Jaike, Derek’s fiancee, was the first one to move forward and give her a quick hug. “Hi! It’s so nice to finally meet you.”
Her eyes widened.
Jaike’s own eyes twinkled in response. “We’ve been very curious about you all these years, you know. I mean, we see you all the time being photographed with Jason but he’s never trusted the guys to behave themselves with you…well, at least not until now.”
“I…I was curious about you guys, too.” She felt so shy, so not like herself. She felt like she was being scrutinized and compared to Lilac York even though she knew she was probably imagining things.
Everyone in this room had known Nick and Lilac. They knew that Jason was still in love with Lilac. Could they guess how long she had suffered an unrequited love for Jason, too?
Soon, she found herself seated between Jaike and Jason, who was glowering at all of his friends.
“The last time I saw a photo of you was perhaps when you were just fourteen,” Derek mused. “If I remember correctly, we were in Greece then and Jason and I were---”
“Shut up if you know what’s good for you,” Jason said swiftly, having also remembered exactly where they had been when his friends first found out about Keanne. It had been at another one of Reid’s infamous house parties, which had an open-door policy for bedrooms, allowing couples to switch partners or dabble in a little bit of group play.
Jaike raised a brow. “Was it that kind of party then?”
Too late, Derek realized that by trying to get a rise out of his friend, he had landed himself in trouble as well. He cleared his throat. “Well…”
It was strange to see such a dark and powerful looking man appear so uneasy at just a few words from his girlfriend that Keanne slowly found herself relaxing, even smiling as she looked at Jason.
When she looked back at Jaike, she reassured her newfound friend, “It’s all right. I know everything about Jason’s, err, living vices.” She fluttered her lashes at Jason. “Now that I’m of legal age, though, I’ll make sure that he only has one vice to enjoy.”
Jason shook his head even as the rest of his friends grinned and laughed, relaxing at Keanne’s ability to make – and take – a joke. It was uncanny, the way Keanne and Lilac were such complete opposites of each other and yet…he had loved Lilac while he was obsessed with Keanne.
“Now that you’re in college, I will no longer be in danger of committing any kind of offense when I tell you that you’ve grown into a beautiful girl.”
“Shut up, Reid,” Jason gritted out. He didn’t care if Reid was joking. He simply did not like hearing another man taking notice of Keanne’s looks.
Nathan asked Keanne, “How do you find college so far?”
“It’s exciting…but a little terrifying too, sometimes.”
The model smiled and his intimidatingly serious face changed in that instant, turning into something almost ethereally beautiful that even Keanne was left blinking. “If you need anything---”
Seeing the wonder on Keanne’s face, Jason interrupted smoothly, “Keanne will let me know if she needs anything.” He shot his friends a warning look. “Let me say it loud and clear. Keanne is off limits.” His arm went around her waist, the possessiveness in the action unmistakable.
He expected his friends to make jokes, but instead they congratulated him and Keanne warmly.
“I’ve always known she’d make the perfect girlfriend for you when she grows up,” Jaike confided in him happily.
Fuck.
Girlfriend?
He looked at Keanne.
She was smiling, but sensing him looking at her, she met his gaze, her own eyes steady. Do what you will. I can take it. I’m a big girl.
Ah, that was his Keanne.
Brave to a fault, more so than he had taught her to be.
“We are only going out. She is not my girlfriend.”
The laughter died on an awkward note.
Keanne’s heart almost died at his words, but she kept her smile in place and her tone remained light and teasing as she said, “Don’t blame me. I’ve done my virginal best to seduce him into making me his girlfriend, but so far…” She pouted.
The atmosphere lightened again. Impossible for it not to when Keanne had said the only perfect thing to say and that was the truth – without painting Jason or her in a bad light.
And his friends got it, even though Jason’s lingering feelings for Lilac made him the only person who appeared not to have understood the message behind her words.
She was willing to wait until Jason stopped loving Lilac and allowed Keanne to take her place in his heart.
The rest of the night proceeded smoothly. When Jaike excused herself to go to the restroom, Keanne volunteered to accompany her. Inside the ladies room, Jaike smiled at her and asked simply, “What is it that you want to know?”