pte

vi

oorway to Emma's room and E

g, asshole. You sho

ave the nerd

ing is soooo nerdy

it's time

not h

said we both ha

hy

cl

ma's room and resisted t

, a bookshelf, a dresser, a hamper, and a night table. Everything was neat and

did

Emma looked up from her

g in all the

s pillow and chu

bout a foot away from wh

e th

ck

slammed her book closed and to

avier's favorite pasti

ve, and Xavier could always tell w

purse her pouty lips as a bl

blond hair was cut in a similar styl

made her look much smaller. Her brown eyes were deep and flecked with gold, a

rkable sexy nerd look, she thought she was plain. She walked with her head down, h

and Xavier hated t

Mom doesn't get mad at me fo

t her perfect baby boy." Emma swung her

raight-A, golden girl stepsister believed that Xavier was the favored one in the

ier snapped, his frustra

to the stairs. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled

ty at McKen

'll be

s pocket and headed toward the k

sked from his seat at the head of the

nto his place next to R

gave him a pointed look. "Getti

Six years after ruining his life, she sti

and he leaned closer so she c

sper at the table,"

y." She drop

d his features. Glaring at hi

," Ke

ey

seat next to Mom, h

e," Mom said. "We need to t

m the start of fall term. Both Xavier and Emma

ier asked when Ken p

your living

looked between them. "I'v

ith Tripp and some

rich and had bought a house for him to live in during school. He rented out rooms for

nts exchan

," Mom said. "Your father has refus

avier gap

for the last three years. He had a shit ton of money, and since he'd spent Xavier's

e've priced it out, and it would be more cost-effec

cal if they had been talking about something that didn't inv

en agreement that they didn't

lt. They were in different programs, had different friends, and Emma had lived in the dorms while

Emma s

ovide you with a cost-of-livi

Xavier

my old car." Mom s

ng a new car?

hing safer, more

mom-mobile, and about as family-friendly as they cam

ve around campus in a

us to share it

from campus. We decided it would be better and safer if

ompletely diffe

have a car in college. Didn't get one until I got my first job after graduat

partment?" Emm

idgem

gemo

s thanks to three years of partying there. He had never heard of

the table," Ke

his wasn't happening. He had to spend his senior year of college s

a scholarship-of course she was-and Xavier vaguely remembered that o

ars. As long as you keep your grades up,

at her plate, her ears p

paid Tripp my fi

d his dad would deposit the money into his account at the end of the

hair away from the table and stood. "We're going to pay for the apartme

gazes locked. She looked

ek before the start of school. How are we supp

All you need to bring is your

apartments weren't something they could find near

vie

n." Xavier lo

th Emma next year.

licked his gaze to Emma. "We're