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Like he wasn’t good enough. His dad needed more in life other than Xay. For so long, it’s always been him and his dad. He never got to meet his mother, so all he has ever known is his dad. They did everything together. He was always at Xayden’s baseball games or football games.
His dad helped him with his school projects and went camping with him. And now there are these two people encroaching on their lives.
Of course, Aaron makes it worse by paying for his new stepdaughter’s school. That’s just like a knife in the gut for Xayden. Throughout his younger years, Aaron made it clear that he would not pay for his education unless he received good grades in all his classes every year.
Aurora’s mom hooks her claws into him and he’s instantly paying for Rory’s school. What the fuck, right?
So I get his pain in all this.
I understand what Rory represents.
Dekker and I have been friends with Xayden forever. Since we were kids. If his own dad needs a new family, well, at least he still has us.
Sometimes blood isn’t thicker than water.
Chapter Seven
AURORA
“You are gonna behot in those jeans. And I’m not talking the sexy kinda hot.” Addy looks me up and down with a grimace. “Put some shorts on, girl.”
I wave her off. “I’ll be fine. Besides, I don’t have any.”
She jerks her head back and scrunches her face. “Why would you not bring any? It’s fucking Texas. You will melt into a puddle of sweat with this humidity and heat, babe. I mean, you lived in Vegas, which is practically an oven in the summer.”
“I didn’t say I didn’t bring any. I said I don’t have any. As in, I don’t own shorts. My legs don’t look good in shorts. Dresses at least fall past to my knees. But shorts, ugh. No one needs to see me in shorts. That’s a horror film waiting to happen.” I feign a shudder.
She frowns at me. “First, stop it. Second, you would look fine in shorts. So we are going shopping after classes and getting you some. Third, don’t fight me. I always win.” Addy winks at me and goes back to packing up her backpack.
Shaking my head, I return to putting on my gym shoes and straightening my black T-shirt with the wordsFun fact: I don’t care on it.
“What classes you have first today? We are in studio together, right?” she asks.
I nod as I pull up my schedule on my phone. “I have physics. Yuck.”
“You didn’t take physics yet?”
“I did, but for some reason it wouldn’t transfer over. Something about the descriptions of the classes being different. Whatever, it’s fine. All my other classes did, so this is just the only one I need to retake.” I throw my bag onto my back and put my phone in my pocket.
“Okay, so design studio this afternoon? Want to stop at the Student Center for a quick bite?” Addy suggests.
“Yeah, that sounds good. I’ll need to get something in me, otherwise I won’t eat until after all my classes.” I throw a granola bar in my bag to tide me over.
“You headed to Hughes Hall?”
I nod. “Yeah. And I need to get going so I’m not late for my first day.”
“See you at the Student Center!” Addy calls out as I walk out into the hallway, and I wave goodbye.
With the hustle and bustle of the first day, there are other students in and out of their dorms. Some head for the elevator and some take the stairs. Since I’m on the second floor, I opt to take the stairs down to the lobby.
Pushing open the doors, the humidity immediately hits me. It’s going to take me some time to get used to that. Maybe shopping for shorts won’t be such a bad thing.
Thankfully, it’s still a little cool this morning. If you can consider the high eighties cool.
As I make my way through campus, I take a look around. The sky is clear, the sun is out. Pine trees litter the campus. Green covers the landscape.
I’m not in Kansas anymore. Well, Vegas, actually.