Rushed: Hushed Part 12

"I should introduce her to my dad. Test your theory. See if he can use the old Butler charm and steal her away from her dear old friend Ken. Dad's a lady-killer." He winked. "Or so I've been told."

"No!" The word exploded out of my mouth and hung in the air.

Seth's eyes went wide. "Chill." He looked perplexed by my reaction. "I was just joking, Mads."

I laughed nervously to cover. "Do you want us to end up as brother and sister? Don't even joke about something like that."

I shuddered for exaggeration, trying to get past my overreaction.

He laughed and kissed me lightly. "You're putting the cart way before the horse. And even if something crazy and outlandish, and I might add, totally improbable, like our parents marrying and making us step-sibs did happen, it wouldn't change a thing between us."

He b.u.mped me playfully with his shoulder. "Think of the perks. We could spend our breaks under the same roof." He wiggled his eyebrows and smiled, full of innuendo and desire.

I laughed, hoping he was right. That nothing changed between us.

Having each lost a parent was another bond. Seth shared his grief over being motherless. That was what slow meant to us-falling headlong.

Even Ian commented on how happy I seemed when I met him at the SUB for lunch. And suspected a guy was the reason.

"I want to meet this guy." He dumped his tray and stacked it above the garbage can.

"I didn't say there is a guy," I said as we walked into the common area.

"There is."

"When I'm ready." I wasn't sure I ever would be.

"You used to talk to me about your crushes." Ian looked almost hurt.

On impulse, I hugged him. Fiercely. And rested my head on his chest, letting him wrap me in his brotherly embrace.

"Yeah." I listened to the beat of his heart. "And I will again. I promise. It's just-"

"I wouldn't approve of this guy?" He caught me by the arms and tipped my chin up so I had to look him in the eye. "Baby sis?"

I led with the truth. "He's a lot like you."

He smiled. "What's that supposed to mean? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"It means he's different." Which was true in so many ways. "And easily scared by the threat of commitment." I tried to sound jokey.

"Like being introduced to your brother?"

I nodded.

"Sissy, if that scares him off, he's not worth keeping."

I nodded. "I know. But it's too soon. We've been seeing each other for less than a month."

Ian nodded and pulled me back into a hug. He kissed the top of my head. "Understood."

Olivia liked Seth immediately.

"I see what you mean about him looking like Ian!" she said when I got home from that coffee date with Seth. "They look like brothers."

I shook my head. "That's what I said! But you're not supposed to tell me that. I'm already freaking, remember?"

"He even sounds a little like Ian." She had a tease in her voice.

I gave her a deadpan look. "You're supposed to be on my side, not scaring me."

"I'm not scaring anyone. I still think it's just coincidence."

"Nice cover."

Within a few weeks, I spent so many nights with Seth that Olivia complained she never saw me anymore.

"You can stay here, you know. Once in a while," she said.

"No. This is a you and me place," I told her. "Zach has Alexis over all the time. And they each have their own bedroom and bathroom."

But we spent a lot of time at my place, too.

In the kitchen, Seth and I were more creative than the rest of the cla.s.s combined. And so in tune that even Chef Steven noticed. He started calling us his MadSeth team, which he thought was a hysterically funny pun because it sounded like "mad chef."

And, I thought, maybe he was right. This was mad.

It was reckless and careless the way I carried on. We held hands and kissed in public in the SUB, at The College Grind, in the mall between cla.s.ses. We couldn't keep our hands off each other.

I spent night after night at his apartment. We were affectionate in Chef Steven's kitchen. In short, we were extremely public. But I was deliriously happy. So what did I care? Happier than I ever remembered being. Truly happy for the first time since Dad died. In a way where life seemed bright and bubbly again.

Seth A few days before Valentine's Day I was walking to cla.s.s when my phone rang. "Morgan? It's been a while."

I was surprised Morgan hadn't been in touch before. She and I had been pretty tight at the Double Deltsie house. Her boyfriend Dakota was Zach's good friend from high school. He hung out with us at our place from time to time, but Morgan never came with him.

"You could always stop by the house and say hi." She had a direct, sparkling way of speaking that sounded s.e.xy and b.i.t.c.hy at the same time.

I fired right back, "Your boyfriend hangs out at our place. You could always come by with him and see Zach and me, baby."

She laughed. "Yeah, but Alexis is there most of the time, too, I hear."

"She's your little. Are you afraid of her? I thought you two made up."

Morgan sighed. "Oh, we have. But, you know, as her big I like to give her her s.p.a.ce."

"Intellectual alibis are s.h.i.+t, Morgs. Come over some time for my sake, then. I miss you."

She laughed again, that effervescent, rich laugh that finally sounded happy. And sober. I was glad for her. Morgan could be a real b.i.t.c.h when she was drunk. Sober, she was pretty sweet.

