Page 21 of Broken by my Bully

Kai

The temperature’s already dropping in the evenings, the warm afternoon sun dipping too quickly behind the hills this suburb is known for. Nights in Hillside might not get as cold as they do in Riverside, but there’s a reason this area is deserted come Christmas.

A large majority of us end up in the Hamptons or Palm Beach.

A smaller handful take it to the next level and go to Aspen to improve their snowboarding and binge-drinking skills.

Mom mentioned something about Napa, but I can’t remember if she planned that over the Christmas break, or only in the new year. I don’t even know if I’ll go with them.

This year is quickly becoming a make-or-break moment. Now that Haven is back,

My footfalls ring loudly off the curb as I stride down Maple Row, the sound becoming hollow as I trot up the wooden porch steps leading to the NEX frat house’s front door. I take out my key and let myself in, expecting the usual ambient noises—at least two flat screens in different rooms set to different channels, one finance, one sports, someone using the blender in the kitchen, guys with too manybeers or whiskies in them shouting to be heard over the other—but I’m met with silence.

Fuck, am I late? Ezra gets so fucking pissy when I don’t arrive on time.

I race up the stairs, barely registering the Neoclassical paintings and polished brass fixtures I zoom past. A thick Persian rug swallows the sound of my approach, but none of the guys look surprised when I fling open the door to the War Room.

They’re too busy arguing.

“—told you I was fucking sorry, but if you’re gonna be a fucking bitch about it, I’ll?—“

“…guys…”

“—tell him he’s being an ass? Someone’s gotta do it.”

“…guys…”

“I fucking loved her, man!” Nolan blurts out, and I swear there are tears in his eyes.

Ezra shoots to his feet, slamming his fists on the table. “Guys!” Then he looks up and sees me, and his face clears.

Nolan and Myles must have been going at it for ages if he’s this pissed already.

“What the fuck did I miss?” I ask, grabbing the closest chair and swiveling it around so I drop into the seat. Dark leather harshly contoured to the smooth, ergonomic shape with brass studs, paired with the dark oak wood panels, turn this room into a portal to hell.

“He fucked Mandy,” Nolan yells, stabbing savagely in Myles’s direction. “He knew I was into her, and he fucking fucked her anyway.”

Myles leans forward over the table, a wicked grin on his mouth. “In the ass.” He lifts his hand, holding up two fingers. “Twice.”

Nolan thumps the table with his fist, grabbing the armrests of his chair and swiveling half-way around like he can’t even stand to look at Myles.

“See?” Ezra mutters just loud enough for me to hear. “This iswhat happens when you’re late. There’s time for small talk, and then someone realizes someone was fucking their girl, and…” Ezra sighs heavily and runs a hand down the front of his pastel pink polo shirt.

It shouldn’t look good on any guy, but Ezra could pull off a flamingo pool floatie without trying. Even the popped collar only makes him look more slick.

My older brother got the best of our folks’s genes, and I was left with the scraps. Always sucks to be last in line.

Myles is still chuckling to himself, twirling the edge of his ironic hipster mustache like a super villain when Ezra taps his gavel.

“This brings the second caucus of the semester to order,” he says.

The War Room is large, but it feels crowded with ten frat guys inside. Even with the air conditioning on full blast, the place always reeks of beer, cigarettes, and BO. You’d swear the guys in this meeting could afford some super-strength antiperspirant, but I know of at least one guy who doesn’t bother.

Austin tucks a stray curl behind his ear like it will somehow improve his looks, but if genes were a buffet and I was last in line, he got held up at the salad bar. Red, tightly curled hair. Watery blue eyes. So many freckles on his face it’s hard to figure out where they start and his pale skin ends.

It’s common knowledge he’s given up attracting a mate—male or female—so now he spends all his time playing video games and binge-watching anime shows.

I guess he doesn’t have the time, or the need, for deodorant.