Luke waves his friend off, his eyes still on me. “Yeah. I’ll be right there.”
His friend arches a brow, glancing at me once more. “You do know that’s Isabella Hayes, right? As in Nathan’s sister?”
I watch a flicker of recognition pass over Luke’s face. His eyes widen, and for a second, his confident grin falters. “Shit,” he mutters, taking a step back. “I uh… I gotta go.”
I watch him walk away, the playful tension between us evaporating as quickly as it appeared. I let out a frustrated sigh, shoving my stuff into my bag. Great. Just what I needed. Another guy who can’t see me for me, only as Nathan Hayes’s little sister.
I sling my bag over my shoulder and head up the stairs.
Walking down the hallway, I spot Nathan up ahead, his broad frame standing out in the crowd of students. He catchesmy eye and gives a subtle nod of his chin. “Hey, Izz. You just come out of class?”
I nod as Nathan steps in line with me, walking beside me.
“You okay?” he asks, furrowing his brows.
I open my mouth to respond, but I can’t help but notice the way people glance at him.
It’s like I’m invisible next to him.
I thought coming to Colton U and working beside my dad would be the best thing for my career. And, if I’m being honest, kind of fun too. But it feels like I’m just an extension of Nathan, a shadow instead of a person. Everyone sees me as his sister, and that’s it. They don’t look beyond that.
“Yeah,” I reply with a sigh. “I’m good.”
“How’s everything going with classes? Any of those guys giving you trouble?”
“Not yet, but I keep to myself.”
Nathan raises a brow, his expression softening. “You shouldn’t have to. You’ve got every right to be there.”
I shake my head, the smile lingering. As much as I resent the fact that every guy on campus is too scared to even get close to me because of Nathan, I can’t help but feel grateful for him. I may not always like it, but having a brother like him—I wouldn’t trade it for anything. He might be a pain in the ass, but he’s never once made me feel anything less than supported.
“Thanks, but I can handle myself.”
Nathan pulls me into a side hug, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “Just looking out for you, Izz. The guys and I are going to the bar later. You wanna come?”
I flutter my lashes up at him. “Really?” I gasp, covering my mouth dramatically. “You’re finally letting me out of my tower?”
He scoffs, the corner of his lips twitching into a grin. “Christ, you’re such a drama queen. You wanna come or not? My invitation only lasts so long.”
I roll my eyes. “How generous of you. Are you going to babysit me all night, or will you actually let me have some fun?”
He shrugs. “Depends what kind of fun. I’m not sitting around while you mack on some guy, but you can have a drink. I won’t tell Dad.”
I scoff, shaking my head. Nathan was never the kind of brother to snitch, and I wasn’t either. We had an unspoken pact when it came to stuff like this.
“Fine,” I relent, dropping my shoulders. “I’ll come.”
“Cool.” He shoots me a smile. “Gotta get to class. See you later.”
I watch him disappear into a lecture hall before pulling out my phone. If I’m going to survive a night at the bar with my brother’s friends, I need backup.
Me:
Wanna come to the bar tonight?
Aurora:
???
