My Best Friend's Ex: A New Adult College Romance (Beta Brothers #1) Read online

  M Y B E S T

  F R I E N D ’ S E X

  A N E W A D U L T C O L L E G E R O M A N C E

  Hazel Kelly

  © 2018 Hazel Kelly

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, copied, or stored in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the author. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, events, brands, companies, and locations in this story are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, organizations, and settings is purely coincidental.

  Edited by Aquila Editing

  Cover Artwork – © 2018 L.J. Anderson of Mayhem Cover Creations

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  P R O L O G U E

  O N E

  T W O

  T H R E E

  F O U R

  F I V E

  S I X

  S E V E N

  E I G H T

  N I N E

  T E N

  E L E V E N

  T W E L V E

  T H I R T E E N

  F O U R T E E N

  F I F T E E N

  S I X T E E N

  S E V E N T E E N

  E I G H T E E N

  N I N E T E E N

  T W E N T Y

  T W E N T Y O N E

  T W E N T Y T W O

  T W E N T Y T H R E E

  T W E N T Y F O U R

  T W E N T Y F I V E

  T W E N T Y S I X

  T W E N T Y S E V E N

  T W E N T Y E I G H T

  T W E N T Y N I N E

  T H I R T Y

  T H I R T Y O N E

  T H I R T Y T W O

  T H I R T Y T H R E E

  T H I R T Y F O U R

  T H I R T Y F I V E

  T H I R T Y S I X

  T H I R T Y S E V E N

  T H I R T Y E I G H T

  T H I R T Y N I N E

  F O R T Y

  F O R T Y O N E

  F O R T Y T W O

  F O R T Y T H R E E

  F O R T Y F O U R

  F O R T Y F I V E

  F O R T Y S I X

  E P I L O G U E

  N O T E F R O M T H E A U T H O R

  O T H E R S E R I E S B Y H A Z E L K E L L Y

  “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”

  - John Chardin

  P R O L O G U E

  I’ve always been good at sharing. You have to be when you grow up in a family like mine.

  But I never wanted to share Logan.

  From the moment I saw him, my skin prickled and my insides burned, as if I’d found something I hadn’t realized I was looking for.

  Unfortunately, I had to keep that to myself since, like all the kids my parents brought home, he was considered family from the moment he took a seat at our table. So from that day on, I did everything I could to force a familial bond.

  Piper didn’t have to, though. She noticed immediately how special he was, and it wasn’t long before she was caring for him in a way I couldn’t, a way I wasn’t ready for.

  A way that made me insanely jealous.

  Night after night, I’d watch her leave my house and sneak over to the annex above our garage to visit him, and I’d stare at the small, curtain-covered window until my eyes burned with tears.

  I wanted to be happy for them. After all, Piper and I had been best friends since I was six, and she was so content with him… at least, in the beginning. But it was hard because their relationship taught me that I wasn’t as good at sharing as I thought. I just never cared about anything enough to want it all to myself before.

  Until Logan.

  Not that I held it against them that they got together. I know better than anyone that you can’t help who you love. You can only help who knows about it.

  And since he’ll always be off-limits, there’s no point in sharing my secret.

  It doesn’t matter if my body screams for his touch whenever we cross paths. It doesn’t matter that my heart swells to six times its normal size at the mere thought of that handsome loner’s shy smile. It doesn’t matter if I think I could love him better than she did.

  Because Logan Jones and I are never going to happen.

  O N E

  - Zoey -

  I remember the day I met my parents.

  A pretty black social worker helped me put my belongings in my backpack and took me from the house I’d always lived in. I recall thinking it was surprisingly sunny outside.

  She brushed my hair and told me how much I was going to like the couple we were meeting for lunch. And I did.

  The man asked me lots of questions about myself, smiling at my answers while he dunked his fries in his little pot of ketchup. The woman didn’t even touch her food. She just admired me and hung on my every word, her kind eyes smiling like I was the most amazing thing she’d ever laid eyes on.

  At first it was kind of uncomfortable since I wasn’t used to getting much attention from adults. Or anyone, for that matter.

  But two weeks later, I was living at their house with seven other foster kids, and she was still looking at me like that. Like I was not only alarmingly special, but wanted, too. Seemingly overnight, I went from being a largely invisible annoyance to being part of a noisy, crazy family.

  You could almost say my life started when I turned six.

  I met Piper a few days later, before I’d even managed to learn all my new siblings’ names. Twelve years later, she was still my best friend.

  “Huh,” she said, picking her way through a cardboard box on my bed. “Interesting.”

  I flinched at the ripping noise the packing tape made as I unraveled it before tearing it with my teeth. “What?” I asked, sealing a box of personal items. It wasn’t a box that was coming to college with me tomorrow, but I knew my mom was liable to adopt another kid once my bed became available, so it would be selfish not to clear some space.

  “You’re bringing your Docs to school?”

