To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Re: Hey Hey Hey

Dear Juliet,

Kyle's hot, huh? Well he can't be as big a jerk as Dylan, but I'd stay away from both of them. There have to be some other guys to choose from. Have you met the Kappas yet? Things are going well here, but it's busy. Thanks for asking.

Your Sleep-Deprived Cousin,

Amy

"Hello?" I answered as the unfamiliar number lit up my phone.

"Hey, it's Kyle."

"Hey. Do you realize it's eight a.m.?" I said groggily.

"Yeah, I know it's early. A bunch of us are going floating, and I thought you might want to come."

"Floating? Like in water?"

"What else would I mean?"

"When you asked if I wanted to hang out, I thought you meant around campus."

"Are you in? It's going to be fun. We have room for you and one friend."

"Just one?" How could I invite Cara and not Mallory? But then again, they were probably both sleeping. "Okay."

"Cool. We'll be by in twenty."

"Who's the early bird?" Tally sat up in bed.

"My friend Kyle. He invited me to go floating. Do you want to go?"

"What's floating exactly?"

"You float down a river in an inner-tube."

"Oh... I suppose—in theory—that could be fun."

"It is, depending on who you're with."

"Who would we be with?" She crawled out of her blankets.

"I don't know, actually. I'm guessing some Phi Omegas but hopefully not too many." I'd seen enough of those boys last night. I was still embarrassed.

"I'm in."

"Cool." Tally and I had gotten along so far, but we hadn't hung out. I figured a day together might be good for our roommate relationship.

I decided on the red bikini again and threw on a white sundress over it. I picked out my oldest flip flops in case I lost them. Twenty minutes later, Tally and I were waiting out in front of the dorm.

A yellow Jeep wrangler pulled up. It was the kind that actually had a backseat, but there wasn't much space back there—it was meant for two and not three—especially when two of the occupants were tall guys.

Kyle hopped out and turned to Tally. "You can sit up front."

"Thanks." Tally smiled and took the seat Kyle had vacated.

"After you." Kyle gestured for me to slide into the sorry excuse for a middle seat and got in after me.

The pledge who'd been checking me out the night before sat on my left. Fantastic. The car lurched forward, and I grabbed onto Kyle to avoid flying out of my seat. I searched around for a seatbelt and couldn't find one.

"I've got you." Kyle put an arm around my waist. I contemplated shrugging him off, but it seemed better than nothing.

I leaned over to get a better look at the driver. Yup, another Phi Omega. "Kyle, does this happen to be a fraternity floating trip?"

"Technically, yes."

I glared at him. "Then why did you tell me you were going with some friends?"

"I am. These guys are my friends."

"Don't you think Dylan's going to think it's weird that I'm going floating with Phi Omega while he's away?"

He leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Who cares?"

I pulled away. "I'm not one hundred percent sure what's going on with your brother and me, but I don't particularly want to upset him."

"Chill out, Juliet. You guys have hooked up a few times. He can't decide what you do and don't do."

Tally turned around in her seat. "Don't worry. We'll hang out and do our own thing."

"Thanks."

"That's cool as long as it involves me. I didn't see you at all this summer. We need to catch up."

"How long is this car trip? Let's catch up now."

He laughed. "Only twenty-five minutes."

I looked out the window. I loved how Southern everything was in Charleston. The moss-covered oaks and the houses with columns and huge porches.

"What did you do this summer? Other than Dylan, that is."

I glared at Kyle again. "If you're pissed at me, why'd you invite me today?"

"I'm not pissed. It was a joke." The humor in his eyes matched his words.

"Fine. I worked as a lifeguard at the community pool back home."

"Didn't you do that last summer too?"

"You remember?"

"Of course I do." He ran his free hand through his dark brown hair.

"What did you do?"

"Not so fast. That can't be it. I doubt you worked every minute."

"I hung out with my friends. There isn't much else to tell."

"Did you do anything cool for graduation?"

"Not really. There were some parties, but that's it. I'm guessing you did something."

"I spent a few weeks in Europe, and I was down at the beach for most of July."

"Oh, I guess we missed each other."

A Journey song came on, and the driver turned up the radio.

"Yeah...who knows what would have happened if I'd come down at the end of the summer instead." He adjusted his arm around me.

"Who knows?"

"Is that an acknowledgement that you might have hooked up with me instead?"

Did we really have to have this conversation with other people around? Even if his frat brothers already knew about my hookups with Dylan, I didn't need to have it broadcast.

The pledge next to me—I still didn't know his name—laughed. For some reason, more than the laughter, it annoyed me that he hadn't introduced himself. "Who are you?"

