She nodded, her expression a mix of pinched and placid. “A job, Hells. A very well-paying job that won’t last more than a year.”
My first instinct was to delicately eject her from Wheelz, but my gut was screaming for me to hear her out. So, I let my bat dangle from my side and took her by the elbow.
“Come sit down. I’ll listen.”
She finally gave me a real smile, and I realized she was much younger than I had originally estimated. Whatever was going on inside her body had aged her by a decade at least.
“You won’t regret it, Hells. That, I promise you.”
I’d listen because I wasn’t stupid, but I wasn’t making any promises.
“I don’t have any regrets, Mads. That isn’t my thing.”
“I envy you.” Her chin quivered, but her smile was brave.
We sat down behind the counter, and Madeline McGarvey told me the saddest story I’d ever heard. Then she made me an offer that changed the direction of my life forever.
Chapter One
Helen
My dorm room was bigger than my trailer. That wasn’t saying much since my trailer was a rusted-out tin can, but still. I’d expected cinder block walls and barely any room to breathe—which, frankly, still would have been an improvement.
I should have known better. Savage U wasn’t some overcrowded state school. Those endowments from the many, many one-percenter alumni paid for real walls, windows with views, and privacy. My dorm room wasn’t really a room at all. It was a suite with a shared living area and three private bedrooms.
I’d slept on a couch for the last ten years, so having a room with a real bed all to myself was hard to wrap my head around.
I dropped my trash bags filled with my clothes and bedding. The contents of three large, black bags were all I had to my name, and the majority of it was hand-me-downs. The hand-me-downs were of much higher quality than anything I’d ever owned. That was because they were from Mads. She had only had the best of the best.
Rubbing the sudden pinch in my chest, I kicked a bag and decided I wasn’t ready to unpack yet. I went back to the small living area and turned in a circle. The windows overlooked a sea of green, green grass where students were sunbathing and playing frisbee. There was a tiny kitchenette with a mini-fridge and microwave. Two loveseats and an armchair sat in the center of the room facing a TV mounted on the wall. Simple and plain, but to a girl like me, luxurious.
A girl in a sundress emerged from one of the bedrooms. Her eyes rounded when she saw me, then she waved.
“Hi,” she said softly. “I’m Zadie.”
“Helen.” I looked her over. Really looked her over. “You’re really fucking pretty. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone prettier.”
Zadie’s apple cheeks were immediately engulfed in flames, and Jesus Christ, she got even prettier.
“I’m not,” she almost whispered. “But thank you for saying so. You have the nicest hair I’ve ever seen.”
“Thanks,” I waved off her compliment, “but I’m going to need a minute to get over your face.”
Honest to god, this girl looked like an angel. I wasn’t the type to comment on other girls’ appearances, but I was just so taken aback by her face. If soft was a person, Zadie would be her. Her brown hair flowed in ringlets around her shoulders and down her back. Her skin was fine and smooth, pure cream except at the cheeks where she was pink. Her eyes were big and blue, surrounded by the blackest, thickest lashes I’d ever seen. She was short and a little round, but in a perfectly proportionate way, with boobs and hips and, I suspected, an ass that didn’t quit.
Yeah, Zadie was fucking stunning.
I blinked hard. “Sorry. I think I’ll be okay now. Did I introduce myself?”
She giggled, but it was filled with nerves. “Yes. Helen. And I’m Zadie.”
My nose scrunched. “I remember. You can call me Hells or Helen. Whatever. Do you know who our other roommate is?”
She shook her head. “No idea. There was a last-minute change and someone new was assigned to our suite, but her name wasn’t online when I checked.”
“Well,” I plopped down on the couch, “I hope she’s chill.”
Zadie perched on the opposite couch. “I hope so too. My roommates last year were a disaster. They hated me instantly because I’m…you know, I guess chubby, and—”
“What the fuck?” I spit out.
She shrunk back. “They never said it out loud, but it was obvious. The girls at this school, well…”
“What about the girls at this school? I’m a transfer, so tell it to me straight. Are they bitches?”
Zadie gasped, then she giggled with less nerves. “Not all of them, of course. I guess I had some bad luck last year, rooming with two best friends who looked, spoke, and acted just alike. You don’t seem anything like them, which is a relief.”
“I’ve never met them, and I can guarantee I’m not like them.” I slouched and spread my arms over the back of the couch. “So, what’s your deal, Zadie? What are you into? Why did you choose Savage U out of all the universities in the land?”
Her cheeks went rosy again. It was cute, but since we were going to be living together, I hoped like hell she calmed down and got comfy with me. I didn’t want to have to be concerned with making this pretty girl blush just by asking her a question.
And this was probably why I had so few girl friends. The ones I did have were the girlfriends of my guy besties. I mean, they were legit, but the friendship wouldn’t have happened if they hadn’t been attached to my boys.
“Well, my mom and stepdad went here, so that’s most of it. Also, I’m majoring in accounting, and the business school is one of the best in the country.”
My phone vibrated in my pocket. I slipped it out and read the screen.
StupidMotherfucker: I haven’t heard from you. You’re late. Need you to deliver. No warnings. Don’t fuck up, Helen.
Tossing my phone on the couch with a groan, I crossed my legs and leaned an elbow on my knee. “Cool, cool. You want to take a walk?”
Zadie straightened. “Um…well, I was in the middle of setting up my room, so…”
“Is that on a strict timeline or can you walk with me? I need to go see someone about a thing, then maybe you can give me a campus tour.”
I probably shouldn’t have dragged Zadie into my business, but if she was there, I’d get in and out a lot faster. Hopefully.
“Okay.” She blinked at me. “I’ll go. My room will be there later, I guess.”
“Pretty sure that’s a definite, Z.”
* * *
Savage U’s campus was gorgeous. Very Southern California-chic, with lots of green space, palm trees, pristine white sidewalks, and blue, blue skies. The buildings were Art Deco era Spanish-style, some with ivy creeping up the sides, lending them an air of gravitas.