  “Only the ones with the sunflowers,” I said, sliding my box of high school memorabilia beside the now half-empty dresser.

  “Don’t you think they’re a little…?”

  I rose to my feet. “If you even say ugly, I swear to-”

  “Worn?” she asked, scrunching her face.

  I rolled my eyes. She’d always hated those shoes, but they made me smile, and I never took fashion quite as seriously as she did. “Look on the bright side. At least you won’t have to look at them anymore.”

  Her pretty face fell into a pout, and she crawled onto my twin bed. “When you say it like that, I miss them already.”

  “Don’t start. We said we wouldn’t do this.” Just the thought of being without her made a lump form in my throat, and I didn’t want to spend the whole night crying into the Hawaiian pizza we just ordered.

  “I know,” she said, her silky brown hair falling around her face as she hugged my ragged teddy bear to her chest. “But I should’ve weaned myself off you. Going cold turkey is going to kill me.”

  I cocked my head. “You’ve never been the sentimental one in this relationship. Please don’t start now.”

  “I could drive down with you tomorrow,” she said. “Help you unpack your things. Then I’d be able to picture where you are.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. That will only drag out the good-bye. My parents aren’t even going to do that.”

  “What?” Her neck hinged forward a
s she draped her black nails over the edge of the open box. “I thought for sure they’d be taking you.”

  “Nope. I’m getting a ride down with Tom. He’s going anyway.” I didn’t mean to encourage his friendliness by accepting the offer, but I was terrified that if my parents or Piper took me down, I’d panic and change my mind about the whole college thing and beg them to take me home.

  She groaned. “That poor boy. I can’t believe he’s still holding out hope.”

  “It’s not like that. We’re just friends.”

  “My ass. Nobody’s ever wanted to be your friend less than that guy.”

  I took my worn teddy from her and stuffed it in the open box. “Can you hold this shut for me?” I asked, grabbing the tape off the floor.

  She scooted onto her knees and folded the flaps closed, flinching as I ripped a fresh piece of tape.

  I hesitated for a second, my hands poised over the seam of the box.

  “What are you waiting for?” she asked, her brown eyes searching mine.

  I sighed. “Will you open that and take Mister Bear out?”

  She raised her eyebrows. “Are you sure?”

  I nodded.

  She blew air out between her glossy lips and pulled my oldest comfort from the box. “I never thought I’d see this day.”

  I wiggled the tape to let her know I was sick of holding it taut and then sealed the box.

  “Poor Teddy,” she said, setting the bear on my pillow. “That was stone cold.”

  I shrugged. It was embarrassingly painful to imagine sleeping without him, but this was supposed to be a new chapter, and the me I wanted to become slept with men. Not stuffed animals.

  She pushed the box to the end of the bed and patted the space next to her.

  I crawled up and leaned my back against the wall so we were both facing the bunk bed on the other side of the room.

  “What are you most looking forward to?” she asked.

  “You mean besides the pizza?”

  “Yeah,” she said, laying her head on my shoulder. “Besides the pizza.”

  “I suppose I’m looking forward to having my own space.” Though I was kind of freaked out about how quiet my new living arrangements were going to be. I mean, one roommate? I hope she had a big personality. “You?”

  “Can I say getting out from under my parents’ roof?”

  “Of course.”

  “I miss how they used to look at me. Like they were proud of me. Like I could do no wrong in their eyes.”

  My heart sank. “I know.”

  She lifted her face. “It’s been two years, Zoey. Two years of being micromanaged and treated like a criminal.”

  “Someday they’ll get over it.” I wracked my brain for another platitude, but the truth was I had no idea why her parents were still so angry about her pregnancy scare. It’s not like anything came of it. “These things take time.”

  “Two years.” She shook her head. “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve told them I was sorry?”

  “At least they didn’t disown you.”

  She scoffed. “Sometimes I’m not so sure.”

  I angled my body towards her. “Things will get better. Trust me. College is going to be a fresh start for you.”

  She stayed quiet for a moment, and we listened to the muffled sounds of too many kids shouting at each other down the hall. “Do you think you’ll see him around campus much?”

  I considered pretending I didn’t know who she was talking about but decided there was no point. “I don’t know. I assume he still keeps to himself.”

  “Will you tell him I said hi?” she asked. “Just if you see him around, ya know. Don’t go out of your way or anything.”

  “Sure.” Not that I saw what good it would do.

  “I’m still kind of hoping we could be friends again someday.”

  “Really?” I asked, failing to hide the surprise in my voice.

  “Okay, maybe not friends,” she said. “But it seems weird to think we’d never speak again after everything we went through.”

  “I’m sort of under the impression you broke his heart, Piper.”

  “I didn’t mean to.”

  “I know, but that doesn’t change anything.”

  “You’re right.” She hung her head. “Forget I mentioned him.”

