“OK. You’re the boss.”
“Damn right, I am.” I shift under his gaze and leap up. “Now back to work, you lazy boy.”
“Yes sir!” With a mock salute, Ryan lopes back to the camera, and I wonder if he’s still hurt over what happened with Morgan. He hasn’t said a word about it since my demi-apology, but for all I know, his exhaustion is from pining after her.
It’s pointless of me to even care, but I hope not.
Morgan, unfortunately, hasn’t forgotten about her ex. We’re at the beach later that afternoon, ostensibly to relax and do some reading, but I soon discover that Morgan is anything but relaxed.
“What’s up?”
I barely have time to close my eyes and feel the late-afternoon sun seep into my bones before she nudges me.
“Nothing much.” I trace idle circles in the sand. “It was a rather hectic day.”
“Oh yeah?” Morgan flicks another textbook page over. Lexi and Brooke are in class for a change, so it’s just the two of us. “Isn’t that supposed to be done already?”
“Two days ago,” I agree. But all my other advances must be having some effect, because instead of getting stressed about missed deadlines and contingency plans, I feel relatively calm. As far as study is concerned.
“So how is he?” Morgan regards me over her shades.
“Ryan? Fine, I suppose.” I try to keep my voice even. I really don’t want to be talking about him with her.
“C’mon, you must know something. Is he seeing anyone?” Morgan’s voice is far too interested for somebody who claims to be so unconcerned. “Lulu said she saw him getting coffee with Maura.”
“I don’t know anything about that.” I feel a sharp dig at the thought of them together.
“But has he said anything about me?”
“Not that I heard.”
“You must have seen them together, on the movie.” Morgan keeps pushing. “Did it look like there’s something going on? Were they touching a lot or making eye contact, ’cause —”
“Morgan!” For somebody who has slept with at least four different boys since her breakup, she’s awfully curious about “the loser ex.” “I don’t know anything. I’m the last person he’d talk to about that sort of thing.”
“Whatever.” She rolls over. “It’s not like I care.”
“Right.”
After another hour on the sand, we get back into Morgan’s car and go to meet Brooke and Lexi at the Psi Delt house. After what happened the last time I set foot on their property, I’m none too keen to return, but Morgan insists.
“No choice, Em.” Turning into the driveway, she checks her hair in the mirror and reapplies lip gloss. “Brooke says Louis has been, like, pulling away from her. She totes needs our support.”
“Fine.” I sigh, pulling myself out of the car. “But I can’t stay long.”
“Awesome.” She shoots me a smile and skips up the front steps. “In and out, I promise.”
We find them on the back porch with a group of the frat brothers and a stack of empty beer cans. Lexi is perched on the swing seat looking supremely bored, while Brooke watches intently as Louis plays a game of pool.
“Hey, girl!” Morgan sashays over and loudly kisses Brooke on both cheeks. She’s glowing from the sun and dressed in a swinging short white skirt under her UC sweatshirt, so I’m not surprised to see all the boys look over. I am, however, surprised to see Louis drag his attention away from the game and give Morgan a long, lingering hug. I edge over to Lexi.
“Did you see that?” she asks in a hushed tone. “This is gonna get in-ter-est-ing.”
I settle beside her, unnerved by the glee in her tone. I hope she’s wrong. Out of all the girls, Brooke seems to be the most genuinely sweet; watching her heart get ripped apart is not my idea of a spectator sport.
“So, what’s happening, guys?” Morgan drapes herself across the pool table. Even as I watch, Brooke seems to fade into the background. Alone, she’s pretty, but Morgan just has a way of effortlessly dazzling that makes all other girls seem washed out and ordinary. It’s no wonder Louis is showing off for her, trying to make a difficult shot.
“Way to go!” Squealing, Morgan presses herself against him in a celebratory hug, and I wonder for the first time if her show is quite so effortless. If it were anybody else, I’d say they were out to steal Louis. But this is Morgan — she wouldn’t try that with her best friend’s boy.
Would she?
Half an hour later, I’m amazed at my own naïveté. Morgan isn’t just trying to take Louis; she’s succeeding. Easily. Cheerleading every point of the game, Morgan ingratiates herself with Louis, until soon he’s showing her how to take shots herself: leaning over with his hands on her waist and whispered jokes in her ear. Brooke has long since given up trying to hold her ground; she now slumps on a spare seat by the doorway, watching them with a resigned expression that makes me think perhaps she’s seen this all before.
“Couldn’t have done it without you, babe!” Ultimately victorious in the superhuman match of wit and skill, Louis picks Morgan up and swings her in a wide circle, her skirt flaring up to reveal bright pink knickers. Brooke slips inside, invisible. I follow.
“Having fun?” Her voice is edged with bitterness. She stands by the kitchen sink and runs cold water.
“I . . . I’m sorry.” I don’t know what to say to her. It seems like we’re both stuck with Morgan, whether we like it or not.
Brooke shrugs, pulling her sweatshirt cuff down. “Not your fault.”
“Yes, but . . . it’s not right.”
She laughs. “I don’t know why I expected it to be different this time. Morgan’s just . . . Morgan. This is what she does.”
“Why do you put up with it?” I hop onto a counter and drum my heels against the cabinet. “Can’t you say something?”
“And then what? It would make no difference.” Brooke looks out of the back window. “I’d just feel worse for bringing it up.”
“So she’s done it before?” Morgan’s account of her hookup code certainly didn’t include boy stealing and betraying her friends.
“Oh, yeah, tons of times.” She sighs. “It’s just how it is with her. Like, always a competition.” Brooke’s face twists slightly. “She and Tasha were always up against each other, before . . . You know about Tyler, right?” I nod. “Anyway, sometimes she doesn’t like them all that much — she just wants to be the one to win them. Prove she’s the best.”