“Yeah,” I said softly, noticing bodyguards posted up in the apartment hallway.
Ryke was full-on brooding as he sauntered inside the flat, checking on my bedroom door.
“How many people come in here a day?” Lo asked me.
“Um…” I pushed up my glasses. “Besides my roommates, it just depends.”On party nights.“Maybe like…a dozen…or more.”
Lo looked supremely more protective. He put a hand on my shoulder as he rounded my body and motioned for security to check the windows.
All three of my roommates were in class at the time, but Sheetal and Tess texted sad gifs that they missed seeing more of my family.
The living room was still a mess from a party the previous night (one that I avoided), and I’d been trying to clean up. After a short house tour, I swept up potato chip crumbs, and my brothers talked heatedly under their breaths to each other.
Lo came forward, brows cinched with seriousness. “We need to talk.” He took the broom out of my hands.
“Okay.” I felt really young all of a sudden.
Ryke crossed his arms, eyes darkened.
“You’re famous,” Lo said flatly, like I’d never been served the fact. “Severelyfamous, Willow.” This wasn’t the first time his fame had impacted my living situation.
But it’s different now that he’s an ocean away. He can’t bail me out as easily, and I know Lo has always felt responsible for me.
He’s my brother.
“You have to remember that,” he continued. “Every day, everywhere you go.” He sighed out. “For Christ’s sake,youshould have a bodyguard—”
“I don’t need one,” I protested, worried it’d draw more attention. I can be invisible, but that feels less likely with a muscular shadow following me.
Lo’s cheekbones sharpened. “I can’t leave you in a situation where you’re at risk of kidnap, rape, andmurder.”
Ryke rolled his eyes. “We can add extra locks, Lo, and a fucking security alarm.”
I nodded. “I’d rather just do that…” I trailed off, noticing how Ryke zeroed in on the remnants of the party. Daisy had told him about my roommate problems, so I think he was more fixated on those.
Ryke was popular in college.
The captain of the track team.
Lo was lazy at Penn and skipped class more than he attended.
I know this from what they’ve told me, not just Wikipedia, but I wonder how they’d be at a collegiate party in their early twenties.
Definitely not like you, Willow.Hiding. In a closet.
“Why do you want to live here?” Lo questioned.
“My lease doesn’t end until May.”
Ryke frowned and asked, “That’s the only reason?”
I wanted to say,no. That I’ve been having a stupendous, heart-warming time living with my friends, but it’s been…rocky.
Not just between me and them. Sheetal and Tess blew up at Salvatore after his hookup projectile vomitedeverywherein the bathroom.
He said that he hired some cleaning service, but they never showed. He left the mess too long, so the three of us ended up mopping puke for two hours.
“Yeah,” I said. “That’s all that’s keeping me here.” I looked around. “It’s a good location to campus. I can make it work for a while.”
