The Damaged (The Insiders Trilogy #2) - Tijan by Tijan

Kash grunted. I didn’t think he’d get over it, but Matt was right. We were still going to do it.

But he needed to cool down and not be so uptight, because people noticed him, and they’d definitely see his intensity. Like, now Melissa was firmly captivated with him, and I doubted she was aware of it. Her eyes kept returning to him, staying, and her face would get red before she jerked her gaze away. As we drove to the football stadium, it happened over and over again.

When we parked, Matt got out and glared at Fitz.

Fitz just lowered his head and grinned.

Scott laughed, clapping a hand on Matt’s shoulder. “We’re normal students. That means parking and hauling ass to the stadium, just like everyone else.”

“You couldn’t have dropped us off at the front and let us walk in? Lots of people are doing that, too.”

Scott and Fitz both shared a grin with Kash.

“It was my call. We’re walking. Deal with it.”

Matt just growled, “Asshole.”

“Privileged schmuck,” Kash shot back, his eyes sparking.

He was enjoying this. So was Matt. The two walked beside each other, sharing jabs. They were almost in their own world.

Melissa fell in step next to me. “Are they always like that?”

I was just as awed as she was.

Kash wasn’t Kash right now. Or at least, he wasn’t the guy who was worried his grandfather was going to swoop in and try to kill us. This was Kash how he must’ve been while growing up with Matt and the rest of the family.

He was more carefree.

Matt’s hand reached out to punch Kash in the shoulder. Kash twisted, and caught him by his wrist. Matt said something. Kash returned with words, and my brother’s head tipped back. A full laugh came from him, and Kash’s head ducked, but we caught the side profile for a second. He was lightly grinning, and that vision swept through me. A rush of warmth flooded me.

I’d never seen this. Not once.

I salivated for more.

Fitz leaned in, saying quietly, “Yes.” He glanced at me, and I knew he was responding for me. “This is their ‘brother’ dynamic.”

Matt exploded with an “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Kash’s head bent down, but we all heard him throw back, “Deal with it, Matthew. Fucking deal with it.”

“Oh my God! Let it go!” But Matt was laughing.

He threw an arm around Kash’s shoulder before Kash shoved him off, a soft punch to Matt’s chest as he did. More laughter from Matt, and I could visibly see the stress melt from Kash’s shoulders. They grew less rigid, looser.

I glanced back to Fitz. “Does Matt know how to not draw attention to himself?”

Fitz looked to Scott, who was fighting back his own grin. “He’s never not gotten attention, so … no.”

“Should I be worried about this?”

The two shared another look.

Scott’s grin softened. “You’ll be fine. You know Kash. He has three contingencies in place in case we need a quick getaway.”

That eased up some of the sudden guilt I was feeling for making them do this. But thinking back, I realized I wasn’t making them do it. I knew Kash would come, but Matt was the one who showed up without being invited. He already knew about the game, and he was the one who announced he was coming.

I was glad he did. I was thinking this would be a lot more fun with him.

Other people were walking around us, all going to the football stadium.

At first I tensed up, but only a few people checked us out. Those people shot to Scott and Fitz behind us, but Kash and Matt were drawing the most attention.

I saw what Scott said. Matt didn’t know how to not get attention. Even him walking with his head high, his back straight, his pom-poms in the air, he was someone. They just didn’t know who, or couldn’t tell.

“He looks like a wealthy golden boy fraternity brother.”

I glanced to Melissa. She’d been watching me, and she nodded to Matt. “Your brother. I can tell you’re worried, but that’s what the people are thinking when they see him. Your man is something else, but he doesn’t want attention, and they’re reading that. He’s keeping his head down so they can’t see him. They’re going off his demeanor, and he’s got a vibe that he’s dark and mysterious, but somehow he’s putting out another vibe that people need to not pay him attention. They aren’t.

“Your brother, on the other hand, is something else. Fraternity rich kid. That’s what they’re chalking him up to being. And then they think Kash is one too, so they’re getting attention. It’s just not the attention you’re worried they’re getting.” She nodded at them. “Guys like them, they’re going to draw focus from people. Just who they are. Both are manipulating it into something else. Smart.”

Yes. It was.

I remembered back to when Kash hugged me this morning, tucked my hair back into my sweatshirt, and said under his breath, “Fresh-faced student. Light. Nice. Eyes will skip over you, thinking you’re another pretty face.”

I’d been struck then by his words, but it made sense now. He was feeling out what “vibe” I was putting out, and he was right.

Innocent. Light. That’s the aura Kash wanted me to give out, so with that in mind, I stopped worrying.

We had a game to enjoy.