After I pass the pool table, I find Donovan sitting on one of the theater recliners as he hunches over his laptop. He’s tall, about six two, and fit. He’s handsome, I guess. Nice guy. Smart. A little oblivious.

I’ve watched him study for a test with earbuds in while we partied. I’ve seen him walk right past Anastasia, his head far away, and not notice her. My hands clench.

But he—oh yeah, he knows when to pay attention when it counts.

After all, he noticed her first. And dibs count among brothers.

* * *

“See that girl? She’s in my chemistry class. I’ve had my eye on her all semester.”

I glance up from the textbook I’m pretending to read in the library and follow Donovan’s gaze to the babe at a table a few feet away.

I know almost everyone on campus, but—

“She has to be new here. Don’t know her name and I’m too shy to just go up to her.” He leans in. “You’re killer at scoring girls. What do I do?”

I’m barely listening.

Her hair is a soft purple, and a pen is tucked into her updo or whatever you call it. Her eyes—can’t see the color—are behind glasses, but I can tell they’re expressive and thickly lashed. Her mouth is pouty as she pulls it down in a frown. Her shirt is bright pink, the curve of her tits…definitely a D cup, and her legs are long.

Tall.

Curvy.

Unconventional.

MY TYPE.

“She’s hot, right?”

“She’s alright,” I murmur.

She isn’t beautiful in a cookie-cutter way like some of the made-up sorority girls who hang at our house; no, she’s frighteningly pretty in an ethereal, natural way. Like a wild angel. All that color.

I almost expect rainbow wings to pop out behind her back.

Her face is heart-shaped and delicate, her nose a hair too long, the arch of her dark eyebrows dramatic against her pale skin.

I tear my gaze off her and look at Donovan. “She really isn’t your type.”

“I hear you, but I need a change from Harper. We keep hooking up since we broke up, and it never goes anywhere.”

“Hmmm.”

Donovan’s eyes practically glow as he stares at the girl. “I mean, look at her. It’s hard to look away, am I right? She’s so different from me though. Advice? How do I start? Just walk up and then what? Fuck. I have no game. I’m useless when it comes to girls.”

“No, you’re not.”

He taps his pen on the table. “I’m a geek and you know it. I’m going over there. Maybe ask her about class? No, that’s too generic. I need a good pick-up line.” He stands up, a panicked look on his face. “River. Shit. Help.”

I laugh and pull him down. “Hold off on storming the castle.” My eyes go back to her, and I stand. “Let me do a walk-by.”

Her head is down as I slowly walk past her and pretend to look for a book on the nearby shelves. She moves around, uncrossing and crossing her legs. A long sigh comes from her chest.

Being covert, I spy the numerous thick textbooks on her table. Can’t read the names of them, but shit, she’s way smarter than me.

There’s a worn paperback off to the side. I squint at it, mouthing the letters in my head. T-h-e O-u-t-s-i-d-e-r-s. The Outsiders.

Never heard of it. Not that I would.

Who. The Fuck. Is. She.

Her lips turn down again, as if something is bugging her, and I keep myself from moving in, sitting down, and saying, Tell me three things that make you happy. Smile for me.

I glance at Donovan, and he gives me a wide-eyed, hopeful look.

I ease closer, pretending to read a book I grabbed as I hold it up to my face. When I reach her table, I drop my pen and keep going.

“Um, excuse me?” comes from behind me, her voice husky and soft. “You dropped something.”

“Oh?” I turn back to her, and when our eyes meet, my heart dips. Emeralds with gold around the pupils.

She pushes her glasses up. “A pen. I think it rolled under my table.”

“Did it? I was, um, reading, and didn’t notice.”

“Here, let me grab it.” She stands and dips down to check the floor. Her head flips over and her nape is long and creamy, the skin pale and translucent. I bet she doesn’t tan well. She probably uses the hell out of sunscreen when she’s outside. I wonder what her natural hair color is—

I blink, refocusing my brain when she rises up and holds the pen out for me. “Tada. It’s got a unicorn on it. Nice.”

Our hands brush when she hands it off. “Yeah, um, yeah. Callie, she, uh, she likes to buy them and when I go home, I end up with one or two, you know, so I can have something magical at Braxton, that’s what she says anyway…” I peter off, wincing.

She glances at my book. She’s standing close, and I watch as her dark lashes fall against her cheek. Her scent hits me, light and fresh, like summer and sunshine.

Her dark eyebrows arch. “Not My Romeo? Romance lover, huh?”

Shit! I glance down at the shirtless guy on the cover. Leave it to me to grab a chick book. “Ah, no, I was just looking at it.”

“You said you were reading.” Her lips quirk up on one side, so lush and—

Donovan clears his throat, and I glance over at him. He gives me a What the hell are you doing? look.

Right.

How could I forget?

He’s my brother and he saw her first.

She’s just a random girl.

He’s had his eye on her all semester.

He’s lonely.

I’m not.

She smiles shyly. “I love to read. If you ever… I mean, just…ah, the library is a great place for books, duh, and if you need recommendations for a good book to grab, I can help.” She bites her lip. “Wow. I’m saying the stupidest things.”

Her voice is soft and her accent… I can’t place it. Most of the students at Braxton are from the South, but she isn’t.

“I’m super awkward around people my own age.” She laughs under her breath and tingles go down my spine.

I hold her gaze as goose bumps rise on my arms.

What the hell?

Another smile curls her lips as she sticks out her hand. “Hi. Let me introduce myself before I say something else weird. My name is—”

“You need a pen?” Audrey says as she appears out of nowhere and crooks her arm in mine, interrupting Rainbow Girl.

I blink down at Audrey. I guess she was hovering nearby and listening to us…

“Ah, no, this one works fine, but thanks,” I tell her.

Mellany joins her and they start asking me about the next party at the house.

I feel Rainbow Girl’s eyes on me as I give her one last look, pivot away, and leave her there.

After a few moments, I shake the Deltas off and sit down next to Donovan. I take three deep, steadying breaths.

I have the frat, my team, my family.

I have everything.

I’m not hurting for girls.

Donovan has no game and saw her first.

I went over there to get her for him.

But…

Wow…

She’s fucking…

“Well?” he asks. “You were over there for a long time. What did you find out?”

Not enough.