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I turned toward Duncan. “Who’s that?”
“A blast from my past,” he said, sounding stunned and a little like he was preparing for impact.
Another one? I couldn’t tell if this was a good thing or a bad thing. I read the conflict in his expression—but that had been in place most of the day.
His uncertainty and shock reminded me of our visit to The Painted Lady. He was just as thrown at seeing this man as he’d been at finding Eudora at the door.
Duncan went rigid. Either he wasn’t happy this other man was approaching, or he was bracing himself as if for impact.
Who was Wesley? What was it about this man that had Duncan so ill at ease?
TWENTY-SIX
duncan
First Eudora showingup out of the blue. Now Wesley? The last thing I needed right now was another reminder of The Pact.
I wanted to hook my arm through Rosabel’s and steer her toward the door, to turn my back on Wesley and pretend I hadn’t seen him. But that was only my skittishness speaking.
In all reality, I had nothing against the man who’d only been at Sigma Phi Rho for a matter of days. In fact, I barely knew Wesley all that well. Adrian had been the one who’d kept in touch with everyone.
“How do you know each other?” Rosabel asked.
“The fraternity,” I muttered, not liking this at all.
Here, we’d finally found a store that had something Grandmother might like, and the urge to bolt as though the building was on fire wouldn’t leave me alone.
I’d done everything I could to keep word about the frat and The Pact from Rosabel. Wesley wouldn’t bring it up now, would he? Though I hadn’t been there, Hawk told me Wes had come to Adrian and Gabby’s wedding. He’d known about the mysterious cards that had shown up beneath each of the guys’ plates during that rehearsal dinner thing.
How much did he know about what else had gone on since?
“Ah, you know my Wesley?” the woman who’d arranged Rosabel’s hat asked.
Wesley made his way to us before I could respond. I hadn’t known him well back in the day. Wesley hadn’t made it past the hazing night at Sigma Phi Rho when Ulrich and his brother Grey had accepted the pledge and signed their names to it.
Nah, Wes had had more sense than any of the rest of us. He’d refused to sign a pledge to lifelong bachelorhood. He’d claimed he was already in love and how the girl would never forgive him if he signed something so stupid.
If only I’d had that much sense.
I hadn’t been in my right mind, though. I’d been thoroughly rejected by a girl I thought I loved. Sylvia had only wanted me for my family’s money. One day, she’d asked if she could borrow a huge sum. I’d told her I didn’t have that kind of cash.
Then, she’d had the gall to ask me to beg my parents to loan her the money. That had been a hard pass. Mom would never have gone for it. When Sylvia realized I wouldn’t give her a dime, she’d pried herself out of my arms—and out of my life.
The stupid thing was, I’d fallen for her. So her leaving me—the shallowness of her feelings—had really crushed me.
From that day on, I’d been determined to never succumb to something as stupid as love. So when The Pact had been presented to me, I’d signed it. Maddox had, too. He’d been my roommate, my best friend, a better friend than I’d ever had before.
In fact, I’d gotten close to many of the guys there. I hadn’t wanted to give that up.
So yeah, I’d signed it. Hot-headed and determined that I knew just what I wanted for the rest of my life. If only I’d known the trouble that would cause.
Rosabel smiled at Wesley, talking about how amazing the hats were and enchanting me all over again like she always did. If only I’d known about her, I never would have acted so rashly.
What was that phrase? Youth is wasted on the young.
If only there was some way to take the life experience I’d gained thus far and go back so I could make better choices.
“What are you doing here?” Wesley asked, turning back to me.
