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CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

GARY

It was getting cold, and I absolutely hated being cold.

Easton’s hoodies weren’t enough anymore, but I didn’t have a jacket big enough to fit on top of them.

I glared at the pathetic contents of my closet, debating buying a new jacket.

Brienna hadn’t asked me for more money in a while, I had enough to afford one, but I was still waiting for her to start demanding again, and I hesitated to spend what I had.

I’d been spending most of my time at Easton’s condo, but the need for warmer clothes drove me back to my dorm room.

Nothing really changed, despite me being gone for weeks.

Carter’s bed was rumpled, he never bothered to make it in the morning, and the area around the futon was a mess.

But my desk was still clean and my stuff was untouched.

I still texted him, and we saw each other around campus, but he didn’t seem to care either way if I stayed in the dorm or with Easton.

And at least now he could watch as many horror movies as he wanted without scaring the crap out of me.

The door handle jiggled, and I jumped. Damn.

I thought I was over what happened by now, but apparently this room made me uncomfortable.

Carter came in, jerking to a stop when he noticed me.

The huge smile that stretched across his face made me feel good, and I laughed when he hauled me into a back slapping hug.

“Hey, Gar! Long time no see! What are you doing here?”

“I’m cold,” I complained, waving a hand toward the closet.

He nodded like he got it, dropping his bag on the futon. “I get that. It’s going to snow soon. You got winter gear?”

Not technically. Since my parents stopped buying me clothes when I was a teen, none of my actual winter jackets fit by the time I left for college.

I normally just layered instead. It meant more laundry, but that was the price to pay for getting warm.

The only jackets I had were lighter, and I couldn’t rely on them alone.

When I pulled out the warmest jacket I owned, a jean one I’d found at the thrift store, I grimaced. It was barely big enough to fit a long sleeve under it. I usually layered a long sleeve, a t-shirt, then the jacket to stay warm. Easton’s hoodie definitely wouldn’t fit.

“That’s not warm enough,” Carter said. He was sitting on the futon, his long legs stretched out in front of him, frowning at the jacket in my hand. “Don’t you have something warmer? Like an actual winter coat? My friend’s dad is a farmer, and he said this winter was going to be brutal.”

I shook my head, and I felt my cheeks burn.

I didn't enjoy calling attention to the fact that I was broke. More than half of my wardrobe was thrifted, and it wasn’t a lot.

I couldn’t afford to buy new clothes when I was using everything I had to pay rent and keep Brienna happy while also trying to get the hell out of there.

Even my shoes could probably be replaced.

One part of the rubber was peeling, and in a few weeks, it’d probably be sporting a hole.

I made do with what I had, but it was embarrassing.

Which was why I was so grateful that Easton never complained about me stealing his hoodies. At least up until now, I was warm.

“Here. I’ve got a spare. Use mine for now.”

Pushing off the couch, he strode over to his closet, digging around the massive amount of clothes before pulling out a puffy white coat.

It would be huge on me, since Carter had wide shoulders and he was taller than me, but it’d be warm.

I accepted the coat graciously, slipping it over my shoulders. Carter snorted.

“It’s a little big. But better too big than too small, right?”

I shrugged. “I’ve had worse. Thank you. I’ll give it back as soon as I can get another one.”

“No rush. Where’s your boyfriend? Haven’t you two been attached at the hip since you met?”

“Class,” I answered, grabbing a few of my long sleeves and tucking them into my backpack.

I wasn’t going to stay here if I didn’t have to, not while we still weren’t sure if Brienna called off her guys, and Easton seemed fine with me staying with him.

It was only a few blocks from The Hideout, too, so I could hang out with my friends before heading home for the night, even when Easton was out at a fight.

“You ready for finals?”

My shoulders slumped, and I whimpered. “No. I’m still surprised I passed my midterms. I’ve never been great in school. And that was before my sister was sending people to harass me.”

Carter straightened from where he’d been digging around in his closet, a deep frown on his face. “Hold on. What?”

Crap. I forgot I hadn’t told him about that.

He never even saw me after I got hurt. I stayed with Easton after that, and Angel came over early every morning that whole week to cover the bruises with makeup so I wouldn’t be bombarded with questions from professors or classmates.

I was so used to hanging out with my friends, who all knew what was going on, I forgot to filter myself.

“Uh… It’s nothing, really. Nothing to worry about.”

His brows furrowed tightly. “It sounds like a big deal, Gary. What do you mean by harass? Are they hurting you? Do you need to talk to campus security?”

Crap crap crap. I really needed to think things through before talking.

“I’m fine. I need to get to class. Thanks for letting me borrow your jacket. I’ll give it back as soon as I can. I–”

I tried sneaking out the door, but I didn’t notice Easton was standing outside it until I slammed against his chest. He caught my arms, holding me against him, and his gruff voice sounded suspicious when he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing!” I squeaked.

Easton didn’t believe me and used the grip on my arms to nudge me back into the room. He shut the door behind me with his heel, frowning down at me.

