Page 50 of Blackwood

I squeeze her hand. “Okay.”

Zeke groans. “Perfect. Now she’s emotionally invested. We’re never getting rid of her ass.”

Ellie beams. “Damn right you’re not. Oooh! Does this mean I get a gun? And if so, can it be pink?”

“No!” Zeke, Tex and Nate all shout at once.

Chapter 18

BELLA – Age 18

Rosethorne Mansion - Wexley University

The first week of August is move-in week at Wexley University. They do it this way on purpose. Give the seniors time to clear out, while letting the incoming freshman feel somewhat important. By the time school officially starts on the Thursday after Labor Day, the campus is already buzzing. Territory claimed. Alliances formed. Crowns unofficially passed.

And nowhere is that more obvious than Rosethorne Mansion. The chandelier in the lobby probably costs more than my soul itself. It glitters like a damn disco ball, suspended above marble floors so polished I can see my reflection staring right back at me.

Zeke grunts behind me dragging two massive Louis Vuitton suitcases. Clay follows, equally over it, juggling another suitcase in one hand and balancing an entire dress rack with the other.

“Why the hell do you girls need so many shoes?” Zeke curses under his breath.

Savannah, perfectly composed in cream heels and a silky green blouse, breezes past them and links her arm through mine.

“Because they’re fabulous and I taught them well.”

Ellie twirls ahead of us in a light blue sundress. “Can you believe this place?” she gushes. “Rosethorne is a whole lifestyle. It smells like lavender and generational wealth. Ah! I love it!”

A bellhop-looking guy in a navy suit with the Wexley University crest—a snarling black wolf framed by a burgundy shield and golden laurels—on his chest pocket jogs over and offers to help with the bags.

Ellie flutters her lashes. “Oh, you’re sucha doll.”

We walk up the stairs and down the hall. At the door, Ellie turns to me, practically bouncing. “This is it. The next chapter. College. Freedom. Hot guys. And me as your roommate. You’re so welcome.”

I give her a look. “You’re exhausting.”

“You love it.”

Our room is massive. One breathtaking, impossibly perfect bedroom that looks more like a luxury suite. Cream wallpaper with rose gold inlay shimmers in the soft light. A blush velvet couch is tucked beneath a wide bay window, covered by sheer silk curtains that whisper when the breeze moves through. Two ornate vanities stand like thrones against the far wall, each framed in carved gold leaf and surrounded by mirror lights.

A custom walk-in closet stretches deeper than expected, easily rivaling the wardrobe of a Carrington heiress or some Fifth Avenue legacy bride. At the far end, two over-sized canopy beds stand draped in layers of ivory and blush with plush duvets practically begging you to ruin your GPA.

The bathroom? A marble dream of polished floors, a double vanity veined in rose-gold quartz, pure gold fixtures, a walk-in rain shower with ten separate body jets… and a sauna.

Ellie lets out a delighted scream and throws herself onto the couch. “We have a velvet lounge area! I’m never leaving.”

Zeke drops the suitcases with a grunt. “Good. Saves us from having to carry this shit back out.”

Clay sets the last box down, looks around, and lets out a low whistle. “Damn. Bit of a step up from when you went here, huh honey?”

Savannah smiles, her eyes sweeping over the space. “It’s stunning. These girls are going to rule this place. I can feel it now.”

We stand there a moment, all of us. The silence soft and full. The kind that holds everything you don’t say.

Then the goodbyes start.

Savannah hugs me tight. “You’ve got this, sweetheart.”

Clay gives me a bear hug and whispers, “Make good choices. Or at least clever ones.”