The Revenge You Seek by Tracy Lorraine
Letty
My hand aches by the time Professor Whitman finishes talking. It feels like a lifetime ago that I spent this long taking notes.
"You okay?" Luca asks me with a laugh as I stretch out my fingers.
"Yeah, it's been a while."
"I'm sure these boys can assist you with that, beautiful," bursts from Colt's lips, earning him another slap to the head.
"Ignore him. He's been hit in the head with a ball one too many times," Leon says from beside me but I'm too enthralled with the way Luca is looking at me right now to reply.
Our friendship wasn't a conventional one back in high school. He was the star quarterback, and I wasn't a cheerleader or ever really that sporty. But we were paired up as lab partners during my first week at Rosewood High and we kinda never separated.
I watched as he took the team to new heights, as he met with college scouts, I even went to a few places with him so he didn't have to go alone.
He was the one who allowed me to cry on his shoulder as I struggled to come to terms with the loss of another who left a huge hole in my heart and he never, not once, overstepped the mark while I clung to him and soaked up his support.
I was also there while he hooked up with every member of the cheer squad along with any other girl who looked at him just so. Each one stung a little more than the last as my poor teenage heart was getting battered left, right, and center.
With each day, week, month that passed, I craved him more but he never, not once, looked at me that way.
I was even his prom date, yet he ended up spending the night with someone else.
It hurt, of course it did. But it wasn't his fault and I refuse to hold it against him.
Maybe I should have told him. Been honest with him about my feelings and what I wanted. But I was so terrified I'd lose my best friend that I never confessed, and I took that secret all the way to Columbia with me.
As I stare at him now, those familiar butterflies still set flight in my belly, but they're not as strong as I remember. I'm not sure if that's because my feelings for him have lessened over time, or if I'm just so numb and broken right now that I don't feel anything but pain.
It really could go either way.
I smile at him, so grateful to have run into him this morning.
He always knew when I needed him and even without knowing of my presence here, there he was like some guardian fucking angel.
If guardian angels had sexy dark bed hair, mesmerizing green eyes and a body built for sin then yeah, that's what he is.
I laugh to myself, yeah, maybe that irritating crush has gone nowhere.
"What have you got next?" Leon asks, dragging my attention away from his twin.
Leon has always been the quieter, broodier one of the duo. He's as devastatingly handsome and as popular with the female population but he doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve like Luca. Leon takes a little time to warm to people, to let them in. It was hard work getting there, but I soon realized that once he dropped his walls a little for me, it was hella worth it.
He's more serious, more contemplative, he's deeper. I always suspected that there was a reason they were so different. I know twins don't have to be the same and like the same things, but there was always something niggling at me that there was a very good reason that Leon closed himself down. From listening to their mom talk over the years, they were so identical in their mannerisms, likes, and dislikes when they were growing up, that it seems hard to believe they became so different.
"Psychology but not for an hour. I'm—"
"I'm taking her for coffee," Luca butts in. A flicker of anger passes through Leon's eyes but it's gone so fast that I begin to wonder if I imagined it.
"I could use another coffee before econ," Leon chips in.
"Great. Let's go," Luca forces out through clenched teeth.
He wanted me alone. Interesting.
The reason I never told him about my mega crush is the fact he friend-zoned me in our first few weeks of friendship by telling me how refreshing it was to have a girl wanting to be his friend and not using it as a ploy to get more.
We were only sophomores at the time but even then, Luca was up to all sorts and the girls around us were all more than willing to bend to his needs.
From that moment on, I couldn't tell him how I really felt. It was bad enough I even felt it when he thought our friendship was just that.
I smile at both of them, hoping to shatter the sudden tension between the twins.
"Be careful with these two," Colt announces from behind us as we make our way out of the lecture hall with all the others. "The stories I've heard."
"Colt," Luca warns, turning to face him and walking backward for a few steps.
"Don't worry," I shoot over my shoulder. "I know how to handle the Dunn twins." I wink at him as he howls with laughter.
"You two are in so much trouble," he muses as he turns left out of the room and we go right.
Leon takes my books from me once more and Luca threads his fingers through mine. I still for a beat. While the move isn't unusual, Luca has always been very affectionate. It only takes a second for his warmth to race up my arm and to settle the last bit of unease that's still knotting my stomach.
