Before anyone can respond, my phone buzzes.
Again.
Callum glances at me. “Your parents?”
I nod.
He holds out his hand. “Let me take care of them.”
I hesitate, then hand him my phone.
He answers it calmly and walks toward the foyer. I watch his broad back as he disappears down the hall, listening to the low hum of his voice in the distance.
I look back toward the living room, where Tristan’s fingers are sketching lazy circles on Winter’s thigh, his hand tucked up under her hoodie. She’s dragging her hand slowly through his hair, absent and affectionate as they both look at the computer screen in front of them.
They look like they live in their own world. Like nothing and no one could intrude.
When Callum returns, his expression is unreadable.
“We’re having dinner with your parents tomorrow night.”
My mouth falls open. “What? So soon? Do you think we’re ready?”
“Because I want to get them off your back. We need to get off campus anyway until we find out who killed Lexi.” Callum hands me my phone back and rubs his hand over my shoulder and down my back. “Your parents need to believe this is real. I’ve tried talking to your brother several times, and he’s completely ignoring me.”
I just nod because there’s really nothing else to say. Callum threads his fingers through mine. “I’m not letting anyone take you from me,” he promises, and that one small thing he says instantly makes me feel better.
Madison appears in the doorway again, this time with white cupcakes topped with pastel pink frosting and tiny bow sprinkles. She smiles and says, “It’s the least I can do since I haven’t intervened when Callum screams at you in the quad over those cute floral dresses you wear sometimes.”
Everyone laughs, even Tristan.
“I do not scream,” Callum says indignantly.
Winter grins, clearly listening from the other room. “You’re one octave away from being Hayden when there’s a man existing within a twenty-mile radius of Madison.”
Madison giggles, eyes sparkling.
Hayden rolls his eyes. “You’re exaggerating. I’m just protective of my?—”
“Did you or did you not scream at the mail carrier two days ago for flirting with Madison?” Winter cuts him off.
Hayden opens his mouth to argue, but Winter holds up a finger. “Don’t get loud with me either, Hayden. Did you or did you not?”
He scowls. “He didn’t need to be in my yard handing my girl the mail. WHY DO WE EVEN HAVE A MAILBOX IF HE’S PRACTICALLY TRYING TO SHOVE IT IN HER BRA?”
Laughter breaks out again and Tristan says, “If we have to move because you’re a psycho, I’m going to beat your fucking ass.”
Hayden ignores him and sinks his teeth into a cupcake, eating half of it in one bite. Pink frosting smears across his upper lip as he chews and says to Callum through a mouthful of pink, "Coach is gonna be pissed that you're missing practice."
Madison giggles and tries to wipe the frosting from his mouth, standing on her tiptoes as he leans down for her. For as psychotic as Hayden seems, he fucking melts when Madison is involved.
Callum rolls his eyes. "I don't give a fuck. Coach Kav can kiss my ass. Come on, bambi. We need to get upstairs and pack for the little trip to my parents’ house." I don’t think Hayden hears him though, because he’s chasing a squealing Madison around the kitchen, trying to plant a frosting kiss on her.
Callum grabs my hand and leads me toward the stairs. As we pass the couch, I glance over and Winter is still in Tristan’s lap. I realize that it’s a chess game on Tristan’s laptop, and it’s still in progress. The boy on the screen looks exactly like him to the point I do a double take.
“I didn’t know Tristan had a twin,” I whisper when we get to the stairs and out of earshot. “Do they act the same or is the brother…sane?”
Callum snorts. “I wouldn’t say he’s sane. That’s Sebastian. He plays rugby at St. Killian's in Ireland. But that’s not why he goes there.”