“Man, did you know about people being sent to harass Gary?” Carter demanded. “He said something about his sister being involved?”

Easton made a face. “Yes. We’re handling it. Whose jacket is that?”

Of course, that’s where the caveman would focus. I leapt on the change of subject, hoping it’d distract from the fact that I left my roommate out of the loop on what was going on.

“Carter’s. He’s letting me borrow it. I–”

“No.” Easton shoved the jacket off my shoulders like it offended him and thrust it out to Carter. “If you need a jacket, I’ll buy you one.”

Nope. I didn't like that. Easton was used for his money in the past, and I didn’t want him spending any more money on me.

He already housed me and protected me. He did the same for the rest of the guys, but they contributed to The Hideout so they were all equals.

I had nothing to contribute. I wasn’t going to let Easton buy me clothes, too.

“I can buy my own. I just didn’t think about it. I don’t need you to buy it for me.”

His eyes narrowed, and he looked at me like he was searching for something. What, I wasn’t sure, but I didn’t think I’d like whatever he found, because his face shifted into something more stubborn. This wasn’t going to go my way, was it?

“How much have you saved since I blocked your sister?”

Not answering that. It wasn’t a lot. I got paid peanuts, because I was supposed to make a portion of my income from tips. The owner forgot that college kids were broke and stingy, and I only ended up with like ten dollars max in tips per week if I was lucky. Sometimes I barely made a few dollars.

“I’m fine, Easton.”

Carter scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Like you said you were fine when I checked in with you last week between classes? You failed to mention you were being harassed. Is that why you haven’t been staying here?”

“He was attacked outside the dorm. He’s not coming back here,” Easton interrupted. “How much, Gary?”

“You were attacked?!” Carter shouted.

They were both coming at me like I was a child who needed to be taken care of. A familiar swell of anger burned through me, but instead of stuffing it down like I normally did, I let it out, pushing away from Easton with a scowl.

“Stop! I’m not a little kid!” I glared at them both.

“Carter, I didn’t tell you what was happening because Easton was looking out for me already, and I felt safe with him.

When I was attacked on campus, I hid here until my friends picked me up, and it freaked me out to come back, so yes, I’ve been staying with Easton, because I feel safer there.

And Easton, I don’t need you spending money on me.

You already do too much for me, and I don’t have anything to give you in return.

I don’t want to use you like that. So no.

You’re not buying me a coat. I have the money.

I just hesitated spending it in case Brienna called and demanded more cash. I can afford it fine.”

Grabbing my backpack from where I’d dumped it on my desk, I headed for the door. “I don't need to be coddled. I’m not a toddler. Respect my choices or leave me alone.”

Storming out of the room, I made a beeline for the stairs. I’d never in my life shouted back at someone like that. It felt… exhilarating. I knew Easton wouldn’t lash out at me, he wasn’t like that, and I doubted Carter would either. I could tell them what I was thinking without getting hurt for it.

But… they might not speak to me for being so rude. My footsteps slowed a little. They weren’t Brienna, they wouldn’t hurt me for having an opposing opinion, but they might decide I’m too annoying to deal with. And then where would I be? I should’ve just kept my mouth shut.

“You’re overthinking,” Easton commented with a bored expression. He slid down the rail, balancing precariously until he could land beside me. Tossing an arm around my shoulder, he tugged me close. “You made yourself clear. There’s nothing wrong with that. No one is going to hate you for it.”

“So you’re a mind reader now?” I griped. I was still a little pissed but mostly grateful he didn’t hate me. I didn’t know what I’d do without him.

“Mm. Or maybe you’re just that easy to read,” he replied. He tightened his grip, forcing me at an awkward angle while he rubbed his knuckle against my hair. I squawked out a protest, poking him in the ribs to free myself, and Easton laughed.

“Relax, Gary. Friends fight. We get over it. You’re cool. I don’t think your roommate is pissed either. Just shocked. Why didn’t you tell him?”

I shrugged, falling into step beside him as we headed out of the building.

I really did have a class to get to. “Slipped my mind, I guess. You were there to protect me. I didn’t think about it that often.

Besides, we’d started having sex that same week this all started, and I was a little distracted. ”

Easton’s rumbling chuckle was tinged with pride. “Yeah, that was a fun week. You were walking funny for days.”

“Shut up!”

He kept teasing me as he walked me to class, and I felt my shoulders come down little by little.

It was nice to be able to speak my mind without fear of backlash.

I even got a text from Carter apologizing for being pushy and asking me to join him for lunch.

I knew he’d want to talk about the stuff with Brienna, but he was being nice about it, and I still thought of him as my friend, so I didn’t want to shut him out.

I had friends now. Friends I could be myself with, who would watch my back and who would let me have emotions without lashing out at me. No matter how hard Brienna tried to ruin my life, she was going to fail. Because I had them. And I was finally brave enough to fight to keep them.