Garret Read online

CHAPTER TWO

  After I help Jade move her stuff in, I go up to my room on the second floor. Jade couldn’t wait for me to leave. And I loved it. This is seriously the first time a girl’s ever tried to get rid of me. It makes me want to go down to her room right now and find out more about the hot brunette with those mysterious green eyes and that tight little ass.

  So a half hour later, I do just that. I go back down to her room and knock on her door. I’m heading over to that party and thought I should invite her. She’s new here and probably wants to meet some people.

  I’m also stopping by because I need to know if Artsy Guy is still there. If he’s staying in her room, I’ll know for sure he’s her boyfriend.

  She doesn’t answer the door. Maybe she left. Maybe she and that guy are staying at a hotel tonight. Shit, I hope not. I want to go out with this girl and it’s not gonna happen with Artsy Guy in the picture.

  I knock again. “Jade? It’s Garret.”

  The door opens just a sliver but it’s enough that I can see her. Her hair’s wet and she has a blanket wrapped around her. It looks like she’s in her pajamas. Is she sleeping? At 10 on a Friday night?

  “Hi, Garret. What do you need?”

  “I didn’t know you were sleeping. It’s kind of early, isn’t it?”

  “It’s 10. It’s not that early. And I’m tired from the drive.”

  “I just wanted to invite you to this party I’m going to. I was heading over there and thought you might want to come with me and meet some people. Is your boyfriend still here? Because he can come, too.”

  She doesn’t say anything. She’s just staring at me, her eyes wandering over my chest and then my arms. Wait. Is she checking me out?

  Her eyes return to my face. “My what?”

  “Your boyfriend. That guy I met earlier?”

  She lets out a laugh. “Ryan’s not my boyfriend. He’s more like an older brother. He just drove me here. He’s heading back tomorrow.”

  My lips curl up into what I’m sure is a stupid-ass grin but I couldn’t stop it. The fact that she doesn’t have a boyfriend just made my freaking day. The challenge can now begin.

  “Then what do you say? You want to go?” I notice the blanket she had covering her has fallen down to her waist. My eyes drop down to the thin t-shirt she’s wearing and immediately stop at her breasts. She’s not wearing a bra and I can see everything, and damn, she’s got nice breasts. Perky and round, the tip poking out of her shirt and begging to be touched. Or licked. Sucked. Shit, I need to get it together.

  She sees me looking and yanks the blanket up. “No, I’m really tired. But thanks for asking.”

  “Come on. You can’t spend your first night on campus in this crappy dorm room.”

  “Yeah, actually I can.” She sounds angry, but then looks away like she feels bad for using that tone. “I mean, I’m just really tired from the drive. Maybe some other time.”

  She’s turning me down? This is the first time I’ve invited a girl to go to a party with me and she turns me down. I never invite girls to parties. I always go by myself. I don’t like being on someone else’s schedule. I like to come and go as I please. The only exception is when I have a girlfriend and she forces me to go to a party with her, but I haven’t had many girlfriends. At least not many real ones. I prefer to play the field.

  “How about tomorrow?” I say it casually, like I don’t really care if she goes or not. “There’s a party just down the street from here.”

  “Sure. See you then.”

  Part of me thought she’d say no, so that was a surprise. “Great. Well, goodnight.”

  As the door closes, I hear it lock behind me.

  I go out to my car and drive to the party which is at a house a couple miles from campus. I don’t know whose house it is but it’s not like it matters. I’m sure half the people here don’t know whose house it is. It’s just a place to drink and meet people and hook up.

  I thought college parties would be different than the ones I went to in high school, but they’re not. The only difference is that this party is in a shitty old house and the ones I went to in high school were all at my friends’ houses, which were all multimillion dollar mansions.

  I use the term ‘friends’ loosely. Prep school classmates is a better term. I hated most of those people. Stuck up, lie-to-your-face people who always have a motive. They’re never your friend just to be friends. They always want something in return.

