Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 53725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
I can’t believe I’ve secretly believed I’d one day marry him all my life.
Chapter Three
Alana
Three years later—age twenty-one
While it might seem an impossibility for Damion and me to attend the same university and never run into each other, that is, in fact, the way my first three years at Yale have played out. I spent the first year on campus telling myself I wasn’t looking for him, but secretly watching for him at all times. I was convinced he’d transferred schools, and impatiently dove into his father’s financial empire, but I never let myself look at the student body directory.
Damion West is the past.
I’m looking toward the future, nose down, books open—quite literally—as I study for an exam the entire class fears we will fail.
“You do know it’s my birthday, right?”
This from my best friend and roommate, Sally, who is now sitting in the chair next to my desk. “We did cake and pretty things in a bag,” I say as I laugh. “Yes. I know it’s your birthday.”
“Then put down the books and let’s go out.”
“This test—”
“You’ll nail it like you nail them all.”
“I’m trying to get into law school,” I remind her, which is a big deal for me.
My family sells high-end real estate, and despite us doing quite well, to people in this world, we’re the service industry. Too often I have to point out how whatever another student’s family does is in fact, service. Which is exactly why I’m going to law school. If we had a legal side to our business, which would include real estate law, we will be bigger and stronger.
“Max’s fraternity is having a party. He wants us to come.”
My lips press together. She knows I hate the fraternity scene. I have no interest in snobby guys in heat. They all believe themselves better than everyone else, but they’ll still get you naked. Max has shades of such things in him, too, which didn’t set well at first. He’s a good guy underneath it all though, and once I got to know him, he accepted me and me him. Of course, he did. Sally loves me. I love Sally. And Sally’s family is big tech rich. He looks up to her, not down as he would have me without her by my side. “I really have to study.”
“We only have a year until law school. Then it gets intense.”
She has a year until law school. I’m still not accepted.
“This is our last year to just be college kids, you and me against the world.”
The future attorney in her is one heck of a negotiator. “How do I turn that down?” I ask. “You’re my best friend.” I’ve barely spoken the words when she stands and pulls me to my feet. “Let’s pick out the perfect dresses.”
***
The fraternity headquarters resembles a castle on the outside, but the inside is just a house, and not even a special house. Or so Sally tells me. I’ve never been here before. I don’t even want to be here now. We head up a long concrete stairwell and Sally wraps her arm around me. “Twins,” she declares, meaning our little black dresses, when we are far from twins at all. She’s tall, I’m not. I have long brunette hair and she wears her blonde hair in a bob cut to her shoulders. Okay, it is a little longer than a bob, at least in my mind, but it hangs like one, straight with a perfect edge.
We continue our upward climb, and music vibrates through the walkway, promising a loud, rowdy party. At the top of the stairs, a tall, good-looking guy greets us. Sally waves at him and then me. “She’s with me,” she says. “And broke up with her boyfriend, which means she’s single. You should come say ‘hi’ later.”
I roll my eyes. I don’t need her to find me a new man. So far, I’ve had three, all of which were self-absorbed and demanding in ways that pulled my attention from my future. I don’t need that or them.
Nevertheless, the dark-skinned, handsome guy looks me over, smiles and says, “I will.”
“Perfect,” Sally declares and pulls me inside the doorway of the castle.
Once we’re inside, the music isn’t as loud as I expected, thrumming rather than thumping through the room. People mingle in cliquey groups and random people hang all over each other.
“I’m going to find Max,” Sally announces, jabbing at my arm. “Get us a drink, will you?”
She doesn’t wait for an answer. She rushes forward, and I’m dust in the wind.
I’m not upset that she’s left me here in a den of horny boys because they sure aren’t men, not yet. She’ll be back. Sally is loyal and protective of me and our friendship. She wants to see Max, but he’s not her world. Sometimes I’m not sure Sally has found her world at all.