"I'm Gregg."

"Hi, Gregg."

Kyle ran his hand down my arm. "Yes or no?"

"No. I wouldn't have." I wasn't going to let him make me sound like a slut.

Kyle brushed my hair away so he could whisper in my ear again. "If it had been me skinny dipping with you, you wouldn't have let me take you home?"

What? He knew about that part? I figured he only knew we'd hooked up. The only reason I didn't kill Kyle then and there was that the music was so loud that I didn't think anyone else heard.

He must have noticed my expression. "Yes, I know all about it. Dylan didn't spare any details."

"Lovely. Just lovely."

"Trust me. I didn't want to hear it. I've wanted you for so long, and then he just took you."

"He didn't 'just take' me." I felt my anger rising.

"Just so you know, it doesn't change anything. I'm still interested..."

"What?"

"I'm just saying... I hate that you're with him, but I'd still want to date you."

"Do you realize how bad that sounds? I'm dating your brother, and you're trying to ask me out?"

"He knew how I felt and went after you anyway. I'm not doing anything wrong." He ran a hand through my hair.

Maybe he wasn't—but I sure felt like I was. "Kyle—stop."

"Fine. We can stay friends for now."

"How do you know that's even still an option?"

"Because it is."

"I can't decide who's cockier, you or Dylan."

Kyle laughed. "I'm not cocky. I'm just realistic."

Thankfully, the rest of the ride went quickly, and we arrived at the float place, a small shack with piles of tubes and a couple of rusty old school buses parked around it. I took a deep breath before getting out of the car. I really had no desire to spend the day wearing a bikini around a bunch of frat guys.

Fortunately, there were a few other girls there—including Jana. "Juliet, hey! I didn't think you'd be here because Dylan's not."

"Yeah... Kyle invited me."

"Oh. That's cool." Her look said it all. She was trying to figure out if I was sleeping with both of them. I'm sure she wasn't the only one wondering that.

Kyle slung an arm around my shoulder in what he was probably trying to play off as a friendly gesture. After our conversation in the car, it felt like anything but that. "Dylan wouldn't want her to miss the fun."

"Are you sure about that?" Ryan gave me a look I couldn't quite read. I hadn't noticed him joining us.

Kyle smirked. "I'm positive."

"You're on keg duty, Kyle." Ryan pointed to the tailgate of his SUV. "Get it set up, and don't leave it for the rest of the day."

"Is that some sort of punishment?"

"You can't spend the day flirting with your brother's girlfriend if you're serving everyone."

"Let's make this easy. Tally and I will do our own thing. Someone can give us a ride home after." I grabbed Tally's arm.

"Sounds good to me." She smiled. Maybe the roommate thing wouldn't be so bad.

"And how does that help? What, you think Dylan would rather you go off on your own and meet up with one of the other four frats out here today?" Ryan looked at me like I had two heads. "No way. You're with me today, Doll Face."

"Doll Face? Are you kidding me?"

"I think it fits."

"Tally?" Ryan's tone got friendlier.

"Yes?" She looked him square in the eye.

"I'm glad you're here. Enjoy yourself." I didn't miss the fact that he didn't tell me to enjoy myself or the lingering glance he gave her.

The guys loaded a bunch of tubes into the back of the school bus that would be driving us to the launch spot. This would be my second school bus ride in a week.

I tentatively pulled off my cover-up and left it in the Jeep. I had a history of losing anything I brought with me on float trips, and I didn't particularly want to ride home in just a swimsuit. Tally did the same, probably feeling about as comfortable as I did.

"Finally. I thought I was going to go into withdrawal." Kyle grinned.

"Withdrawal from what?"

"Seeing you in a bikini."

I smacked his arm. "Don't."

"What?"

"Ready?" Ryan joined us at the car. His eyes went right to my chest and didn't leave it for an awkward few seconds.

"Yes, but you don't need to wait for me. I'm more than capable of walking the few feet to the bus." I hoped he'd get the point that there was no way he was babysitting me out of some weird devotion to his friend.

"I'm definitely waiting for you." Ugh. His eyes moved down again.

"What were you saying about my not hanging out with Kyle today?"

"He'll be too busy. Come on." He turned to Kyle. "Go move the keg."

Kyle winked before walking away.

I turned to get Tally, but she was talking with Gregg. I smiled. At least one of us would have a good time. I turned my back on Ryan but kept a distance from Tally. I didn't want to mess anything up for her.

I refused to look at Ryan even as we walked to the bus.

