Page 3 of The Illicit Play

I grin, wishing I could pull my phone out and snap this shit, but the girls are already gliding past her, and she’s sinking back down like she’s just withstood a tsunami.

I run forward, my boots clipping on the concrete, alerting her to the fact that I’m approaching.

She glances at me, her posture relaxing when she sees who it is.

I smile a little wider, stopping beside her and asking, “Team Evil?”

“2.0.” She breathes the words more than says them, so I throw my arm around her shoulders, supporting her against me while I shout to their backs, “Have a nice day, ladies!”

Raising my middle finger, I flip them off, delighted when they turn around and take me in.

I make sure my smile is bright and unmissable, and I can’t get enough of the way their pretty little faces scrunch in annoyance.

“Whatever,” one of them mumbles before they all spin and strut away like they’re practicing for the catwalk in Milan.

Oh man, I’d do anything for one of them to stumble and knock the others down.

Nowthatwould be epic.

If only.

Lowering my hand with a sigh, I glance down at my brother’s girlfriend and let out a soft laugh. “What?”

She’s gazing up at me like I just invented orgasms or something.

“I think I just fell in love with you,” she whispers.

I tip my head back and laugh before kissing her cheek. “Well, I’m already in love with you, so that works out great. Now…” I loop my arm through hers and start dragging her toward Wily’s truck. “Let’s get you back to Football Frat so I don’t have to hear my brother whining about missing you. He’s been going on all freaking day, and it’s doing my head in.” I bulge my eyes at Satch.

She lets out a soft giggle, her cheeks tinging pink as she climbs into the passenger seat. I walk around the truck, gripping the handle to help me jump up into this beast. Honestly, this truck is ridiculous. I should have driven my Mini down from Chicago, but as soon as I heard what happened to Wily, I jumped on a plane. I had to get here as fast as I could, and now the thought of going back up to the Windy City is…

Well, it can wait.

Not forever.

Shit.

I grit my teeth, starting the engine and gunning it toward Football Frat. I don’t want to think about my stuff,my car, and how I’m supposed to get it back. I don’t want to think about any of that shit.

I just want to focus on my brother.

“You know, if it’s too much, you don’t have to stay.” Satch worries her lip. “I don’t want this to encroach on your life. I can try to rearrange my schedule or?—”

“No way.” I shake my head. “You’re already busting your ass making sure you get to all your classes and get Wily’s work for him. You’re doing your own studying and assignments, plus tutoring him. You can’t take on any more than that.”

Satch fidgets with her fingers in her lap. I glance at them before looking back at the road, pausing at the crosswalk to let a bunch of students pass.

“At least he’ll be back in class next week, although it’s gonna be so hard for him, hobbling around on his crutches.”

“Yeah.” I sigh. “He’s gonna hate it, but he’ll be able to handle it, and I can sit in on classes with him. I don’t mind.”

“What about your work, though? You’re sacrificing so much to be here.”

I glance across at her again, giving her the brightest smile I can muster. “It’s fine. Honestly. This year has been kind of chill for me. Keeping up with my classes is not a big deal.”

“So watching videos of the classes at night isn’t bumming you out? How will you keep up with the workload if you’re going to Wily’s classes as well?”

“I’ll manage,” I assure her… just like I’m assuring everybody.