  Even Decker uses me, but I still consider him a friend. He’s a good guy, but he’s best friends with Blake so that keeps Decker and me from being better friends. Decker’s known Blake since they were kids so he feels like he needs to stay friends with him even though Blake is a total ass. Plus, Decker is kind of a nerd and being friends with Blake helps him remain in the popular crowd.

  Blake is rich and spoiled and a complete ass. In high school, he basically bought his popularity by hosting extravagant parties with very expensive liquor. Because of that, people tended to overlook his asshole behavior. But not me. The two of us fight all the time. And yet the idiot thinks we’re friends.

  “Hey.” Decker greets me as I walk in the house. “You finally made it. What took you so long?”

  “I was helping a girl move into the dorm.”

  He laughs. “Always planning your next hook-up, Kensington. I admire you, man. Helping a girl move in? I wouldn’t have thought of that, but it’s good. You’re subtle with the ladies. No wonder you get so many girls.”

  “I’m not hooking up with her.” It comes out sounding harsh, but I don’t like him talking about Jade that way. She’s not a random hook-up. I guess I don’t really know her, but from our brief encounter she doesn’t seem like that type of girl. “I was just helping her out. I can be a nice guy, you know.”

  “Yeah, I know.” He says it nervously, like he’s afraid he upset me. Decker doesn’t want to piss me off because he wants to make sure we remain friends. He uses me like he uses Blake, as his way into the popular crowd. Just being seen with me boosts his social status.

  The Kensington name carries some weight because we’re one of the richest families around here. And then there’s the fact that girls tend to flock to me, which causes other guys, like Decker, to want to hang around me to see what my secret is for getting girls.

  The thing is, I have no secret. I don’t know why girls hang all over me. Yeah, I work out constantly so my body’s in shape but it’s not like I’m the only guy around here with big muscles. But at 6’3, I am taller than most of them and girls tend to like tall guys.

  “I need a beer.” I walk over to the keg, with Decker following behind.

  “So what’s she look like?”

  “Who?” I grab a red plastic cup from a stack on the table next to the keg.

  “This girl you just met.”

  I fill my cup, focusing on the image of Jade that’s still in my head and hasn’t left since I set my eyes on her in the parking lot.

  “She’s cute,” I tell him.

  It’s true, but cute doesn’t even begin to describe her. Fucking gorgeous is what I really think. Beautiful. Hot. Perfect. I could go on and on.

  I take a drink of my beer.

  “Give me details. What does she look like?”

  “Dark brown hair. Green eyes.”

  “Is she hot? Maybe I’ll ask her out.”

  I shoot him an angry look. “You’re not fucking asking her out. Don’t even think about it.”

  I didn’t mean to yell at him like that, but just the idea of someone else going out with her set me off. I don’t know why. I just met this girl and she seems to have no interest in me but that doesn’t mean I want someone like Decker going out with her. Decker’s a virgin so he’s just trying to have sex with a girl. Any girl. But it’s not going to be Jade.

  “Shit, man.” Decker backs away, his beer spilling out the top of his cup. “You don’t have to bite my fucking head off.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to.” I swi
g my beer, finishing it. We’re still standing next to the keg so I refill my cup again.

  I’ve missed drinking. I cut way back last summer when I was dating Sadie and living in D.C. Sadie didn’t like it when I drank because I tend to go overboard and get drunk. I got so sick of fighting about it that I just stopped drinking around her and only drank when I was alone.

  “So you obviously have a thing for this girl.”

  I shake my head. “No, I just met her. I don’t know anything about her.”

  “Yeah, but you want to. You want her for yourself. Otherwise you wouldn’t have yelled at me just now.”

  Is it that obvious? I’m usually better at hiding this stuff.

  “It’s not that. I just think you should leave her alone, Dek. She just got here and she needs time to adjust. She’s from Iowa, so this is a big change for her. I bet she’s never even been to Connecticut before today.”

  He nudges me, smiling. “And you want to be the one to show her around, right?”