  I wish I could. Hell, I wish I could forget you ever met him.

  Piper’s ears perked up when a car door slammed outside. “Is that the pizza?”

  I rushed to the window, and as soon as I recognized the familiar red car, I bolted downstairs, knowing I had to get to the delivery guy before he rang the doorbell or the pizza would disappear into a dozen grabby hands before I even managed a whiff of it.

  I took the stairs two at a time, narrowly missing an ill-placed Lego and a half-naked Barbie on the descent. And suddenly, instead of looking forward to leaving this craziness behind, I was overwhelmed with a tangible loneliness from which I feared I might never recover.

  T W O

  - Logan -

  I nearly sliced my finger off when Carter burst in the room.

  “Good thing I wasn’t jerking off,” I said, keeping my eye on the egg-sized piece of wood I was whittling.

  “Yet it smells like wood in here.” He leaned against the doorframe, the sleeves of his T-shirt pulling around his muscles.

  “Good one.” Some more shavings fell to the ground between my feet, and I looked over at him, my elbows still resting on my parted knees.

  “You wanted to see me?”

  “Yeah.” I folded my favorite knife and set it on the end of the bed. “I heard a rumor you can code.”

  “So?”

  “So I need a website.”

  “Why can’t you use Tinder like everybody else?”

  “You’re on a roll today.”

  He smiled.

  “Actually, I need a site to sell my furniture.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  I leaned back on my hands. “Can you do that sort of thing?”

  He dropped his head to one side. “You mean eventually, right? ‘Cause I’m sort of focused on unpacking my shit and getting my course schedule in order.”

  “You really know how to keep things exciting.”

  “Not everyone has been here all summer with all the time in the world to register.”

  “You could’ve stayed down, too,” I said. “Retaken econ like you threatened.”

  “You done?”

  “Yep. Just wanted to plant that seed.”

  “Want to help me carry the last of my shit in?”

  I shook my head. “Your puny ass needs the workout.”

  He scoffed. “Who’s the funnyman now?”

  “Seriously, though. Let me know when we can discuss the site.”

  “Is this your latest piece?” He walked around my bed and ran his hand over the unstained patio chair.

  “Yeah.”

  “It’s nice,” he said, stepping back to admire it.

  “I know.”

  “What’s in it for me if I help you build the site?”

  I shot him a look. “What do you want?”

  He twisted his lips. “Can I think about it?”

  “Whatever.”

  He headed for the door, his eyes lingering leisurely over every surface in my room. “I see you haven’t changed much since last semester.”

  “Unload your shit so we can start drinking.”

  “Don’t have to tell me twice,” he said, leaving the room and restoring the solitude I so enjoyed.

  Maybe it was odd for a guy like me to live in a frat house, but I thought it would be good for me. I thought it would force me to have a social life, which I hadn’t really had before college, and it did. I paid extra to have my own room as soon as one opened up sophomore year, though. That way I could enjoy some modicum of isolation when I needed it.

  I picked up the tiny piece of wood beside me and turned it over in my hands. The little sparrow’s face was nearly done
. After that, I had to do the feathers on the body and work my way down to the feet. Then I would attach it to the base of the chair I just built, as was my signature.

  Well, I say signature, but I’d only sold around a dozen pieces to date. Still, someday people would recognize my work from the tiny sparrows that adorned each one. Maybe I’d even be a household name.

  Not that I gave a shit about fame. I did, however, want to prove my parents wrong.

  I’d just gotten into the rhythm again when my phone buzzed. I stood, careful not to kick the sawdust on my way to the coffee table, and put my things down when I saw who it was.

  “Hey Mr. P.”

  “Logan, how are you?”

  “Great,” I said. “Everything alright?”

  “Yeah. I’m just calling to let you know some mail came to the house for you. Looks like it might be your summer school results.”

  “Nice. Thanks for letting me know.”

  “Do you want me to send it down with Zoey?”

  I perched on the edge of my desk chair. “What?”

  “She’s driving down tomorrow to move into the dorms.”

  I swallowed.

  “I wanted to bring her down myself and take you both to lunch, but she said that would cramp her style.”

  “Who’s bringing her to campus then?”

  “Her friend Tom.”

  I pulled at the hair at the back of my head. I fucking hated that guy. He was a total creep, always laughing too hard at her jokes and sucking up to her. She could do so much better.

  “Should I send the letter down with her?” he asked again.

  “Sure, if you think that’s best.” I certainly didn’t. I’d been avoiding Zoey ever since I went to college. That was part of the reason I’d taken classes over the summer in the first place. So I could stay on campus. On the plus side, it was nice that her folks hadn’t picked up on the fact that she was a problem for me.

  Technically, they were our folks, but I was sixteen when the Petersens took me in and seventeen when they signed the papers to adopt me. So it’s not like I called them Mom and Dad or anything. Still, there was nothing I wouldn’t do for them.