

Red hair. Paint splatters taking the place of freckles. Bright green eyes.

I can see Charlotte so clearly—that night burned into my memory so vividly I’m certain that I’ll still remember it in perfect detail fifty years from now.

Lyric isn’t the first person to ask me about family weekend. Char brought it up a couple of days ago, wondering if I was coming. I told her Lyric hadn’t asked and I didn’t think it was a good idea regardless. It was one thing pretending like we didn’t know each other when she was here over the summer. But things have progressed a lot since then and I have a feeling that even if I tried, I couldn’t mask the effect that woman has on me. Not from anyone, but most certainly not from my sister.

Which then begs the question, why haven’t I told her yet?

I wish I had an answer to that question. Truly, I do. But for the life of me, I can’t bring myself to admit that I’ve been lying to her for months and that I may or may not be falling for one of her best friends and that the thought terrifies the shit out of me.

But for as scared as I am of my quickly forming feelings for one Charlotte O’Malley, not a single ounce of me wants this to end. In fact, the thought of that happening is the very reason why I’m scared. It’s been a long time since someone has made me feel even a fraction of what she does.

I think, in the end, that’s why I don’t want Lyric to know. Because as soon as I admit it out loud, it becomes real. And right now, I just want to hide in this little private bubble we’ve created for a little bit longer. There’s less pressure there. Fewer ways for us to disappoint each other.

“When is it again?” I ask, climbing from my car, my focus hooking on something in the back seat.

Switching my phone to the other ear, I open the back door to investigate, a wicked smile touching my lips when I realize what I’m looking at... A pair of white, lace panties. Panties that I peeled down Charlotte’s legs seconds before she straddled my lap in the back seat and rode me like I was a wild horse she wastrying not to get bucked off of. It was messy and awkward, trying to fuck in the small back seat of the car, and yet, it was also so fucking hot.

Seems she left me a little token to remember her by.

Balling up the material, I have to resist the urge to bring them to my nose before stuffing them into my pocket.

I can’t believe they’ve been there for nearly two weeks and I’ve just now noticed.

“Did you hear me?” My sister’s voice brings my frazzled brain back into focus.

“Sorry, what?”

“Family weekend. It’s in two weeks.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” I promise, knowing full well thatifI go, it will be for a hell of a lot more than spending time with my little sister.

“Well, I hope you can come. Maisie’s brother, Jackson, is coming this year, and we’re all planning on going out after the parentals have retired to their hotels. He’s your age, so between him and Kai, it should be a little less awkward for you than it was last year.”

I have a lot of words I could use to describe what last year was like, but awkward is not one of them.