Tally took a seat. I was about to slide in next to her when she gave me a look. I grinned, moving out of the way for Gregg. I sat down in the seat behind her. Ryan sat next to me.

"You know, there are plenty of other girls to bother today—and none of them are already dating your best friend." I always had an edge to me, but Ryan multiplied it by ten merely by being in close proximity. Make that by twenty when he opened his mouth.

"I get what Dylan likes about you."

My chest. I kept that thought to myself. "What?"

"You're spunky."

"Spunky?"

"Yeah. You've got an attitude, but it works for you. It comes across as sexy."

I laughed. I had to. No one ever called my attitude sexy. "Whatever."

"It's true. Add in your body, and I definitely understand what has him so bent out of shape. If I'd seen you first, I probably would have gone for you, too."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I wouldn't have gone for you." I crossed my arms.

"See, there's that attitude." He smirked. "But just so you know, when you cross your arms like that, you show me more cleavage."

"Argh. Next time I'm wearing a one piece."

"Please don't."

"I don't get you."

"What don't you get?"

"One second, you're mad because you think I'm flirting with Kyle. Now you're checking me out."

"I can look. If that's all I thought Kyle was doing, I wouldn't care."

"They're brothers."

"So? I thought you knew the Bradleys."

The bus started moving. It got uncomfortably bumpy as we jostled over the dirt road. "I do."

"Then you should know how ridiculously competitive they are. Kyle's always trying to take what's Dylan's."

"Have they liked the same girl before?" My curiosity got the best of me.

"No, it's usually not about girls."

"Are you going to expand on that?"

He looked torn for a second. "No. That's for Dylan to tell you, but it's about their dad's business."

"Fine. But just so you know, you do not have my permission to look."

He laughed. "Good luck enforcing that. We're going to be spending a lot of time together today."

"How would you feel if I sat here ogling you?"

"I wouldn't mind." He opened his arms. "Look all you want, baby."

"Baby? What happened to Doll Face?"

"You're still Doll Face."

The bus stopped, and I waited for Ryan to get out of the way so I could get off the bus. He made me go first. I suspect it was so he could stare at my ass, but I couldn't prove it.

I went around the back of the bus for a tube, but Ryan got there first. "I've got us."

"What?"

"There are some doubles."

"Nuh uh."

"What?" He held up the two black tubes tied together with rope.

"I am not floating in a tube tethered to yours."

"You don't have a choice."

"I'll get another."

"What other?"

I turned back toward the bus. Everyone else had grabbed their tubes—there were none left.

"They don't have extras?"

"Nope."

"Come on."

The bus pulled away, leaving me standing there as everyone else got into the water. I watched Kyle and another pledge tie the keg onto a tube. I wanted that tube.

"Let's do this." Ryan walked toward the river holding my only means of getting home.

I groaned. "I want Dylan."

Ryan held the tube for me to get in. "My goal is that you'll beg for him by the end of the day."

"Go easy on me." I pushed my sunglasses down from the top of my head.

Ryan jumped onto the tube next to me, splashing me in the process. "All right, do you want your first cup?"

"Of beer? It's ten-thirty."

"We can wait. What should we talk about?"

"Can't we just enjoy the scenery?" It really was gorgeous. The bank was surrounded by trees.

"The scenery, huh? I'll enjoy the scenery." He gave an exaggerated nod toward my chest.

"What's Dylan going to say when he finds out how you've been talking to me?"

"Because you're going to tell him?"

"I could."

"You know what he would say, don't you?"

"What?"

"He'd get mad at you for wearing such a revealing swimsuit without him around to watch."

"No, he wouldn't. You act like we've been dating for months. We haven't even been on a real date yet."

"I guess you made a big impression."

"Did he really tell you about me before that party?" I still couldn't believe it.

"Oh yes. I've never heard him like that. Usually, he just hooks up with girls. He had one girlfriend freshman year, but they didn't last long. He said you were different. I think he's been into you awhile, but didn't want to get locked up for statutory rape."

"He never even noticed me in that way before." I thought about the past few summers when I'd done everything to get his attention. He told me I looked good in red once. I had a lot of red clothing—like the bikini I had on.

"So you've liked him a while too?" Ryan put on his sunglasses.

"Oh yeah." I figured there was no reason to lie.

"Then what's up with you flirting with Kyle?"

"I don't flirt with Kyle."

"Yes you do."

"I don't." I closed my eyes and leaned back.

"A piece of advice. Dylan likes you a lot, but if he thinks you're into anyone else—especially his brother—you're not going to last long."

"I'll keep that in mind." I dipped my hand into the warm water.

"You do that."