"Two Americanos and a skinny vanilla latte with an extra shot. Three cupcakes with the sprinkles on top."
I swoon at the fact Luca remembers my order. "How'd you—"
He turns to me, his wide smile and the sparkle in his eyes making my words trail off. The familiarity of his face, the feeling of comfort and safety he brings me causes a lump to form in my throat.
"I didn't forget anything about my best girl." He throws his arm around my shoulder and pulls me close.
Burying my nose in his hard chest, I breathe him in. His woodsy scent mixes with his laundry detergent and it settles me in a way I didn't know I needed.
Leon's stare burns into my back as I snuggle with his brother and I force myself to pull away so he doesn't feel like the third wheel.
"Dunn," the server calls, and Leon rushes ahead to grab our order while Luca leads me to a booth at the back of the coffee shop.
As we walk past each table, I become more and more aware of the attention on the twins. I know their reps, they've had their football god status since before I moved to Rosewood and met them in high school, but I had forgotten just how hero-worshiped they were, and this right now is off the charts.
Girls openly stare, their eyes shamelessly dropping down the guys' bodies as they mentally strip them naked. Guys jealousy shines through their expressions, especially those who are here with their girlfriends who are now paying them zero attention. Then there are the girls whose attention is firmly on me. I can almost read their thoughts—hell, I heard enough of them back in high school.
What do they see in her?
She's not even that pretty.
They're too good for her.
The only difference here from high school is that no one knows I'm just trailer park trash seeing as I moved from the hellhole that is Harrow Creek before meeting the boys.
Tipping my chin up, I straighten my spine and plaster on as much confidence as I can find.
They can all think what they like about me, they can come up with whatever bitchy comments they want. It's no skin off my back.
"Good to see you've lost your appeal," I mutter, dropping into the bench opposite both of them and wrapping my hands around my warm mug when Leon passes it over.
"We walk around practically unnoticed," Luca deadpans.
"You thought high school was bad," Leon mutters, he was always the one who hated the attention whereas Luca used it to his advantage to get whatever he wanted. "It was nothing."
"So I see. So, how's things? Catch me up on everything," I say, needing to dive into their celebrity status lifestyles rather than thinking about my train wreck of a life.
"Really?" Luca asks, raising a brow and causing my stomach to drop into my feet. "I think the bigger question is how come you’re here and why we had no idea about it?"
Releasing my mug, I wrap my arms around myself and drop my eyes to the table.
"T-things just didn't work out at Columbia," I mutter, really not wanting to talk about it.
"The last time we talked, you said it was everything you expected it to be and more. What happened?"
Kane fucking Legend happened.
I shake that thought from my head like I do every time he pops up.
He's had his time ruining my life. It's over.
"I just…" I sigh. "I lost my way a bit, ended up dropping out and finally had to fess up and come clean to Mom."
Leon laughs sadly. "I bet that went down well."
The Dunn twins are well aware of what it's like to live with a pushy parent. One of the things that bonded the three of us over the years.
"Like a lead balloon. Even worse because I dropped out months before I finally showed my face."
"Why hide?" Leon's brows draw together as Luca stares at me with concern darkening his eyes.
"I had some health issues. It's nothing."
"Shit, are you okay?"
Fucking hell, Letty. Stop making this worse for yourself.
"Yeah, yeah. Everything is good. Honestly. I'm here and I'm ready to start over and make the best of it."
They both smile at me, and I reach for my coffee once more, bringing the mug to my lips and taking a sip.
"Enough about me, tell me all about the lives of two of the hottest Kings of Maddison."
* * *
"Okay… how'd you do that?" Ella whispers after both Luca and Leon walk me to my psych class after our coffee break.
"Do what?" I ask, following her into the room and finding ourselves seats about halfway back.
"It's your first day and the Dunn twins just walked you to class. You got a diamond-encrusted vag or something?"
I snort a laugh as a few others pause on their way to their seats at her words.
"Shush," I chastise.
"Girl, if it's true, you know all these guys need to know about it."
I pull out my books and a couple of pens as Professor Collins sets up at the front before turning to her.
"No, I don’t have diamonds anywhere but my necklace. I've been friends with them for years."