  “Don’t be an ass. I was just being nice to her. That’s it.”

  “If she’s from Iowa, what the hell is she doing going to Moorhurst?”

  I hesitate, not sure if I want to tell him. But he figures it out.

  “Wait. Is she the scholarship winner?”

  I nod, then drink my beer.

  “Did you tell her who you are?”

  “Not yet.” I glance at the door and see two hot blondes walking in. Long legs. Short skirts. Big breasts. I keep my eyes on them but that image of Jade remains in my head and the hot blondes aren’t looking so hot.

  “Why didn’t you tell her?”

  “Because she doesn’t need to know. She’d feel uncomfortable around me if she knew my dad was paying for her school.”

  “Do you plan on seeing her again?”

  “Yeah, we’re going out tomorrow. I’m taking her to the party.”

  The hot blondes spot me from across the room and smile. I don’t smile back but they still start walking toward me.

  “You have to tell her who you are, Garret. She’ll be pissed if she finds out later.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m not ready to tell her. And besides, what difference does it make? I’m not the one paying for her school. My dad is. It has nothing to do with me.”

  “You need to tell her, especially if you want to be friends with her. Or more than friends. Actually, you can’t be more than friends. You can’t date the scholarship winner.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  “Because your dad would kill you. And Katherine would kill you.”

  “I don’t give a shit about Katherine. And my dad doesn’t need to know. I’m in college now. He needs to stay out of my business.”

  Decker sighs. “Do not do this, Garret. You get in enough trouble with your dad. Just leave the girl alone.”

  Speaking of girls, the hot blondes are now approaching me. They almost look like twins. I’ve never been with twins before.

  “Hey.” The one girl steps in front of me. I’m still standing next to the keg and she reaches behind me to get a cup. Correction. She uses the cup as an excuse to grope me. Instead of going around me, she leans in and presses her entire body against mine. Her arm goes behind me as she slowly takes a cup from the stack.

  “Excuse me.” She smiles at me, our bodies still pressed together. “I just needed a cup.”

  My one hand is at my side, the other is holding my beer. Normally, I’d grab the girl’s ass and pull her aside and see if I want to take this somewhere. And given the way her twin is eyeing me, I’m seeing a threesome in my future. Never had one of those.

  “I’m Kristy,” the girl fondling me says. She had her hand on my ass but now it’s snaking down my chest, heading for my belt. “And that’s Misty.” She nods back to the other blonde.

  Kristy and Misty? Seriously? I feel like I just walked on the set of a porn film.

  “Are you two twins?” Decker asks. His eyes are huge, his voice eager. He’s such a nerd sometimes. This is why he doesn’t get girls. He doesn’t know how to play it cool.

  “Yeah, we’re twins,” Misty says, meeting up with her sister. Now they’ve both got their hands on my chest and I have nowhere to go. The table is behind me and I can’t move. I’m trapped with two hot blondes attached to me. Should be every guy’s dream.

  But I’m not interested. Not tonight. I know that’s completely crazy. Any other guy would jump at this opportunity. Grab an open bedroom and go for it.

  That’s exactly what Decker’s thinking. He’s got his jealous smile going and he says, “Garret, I’ll see you later.”

  He’s being a friend, doing what he’s supposed to do. Getting out of the way so I can take part in whatever these girls have planned for me. But I’m just not feeling it.

  “Dek, wait.” I peel the girls off me and walk past them toward Decker.

  “Hey,” Kristy says. “Where are you going?”

  “I have a girlfriend,” I say, glancing back at her.

  I hear her huff, then say to her twin, “Since when does that matter?”

  I don’t know why I said that. I don’t have a girlfriend. And I just turned down a threesome. What the hell is wrong with me?

  I picture those jewel-toned eyes. That beautiful face. That sweet smile. That’s what’s wrong with me. I can’t stop thinking of Jade.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Decker waits until we’re on the other side of the room, far away from the twins, then turns to me and says, “What’s wrong with you? Did you see those girls? Two girls, Garret! Two freaking hot girls! And they were gonna do it with you!”

