Mad Boys (Blue Ivy Prep, #2)(13)

“KC was in a car accident?” Ramsey reached for my phone, but I jerked it back. One, he had his own, and two, he could fuck off. I wasn’t talking to either of them about her.

Not anymore.

Not after last time.

“Is she all right?” Ramsey stared at me, seemingly unmoved by the fact I glared right back at him. “Cut me a break. Is Kaitlin all right?”

“Yes.”

As far as I knew. I looked back at my book, only I didn’t see the words. There were still people boarding, and a flight attendant was letting everyone know it was a full flight.

“Look,” Ramsey said after a beat, his voice pitched low. It would be hard enough to hear over the rumbling of the engines as they warmed up or whatever it was they were doing. “I get that you’re pissed at us. You can continue to be mad all you want, but I’m still your brother, and I’ll still have your back.”

I didn’t scoff, but I thought about it. After that, he left me alone for the rest of the flight. Once we were at the airport, we took a rideshare with our luggage to the long-term parking lot where Ramsey left his car, then we were on our way back to school.

The closer we got to Blue Ivy, the more restlessness invaded me. I was leaning forward, trying to see if she was already here? I didn’t know. Even if she was coming back…

Wait, what if she didn’t come back? The year before had been her first year. What if she decided it wasn’t worth it?

That idea alone seemed to suck all the oxygen out of the car. We were a few days early because Ramsey had RA training to do. He would, once again, be the RA of my building.

Whatever. I didn’t care. I could ignore him even better when he was in his first-floor suite and I was in my private one. No Ramsey. No Lachlan.

It would be better.

Twenty minutes after getting to campus, I was letting myself into my own suite. While it still had two bedrooms, I would have it to myself. Ramsey didn’t like the idea of me rooming with anyone that wasn’t them. I didn’t complain or disabuse him of this.

I needed the privacy.

My trunks arrived the following day. I had the same suite I’d had to share with Lachlan the year before. Most of the furniture was still ours. It had been thoroughly cleaned, which was nice.

Beginning the first day for seniors and juniors to return to campus, I started staking out the girls’ dorm. We had the entire week to get checked back in. If I were talking to Ramsey, I could ask him if she was actively enrolled.

I wasn’t talking to him and didn’t want to, so I kept it to myself. The weather was nice enough that I could sit outside and read. I found a lot of different spots to watch the girls’ dorm from.

Instead of reading, I spent more time on music. I had a tune in my head that wouldn’t stop, so I wrote it all out until I’d figured out most of the nuances. I didn’t need equipment to test the music on; I could hear it in my head, see the notes even as they played.

On the third day, I went to get my schedule. I ignored most of the kids in line, just keeping an eye out for distinctive blue hair.

“Dekkar,” I said to the registrar’s assistant, who was passing out the packets.

“C” was in the box next to the one she was digging in. I couldn’t make out the names, but I wanted to glance to see if KC was in there.

“Here you go, Jonas,” the older woman said with a smile. Her name was Appleby, maybe. I knew her face, but I wasn’t great with names. “I hope you have an amazing senior year.”

“Thanks.”

I was flipping through the folder to find my schedule. I had filled out the classes I wanted before we left in the spring, but I still wanted to be sure.

The music lab was still there for the hour following lunch. That was perfect. I grimaced when I saw Ramsey as TA for the advanced literature class. Well, I should have guessed that. I didn’t need those credits so I could drop it. I’d totally swapped out of his class the year before.

The class that had KC in it. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that, but I hated having Ramsey in charge of anything. I was still skimming my schedule when I bumped into someone and blinked. I’d gotten distracted again.

“Sorry,” the girl said.

I opened my mouth, but words failed. I knew this girl. Of course, I knew her. She was Aubrey Miller.

KC’s bandmate and roommate.

If she was here…

I pivoted and strode away from her, heading straight for the dorms. Please let her be here.

It would help to see her. If I didn’t… maybe I could go back and steal her schedule. I could probably bribe someone. Right, that might be faster. I knew a kid.

I made it to the trees not far from the girls’ dorm. There were cars and trucks stacking up in the circular drive in front of it. I looked up Russell’s contact, then sent him a quick message asking if he could get me her schedule.

He’d gotten it for me the year before. Not that it worked out. But hopefully, he’d come through with no questions again this year.

I shifted to press deeper into the shadow of the tree as another moving truck pulled up. My phone buzzed but a flash of blue sucked all of my attention.

KC appeared between one of the cars and trucks. She was the best thing I'd seen all summer, dressed in shorts with a long-sleeved sweatshirt tied around her waist, and wearing running shoes with her hair up in a ponytail.