Page 37 of The Deceptions

We're family, regardless.

“Violence is my middle name,” I quip, sucking in a breath at the sight of my reflection again and tightening the towel around my body.

My stomach turns the more I prepare myself for the next few months of my future.

I'll have to face them. My ex-best friends. My murderers. I'll have to pretend that being around them doesn't upset me. In fact, I've been instructed to be their friend however I can. I’ll have to follow them everywhere, but it won’t be like before. When I was a child, the trust between us was strong. Now? I’ll have to do it out of obligation and duty, so I can uncover as many of their misdeeds as possible.

My end goal?

Get into their frat. Get into their gang, which loosely ties into the college… Somehow. Find out what Franco is up to and why he's suddenly funding a college.

All in a day's work, I guess.

“Okay, I think I'm ready.” It's a lie.

I'm slightly numb. Slightly freaking out. Slightly ready to puke my damn guts out.

You'll be fine. You'll be okay.

But will I?

“Fat chance,” Jordy quips, rolling his eyes and seeing straight through my deceitful words. “You’re so not ready for this. Besides, you can’t go out in that towel. Come on, Livy Poo. I’vegot the hook up for you.” He sings every word, darting to the side when I lift my hand to smack him in the back of the head.

Asshole.

“I told you not to call me that,” I grumble, reluctantly following him out of the bathroom in a towel and stopping in the small living room where several piles of male clothes lie on the couch and floor, along with several pieces of clothing that look like sports bras and tight tank tops. An assortment of flashy tennis shoes sits neatly in a row. No doubt Jordy’s doing with his love of name-brand shoes and fashion.

“Yeah, well. You tell me a lot of shit. It all goes in one ear and out the other.” Jordy laughs again when I shoot him a look. He waves a hand. “All right, you ready for this, Olivia?” He mocks the way he says my name, slowing it down until I’m rolling my eyes. “Or should I say, Oliver?” He raises a brow when I flip him off.

If there’s one thing about Jordy I love, it’s his sense of humor. Ten seconds ago, we were crying our eyes out in the bathroom. And now, we’re barely suppressing our smiles. He has this air about him that lifts the dark clouds hanging over my head, making sunshine appear.

“Oliver,” I mutter, shaking my head. “So, I’m guessing these are my clothes.”

“Yup! Jonathan asked me to bring you some clothes. So, I went shopping on his dime.” He lifts a shoulder.

“Jesus, what did you buy? The entire store?” I start rifling through the piles of t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, nice button downs, baggy jeans, boxers, briefs, and everything I could possibly need.

“You know what? You’re unappreciative of my fashion choices.” He sniffs haughtily, lifting his nose in the air. “But yeah, I went to a men’s clothing store and bought your size in everything.” He grins. “It was fun.”

“You and I have a different definition of fun,” I grumble, standing tall. As a teenager, I loved clothes. Colors. Hell, even fashion trends. Nothing made me happier than dragging Hux, JJ, or Mack into a shopping mall and buying new outfits. Now, though? I loathe it. I’d rather buy something online and have it shipped to me. “But thank you, Jordy. I can only imagine what Jonathan would have bought me to wear.” I wrinkle my nose.

“Probably something hideous. Pfft.” Jordy promptly rolls his eyes with a huff. “Now, try on all these and we’ll see if they fit you.”

I wrinkle my nose. “For real? You want me to try on all the clothes?”What a nightmare.

“How else are you supposed to know how they fit? Besides, we have to try these, too. Can’t have your girls peeking out from under your clothes and giving away your identity, now can we?” He raises a brow while holding up a piece of clothing that resembles a sports bra and a tight tank top. “No more titties for you. We have to hide those luscious pillows away with these binders, which are awesome as fuck, by the way.” They are. He’s not lying. It gives individuals a chance to live their lives the way they see it in their minds.

I lick my lips. “Fuck. I hadn’t thought about that. And stop referring to my tits as luscious pillows!” I toss a hand out, earning a grin.

“But where is the lie?” He chuckles when I throw a fancy shoe at him, and he ducks. “Missed me!” he taunts, laughing when I huff. “Now, drop the towel, Livy. And show me the goods.” He wiggles his brows, but I know he doesn’t mean it. The number of times we’ve seen each other naked is… Well, it’s a lot. Too much, actually. If I have to see Jordy’s dick again, I might go blind.

“Okay, fine. Give me some underwear…”

“Boxers, Liv. Jesus. You’d think you’d know the terminology by now,” he jokes, tossing two packages of boxers and briefs atme, and I catch them. “You’re lucky you have me to teach you my manly ways.”

“First off, Ew. Your manly ways? I’ll pass. Secondly, I only had a sister and a mother growing up,” I scoff. I don’t mention the absent father who never taught me a damn thing except what darkness feels and looks like.

“Well, then you’re in the right place,” Jordy says with a chuckle, taking a seat on the couch with a sigh. He spreads out while sitting back with an expectant look. “Now, clothing montage. Choppity chop!” He claps his hands a few times, earning a glare.