"Girl, I knew there was a reason we should be friends." She winks at me. "I've been trying to get West and Brax to hook me up but they're useless."
"You want to be friends so I can set you up with one of the Dunns?"
"Or both." She shrugs, her face deadly serious before she leans in. "I've heard that they tag team sometimes. Can you imagine? Both of their undivided attention." She fans herself as she obviously pictures herself in the middle of a Dunn sandwich. "Oh and, I think you're pretty cool too."
"Of course you do." I laugh.
It's weird, I might have only met her very briefly this morning but that was enough.
"We're all going out for dinner tonight to welcome you to the dorm. The others are dying to meet you." She smiles at me, proving that there's no bitterness behind her words.
"I'm sorry for ignoring you all."
"Girl, don't sweat it. We got ya back, don't worry."
"Thank you," I mouth as the professor demands everyone's attention to begin the class.
The time flies as I scribble my notes down as fast as I can, my hand aching all over again and before I know it, he's finished explaining our first assignment and bringing his class to a close.
"Jesus, this semester is going to be hard," Ella muses as we both pack up.
"At least we've got each other."
"I like the way you think. You done for the day?"
"Yep, I'm gonna head to the store, grab some supplies then get started on this assignment, I think."
"I've got a couple of hours. You want company?"
After dumping our stuff in our rooms, Ella takes me to her favorite store, and I stock up on everything I'm going to need before we head back so she can go to class.
I make myself some lunch before being brave and setting up my laptop at the kitchen table to get started on my assignments. My time for hiding is over, it's time to get back to life and once again become a fully immersed college student.
"Holy shit, she is alive. I thought Zayn was lying about his beautiful older sister," a deep rumbling voice says, dragging me from my research a few hours later.
I spin and look at the two guys who have joined me.
"Zayn would never have called me beautiful," I say as a greeting.
"That's true. I think his actual words were: messy, pain in the ass, and my personal favorite, I'm glad I don't have to live with her again," he says, mimicking my brother's voice.
"Now that is more like it. Hey, I'm Letty. Sorry about—"
"You're all good. We're just glad you emerged. I'm West, this ugly motherfucker is Braxton—"
"Brax, please," he begs. "Only my mother calls me by my full name and you are way too hot to be her."
My cheeks heat as he runs his eyes over my curves.
"T-thanks, I think."
"Ignore him. He hasn’t gotten laid for weeeeks."
"Okay, do we really need to go there right now?"
"Always, bro. Our girl here needs to know you get pissy when you don't get the pussy."
I laugh at their easy banter, closing down my laptop and resting forward on my elbows as they move toward the fridge.
"Ella says we're going out," Brax says, pulling out two bottles of water and throwing one to West.
"Apparently so."
"She'll be here in a bit. Violet and Micah too. They were all in the same class."
"So," West says, sliding into the chair next to me. "What do we need to know that your brother hasn’t already told us about you?"
My heart races at all the things that not even my brother would share about my life before I drag my thoughts away from my past.
"Uhhh…"
"How about the Dunns love her," Ella announces as she appears in the doorway flanked by two others. Violet and Micah, I assume.
"Um… how didn't we know this?" Brax asks.
"Because you're not cool enough to spend any time with them, asshole," Violet barks, walking around Ella. "Ignore these assholes, they think they're something special because they're on the team but what they don't tell you is that they have no chance of making first string or talking to the likes of the Dunns."
"Vi, girl. That stings," West says, holding his hand over his heart.
"Yeah, get over it. Truth hurts." She smiles up at him as he pulls her into his chest and kisses the top of her head.
"Whatever, Titch."
"Right, well. Are we ready to go? I need tacos like… yesterday."
"Yes. Let's go."
"You've never had tacos like these, Letty. You are in for a world of pleasure," Brax says excitedly.
"More than she would be if she were in your bed, that's for sure," West deadpans.
"Lies and we all know it."
"Whatever." Violet pushes him toward the door.
"Hey, I'm Micah," the third guy says when I catch up to him.
"Hey, Letty."
"You need a sensible conversation, I'm your boy."
"Good to know."
Micah and I trail behind the others and with each step I take, my smile gets wider.
Things really are going to be okay.