Morgan had been through a bunch of s.h.i.+t in the last few years. A year ago, if anyone had told me that dating Dakota Bradley would help her clean her act up, I would have told them they were full of c.r.a.p. After I told them there was no way in h.e.l.l she'd ever date him, period.

Dakota was Zach's best friend from high school-and an arrogant frat boy, in my original opinion. After I moved in with Zach, I had to tolerate him. But as I got to know him, he was growing on me. And no one could deny he'd been good for Morgan.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Does something have to be up?" she said. "I can't just call?"

I laughed now, too. "You can, but you seldom do."

"Okay, you caught me. I just ran into someone by The College Grind who reminded me so much of you, I actually called out to him thinking he was you. You have a doppelganger on campus, Seth! It wasn't until I got close that I realized my mistake. Anyway, seeing him reminded me how much I miss you. I just had to call and share. And catch up."

"What? I have a twin." I frowned. I didn't know why I didn't find it amusing. It should have been. "And here I thought I was a unique, special snowflake."

"Not a twin." She paused. "More like an older brother."

I swore I heard confusion in her voice.

"When I called your name out to him and he didn't answer, I caught up to him and grabbed his arm. He introduced himself. He's a prof!"

"A prof? There has to be a way to use that to my advantage."

"Shut up! You would think of that first." She giggled. "And not how embarra.s.sing it was for me. Or it would have been, if he hadn't been so d.a.m.n gracious and charming. Like you, Seth. He even has your single dimple."

I smiled at her flattery. Morgan and I had always flirted with each other. But it didn't mean anything. "And you see, that's why Dakota doesn't like me. Because his girl thinks I'm charming."

"He likes you just fine. Now that you aren't a houseboy."

"You wound me, baby. Being a houseboy is honest work."

"Sometimes," she said.

Yeah, we'd pulled a few stunts. "Does this prof have a name?"

"Oh, c.r.a.p." she said. "He told me. But I'm s.p.a.cing on it now. I'll think of it. Eventually."

Chapter 11.

Maddie I was studying at my kitchen table when my mom called.

"You must be busy!" she said in falsely cheerful voice. "You haven't called in a while."

I felt a stab of guilt. I'd been avoiding talking to her. Because of Seth.

"Well, you know, it's my killer junior year. You've warned me since I was in high school that this is the worst year of college. That the professors are determined to make your life h.e.l.l, flunk you out, and guarantee you don't get more than four hours of sleep a night. Looks like your dire predictions are pretty much coming true. All I do is study." I laughed, but it came out nervously. I crossed my fingers, hoping she didn't notice.

"Did I say that?" She laughed again because she knew she had. "I thought maybe there was a boy involved in your neglect of your mother."

Oh, c.r.a.p! I hoped Ian hadn't said anything to her.

"Any plans for Valentine's Day?"

"Stop prying, Mom," I said with as much good humor as I could manage. But as I'd learned from reading a ton of spy novels in high school, when lying, it's always best to lead with as much of the truth as possible. "But I do have a date with my cooking lab partner."

Mom perked up. "Really?"

I knew immediately I'd made a mistake. Ian hadn't told her a thing. She'd been fis.h.i.+ng and I'd just swum into her net.

"It's nothing serious, Mom. Just a date."

"Hmmph," she said. "Still, it sounds promising. Is he handsome?"

"Very."

"Always a plus," Mom said. "And I suppose he has a name?"

"Seth, Mom. And that's as much intel as you're getting out of me. Don't make too much of this."

She laughed again. "Sorry. Hey, I'm actually calling about spring break. It's only a month away. There's a big annual bridal show I'd like us to go to. And I thought I'd set up some dress-shopping appointments while you're home. Wouldn't that be fun?"

My heart lurched. "You've set a date?"

"More like a season. We've decided on a summer wedding. Next year, after you graduate. Then we'll both officially be empty-nesters. Footloose and fancy free."

I was her reason for waiting? I really didn't understand it. Deep down, I felt she was stalling.

"You didn't have any big plans for spring break, did you?"

"No," I said, slowly. I wasn't the party-like-crazy type of spring break girl.

"Good! Then it's settled. I'll buy the bridal fair tickets."

"Mom? Did you ever date a frat guy?" The question popped out of my mouth before I even thought.

Seth's dad had been in a frat. My dad hadn't. If Mom had never dated a frat guy, problem solved. So simple, right? In retrospect, the question was brilliant.

"Oh, boy!" She sounded wary. "This Valentine's date of yours isn't a frat boy, is he?"

Like a lot of independents, Mom had never liked the Greeks. But then, both she and I were introverts. Introverts didn't really thrive in the extroverted Greek system.

"No."