  I shrug and drink my beer. “I didn’t feel like it.”

  “Who the hell turns down a threesome with two hot blondes? They didn’t even know your name and they were still gonna do it with you.”

  “Yeah, so they’re sluts. I don’t want to do it with sluts. They probably have diseases.”

  He’s staring at me like I’ve completely lost my mind. “That’s why you wrap it up. You need a condom?” He goes to get his wallet out.

  “No.” I shake my head, laughing. “I got condoms.”

  He points to the girls who are now talking to some other guy. “Then get back over there before they change their minds.”

  “I’m not doing it. I’m not interested.”

  “You have to do this, Garret. And then you have to tell me all about it.”

  “Even if I did it, I wouldn’t tell you about it. You know I never talk about that shit. It’s private.”

  “I’ll never have an opportunity like this. I can’t even get a date. Forget about sex. I’m starting to think I’ll never get laid. Which means I have to live vicariously through guys like you.”

  “Sorry, Dek. It’s not happening. And you might have better luck with the ladies if you lost the bow tie.”

  He looks down at it, then at the rest of his clothes. He’s wearing khaki shorts, a white button-up shirt, and a blue and green plaid bow tie.

  “This is my signature look. I’m the bow-tie guy. You don’t think girls like it?”

  “I know they don’t. It makes you look like an old man.” I want to say it makes him look like a nerd but that sounds mean and I don’t want to hurt his feelings.

  “The bow tie is who I am. I can’t get rid of it.”

  “Then you probably won’t be getting a date and you definitely won’t be getting sex.”

  He adjusts his tie. “Someday I’ll find a woman who appreciates me for who I am. Smart. Sophisticated. A man who knows how to dress right.”

  “Yeah, you keep telling yourself that. And hey, I’m sure that woman is out there but you may have to wait until you’re 50 to find her.”

  “Whatever.” He watches as a group of girls filters in through the door. Two of them went to high school with us. Ava and Sierra. I can’t stand those girls. Stuck-up bitches who like bullying people they think aren’t worthy of breathing the same air as them, which by their standards is pretty much e
veryone. And the worst thing is I actually dated Ava back when I was 15. I only dated her because she offered me sex, and at 15, I wasn’t going to turn her down. I’m more selective now with my hook-ups.

  “Have you talked to Ava this summer?” Decker asks.

  “Why would I talk to her? We’re not friends.”

  “I don’t know. I thought maybe your dad or Katherine would’ve made you stay in touch with her. I heard they’re thinking of doing more episodes of that reality show. If they do, you know Katherine will try to get you involved again.”

  Last year, Ava was on a reality show. By reality, I mean a scripted, totally fictional show meant to portray a version of the reality that the producers thought would appeal to viewers. Cameras followed Ava around our prep school, then got footage of me at swim meets and football practice and dances and made it look like Ava and I were a couple.

  We weren’t actually dating. In fact, I hardly even talked to Ava last year at school. But she picked me to be her fake boyfriend on the show and my dad just let her do it. He didn’t want to get involved with a lawsuit, and Katherine, my wicked stepmother, loved having me on TV every week because it boosted her popularity among her snobby, rich friends.

  “Katherine’s not doing anything. I’m done dealing with her shit. I don’t live at the house anymore so I don’t have to try to get along with her. She can go to hell.”

  “So what’s the deal with you turning down the threesome? Does it have something to do with this new girl? The scholarship winner? What’s her name again?”

  “Jade. And no. It has nothing to do with her. I just don’t feel like getting involved with those two.”

  I look back and see them doing shots. And then I see a tall, lanky blond guy walking up to the girls. It’s Blake. He hangs his arms around both of them as they knock back their shots.

  “Looks like Kristy and Misty found someone else,” I say.

  Decker follows my gaze and laughs. “Blake. He won’t turn them down. And he’ll give me details when he’s done.”

  “Yeah, great.” I pat him on the back. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Where are you going?”