“That's a hell of a coincidence,” Micah says, polishing off his third cookie and heading for a fourth. Ranger just stands in the middle of the room, arms crossed, listening to the conversation. Things have been a little weird between us since the double naked baking incident. I've noticed he's been avoiding his frilly aprons a bit, too. Not cool. We need to work out all this tension. And, really, I mean, there's only one way to work it out.
“Truly. There are only two dozen students who've ever shared that sort of lineage in the history of the school.”
“Between Everly and Adamson, is there anyone else that fits the bill?” Ranger asks, but Church just shakes his head. Damn.
“Other than Selena’s brother, Gareth, no. Nobody else but you.”
“Me?” Ranger asks, wrinkling up his nose. “That shit must be from my dad’s side of the family then. I feel like my mom would’ve mentioned it. Does that mean it’s a dead lead?”
“Maybe.” But Church doesn’t sound entirely convinced.
“There are most definitely three attackers,” I say, scrubbing my hands down my face. We only have about fifteen minutes before our first appointment of the day arrives, unfortunately, so this is our last chance to talk this over as a group today.
I feel a little niggle of frustration when I hear a knock on the door. It's still locked; we don't bother unlocking it until about five minutes before the first meeting. With a sigh, the boys brush the crumbs off their uniforms and disappear into the meeting room, leaving it cracked behind them, just in case.
What I don't expect to see when I open the door … is Aster Hayes smiling back at me.“What is this crap about more girls coming to the school?” I snarl, storming into my dad's house without bothering to knock. He looks up from the dinner table with an almost bored facial expression, waiting until I come around the corner to see the rest of his dinner guests. “And postponing the Student Council elections just for them? That’s total toilet water.” Should’ve said bullshit, pretty sure toilet water is not a commonly used phrase.
Girls.
Three girls.
Aster being one of them.
She'd just stopped by the Student Council room to introduce herself today.
And to announce that she, too, was actually going to be running for Student Council President.
What. In. The. Actual. Fuck?
“When I told you that I'd be treating you as a headmaster would instead of a father—at your request, I might add—I was serious. Bursting into my home unannounced is worth a write-up, at the very least.” I just stand there fuming, looking between the three confused faces sitting around my father's table while Ranger guards my back, waiting just outside the open front door. “Girls, this is my … son, Chuck Carson.”
“Pleased to see you again, Chuck,” Aster says, tucking a strand of curly red hair behind one of her ears. She glances down the length of the table toward my father, her other hand poised on a fork that's currently resting on a plate of tri-tip, mashed potatoes, and asparagus. That's, legit, like my favorite meal, and Dad could barely be bothered making it for me, but he can make it for three strangers?! Three new guinea pigs to do his bidding.
I'm furious.
“We met at the Valentine’s Day dance, as well as in the Student Council room today,” Aster explains, smiling prettily. The other girls smile at me, too, and one of them even blushes and bites her lower lip. Spencer and Ranger act like I make such an ugly guy, but apparently, I don't have a ton of trouble getting female attention.
“Ah,” Dad says, eyeing me with no small amount of displeasure. “Well, you'll be sorry to learn then that Chuck is now engaged to our current Student Council President, Church Montague, and is presently off-limits.” His voice is as dry as sand and twice as grating. We glare at each other for a moment before he pushes away from the table. “Excuse me for a moment, ladies.”
Dad carefully folds his napkin and heads in the direction of his office, fully expecting me to follow. For once, I actually do. But mostly just so I can yell at him and try to get to the bottom of what's going on here.
I pause briefly to move over to the screen door and gesture for Ranger to step inside for a minute. The boys and I have been rotating partners, so that nobody is ever alone, not even when they're showering. I mean, nobody quite shares a shower stall the same way that Spencer and I did that one time, but …
Ranger moves into the dining room, and all three girls exchange looks. Yeah, yeah, I know he's handsome, but he hates most people, and you wouldn't understand the naked baking thing the way I do.
