“So the rooms are there,” he pointed. “Have your pick. I think Sawyer left sticky notes on the doors.”
Sawyer was his older brother and Ash’s best friend. They’d graduated last year. Due to that chance meeting and negotiations with our parents, we were the next occupants of this townhouse near our university.
Finn’s family owned the place and now he was like our resident advisor. He was the main reason our parents had agreed to this arrangement rather than us staying in the freshman dorms.
“All of the rooms are of similar size, one no better than the other.”
His grin suggested he was amused by August’s exuberance.
“Thanks,” I said and went for the stairs.
Shep and Coop stayed behind and introduced themselves.
I wasn’t surprised to find all the doors at the top open. August clearly had given each room a once-over. I stood there in the middle of the hall and eyed each one, agreeing with Finn. They were pretty much the same. August had just exited one on the left when Shepard made it upstairs and snagged the room on the right.
“Mine,” Shep announced.
August’s eyes flashed. “Fine. I’ll take Sawyer’s room.”
Shep turned and plucked the sticky note from the door that proclaimed which of the four roommates from the previous year occupied that room. “Kelley,” Shep declared.
From what I’d learned of Kelley and the obstacles he’d overcome, it was probably fate that Shep ended up with that room.
Cooper walked up, ignoring all of us, and headed directly to the back room on the right. He didn’t glance at the note there, just closed the door behind him.
We all looked at each other and busted out laughing. It was unlikely we’d see Cooper for the rest of the day unless August coaxed him out.
“How do we know you didn’t switch these notes around?” I asked my brother.
The corners of his mouth lifted as did his shoulders. “You don’t.”
I rolled my eyes and conceded the win to him. “Whatever.”
What did it matter what room I had? I’d argued in favor of the townhouse until Dad agreed. Then I’d argued to stay in the dorms for at least one semester for some independence and lost.
“That leaves you,” Shep said, indicating the door across from his.
I tried not to think about what it could mean to have him this close without our parents down the hall. I was the daring sort, but I wasn’t sure I had it in me to make a move or tell him how I felt.
I turned and snagged the sticky note. “Chance.”
I didn’t know a lot about Chance, but again, fate was matchmaking. I saw this year as my time to take some chances.
“Don’t argue,” August said.
I turned my attention back to my brother.
“I wasn’t going to argue,” I said to the air because August had already shut himself inside his room leaving me alone with Shepard.
Shep gave me that concerned brotherly look he always did, which made it even more unlikely he’d ever see me as anything more. “I’ll trade if you want.”
Disappointment fueled the slow turn of my head side to side. “It’s cool. I’m fine here. No biggie.”
After giving him a final half smile, I walked in my room and shut the door between me and my crush. I leaned my back against it wanting to sag to the floor. My disappointment didn’t stem from being stuck with the last room, but because I wanted Shep to look at me like he did other girls and not a sister. Though, I valued our friendship. We’d spent many nights over the years talking about stuff I wasn’t sure he’d told my brother.
I glanced down at my nonexistent chest. Besides being his best friend’s sister, I couldn’t have been the object of his desires with my shapeless twig like body. Mom tried to call me slender or even willowy to make me sound pretty. But the truth was, if not for my hair and face, I resembled a boy.
Shepard’s taste in girls had been limited to those with big boobs, plastic smiles, and wore cheerleading outfits.
That had never been me. Growing up around boys, my skills in sports had excelled, and I’d played soccer and sometimes basketball.
When I heard the last door close, I frowned. Why had it taken so long for Shep to go in his room? I shook my head to myself. He probably checked out the bathroom I’d spied at the end of the hall. What other reason would he have had to stand in the hallway alone?
Not allowing myself to think about it, I pulled out my phone to call my parents and let them know we’d arrived.
2
shepard
There had been a moment I’d let pass, and I was already regretting it. Finley had stood there looking slightly flushed, resembling a pink rose. I narrowed my eyes. Pink rose? What the fuck? That summed it up, didn’t it? Whenever I was around her, I got tongue-tied and memories of stupid poems we studied in English classes swirled in my head.
Stupidly, I moved moments too late. Good thing August hadn’t been there. He might have figured out the only secret I’d ever hidden from him. I wanted his sister, beneath me, beside me, because I’d claimed her as mine even if it was only in my head.
I one armed my door closed with my duffle still hanging from my shoulder and braced myself there as if waiting for impact. I set the guitar bag to the other side against the wall. The truth was, we were here without parents and their rules. Though we’d kept most guys away from Finley with threats of lost limbs, school would begin soon, and she would be out of our control.
There
