“Is it important?”

“What?” He didn’t spare me a glance as he waited for the light to turn green.

“Whatever you need to find your brother about. Is it important?”

He grunted. “Fuck yeah, or I wouldn’t be driving around searching for his ass.” He eyed me. “Why? Don’t tell me you actually do have Maggie’s phone number?”

I flushed, shooting him a dark look. “No, and I’m sticking with my story.” I’d been holding my phone in my hands the entire time, and it had grown heavier and heavier the longer we looked. “But I could call Avery and ask for Maggie’s number.”

“Fuck, girl. Why wasn’t that option A?”

There was no heat to his words, and I smiled as I dialed the number Avery had made me program into my phone the night we went to Marcus’ party. Caden turned off the blinker and when the light turned green, he went straight, pulling into a gas station. The phone was still ringing when he got out to fill up with gas.

“Hey.” Avery answered. Loud music and laughter almost drowned her out, but she yelled, “What happened to you? We just ran into your stepbrother, and you’re not with him. I thought I saw you get into his truck. Where are you?”

“Yeah, no. That didn’t happen.”

She let out a groan. “He ditched you, didn’t he?”

“What?”

“He did, right? You can tell me if he did. Again. I know full well how shady he can be. Ditching a girl, even if she’s his stepsister, is something I can totally see Kevin doing. I’m so sorry. You must’ve felt like I ditched you too. I really thought I saw you get into his truck. Wait, where are you? Did you go back to the dorm?”

“That’s why I’m calling.”

The gas stopped, and I felt Caden take the nozzle out of the truck to put it away. I glanced over my shoulder, but he wasn’t paying attention to me. He bypassed his door, heading inside as he pulled out his wallet. I held back a sigh, watching him from behind. He was gorgeous. His tattoos were a little too enticing. Even a loose-fitting shirt couldn’t hide the athleticism beneath, and as my gaze fell from his broad shoulders to his trim waist, lingering on where his jeans rested over his ass, I must’ve let out some sound.

Avery piped up in my ear, “What? What’s going on?”

“Huh?” I couldn’t tear my eyes away. His ass was one I’d cup in a drunken stupor and smile from satisfaction at the memory when I was sober.

“You totally sighed, like a dreamy type of sigh. What’s happening? Where are you?”

Caden stepped inside the gas station. He’d be back in just a minute.

“That’s why I’m calling,” I said again. “I didn’t go back to the dorm. Caden Banks showed up, looking for his brother. Jill asked if he’d give me a ride to find you.”

“She did? Wait. He did?”

“What? I’m confused.”

“Caden Banks gave you a ride?”

“Yeah. Why?” I frowned. Did she have to say it like that?

“Are you with him now?”

“We stopped for gas. I was hoping to get Maggie’s number from you, so he could call Maggie to talk to his brother. And I was hoping I could talk him into meeting up with you guys. I can switch to your car then.”

I waited for her response, but none came.

She was silent on the other end until I said, “Hello? Are you there?”

“I’m here.” I could hear the confusion in her voice. “This is the second time Caden Banks has helped you out. That’s not normal.”

My eyebrows bunched together. “Claudia said something similar.”

“She was right with what she said, not about you, but about Caden.”

Her hesitation pissed me off.

“He’s big time. Are you guys hooking up or something?”

“What? No! Why would you even think that?” However, the image of his ass appeared in my head again.

“Calm down. I didn’t mean it as an insult. The opposite. Caden doesn’t go out of his way to be nice to girls. He’s not not nice. He’s just—”

I gripped the phone tighter. “Yeah, yeah. He’s on another level. I’m getting it. Believe me.”

“No!” She laughed into the phone. “Again, it’s not an insult to you. Caden’s just not known for messing around with freshman, even sophomores. And he doesn’t sleep around. He’s got girls he can call to have sex with, but they’re girls like you’ve not even met yet. Maggie told some of us that he was sleeping with Ashley Fontaine from that show Hit Club. I’ve no idea how they know each other, but yeah, he’s usually with girls like that.”

Now I felt one with the dirt on his Land Rover’s floor. I leaned over to inspect where my shoes sat. Yep. I could see myself down there, trying to make friends and failing like I had for the last two weeks.

“I’m not into him like that, so don’t worry,” I told her. “Besides, he’s fraternity brothers with Kevin, remember?”

“Yeah. I’d buy that if I didn’t know better. Summer, Caden hates your stepbrother. I’m friends with Maggie, remember? She’s told me stories. So no, if you think he’s being nice to you because of Kevin, it’s not true. If anything, Caden would try to hurt you because of Kevin, but he’s not that type of guy. If he’s being nice, then there’s something about you he likes.”