Page 20 of #PhiThetaForever

"Good. Then you better figure out how to prove it." He slides out of the breakfast nook, taking his coffee cup with him. As he passes the girls, he stops to kiss Candice on the lips, and then one arm hugs Lena, kissing her on the temple. Of course, it pisses me off, and my eyes narrow watching him walk over to the coffee pot.

"You know, I never had an ounce of jealousy in me before I pledged Sigma Nu. The more I drank, the more I got high, the worse that little green monster got." Justus sits back against his seat, draping one arm across the back.

I glance over at him before looking down at my cup. "I'm not jealous of anything."

He laughs without even trying to hide it. "Declan, I can see it in your eyes and all over your face. Every time a guy so much as looks in Lena's direction now, you think about ripping his head off. Because she’s beautiful. She's sweet. And guys want her. And before now, you knew that she only had eyes for you. But now, you're hardly around, and your heart is diluted with drugs and booze, and the bullshit Sigma Nu is feeding you. Well, let me give you a little tip, we're Lena's friends, Declan. Yes, we hug her, we kiss her head, and when she needs support and closeness, we hold her. That's what friends do. And we're not going to turn our backs on her just because you get jealous. But she'd never cheat on you. Not in any way. All she does is pray for you and love you, even when she's so angry she can't stand you."

I stare at Justus and can see the truth in his eyes. Swallowing hard, I nod and release the breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. "How do I fix this, Jus?"

"Well," he says, tilting his head to the side. "Stop doing drugs for one."

I scoff. "Thanks, Captain Obvious."

He laughs again, this time drawing the attention of a few of the girls, Lena included. I glance over, and the confused expression on her face makes me join in his laughter.

"Fine. Step One of Justus' Guide to Not Losing the Love of My Life: Stop doing drugs. Anything else?"

"Oh, I got a whole list for you, brother-man." He sits forward and leans on the table with a smile on his face.

Surprisingly, even though I'm smiling, every word he says has me paying attention. I'll do just about anything to fix things with Lena and the others.

22 Lena

It's been a month since that night in the parking lot, and thankfully, Sigma Nu hasn't done any pledge events. I still don't understand why Declan won't just give up his pledge spot, but I was there when he told Bo that from that point on, there would be no more drugs and no more booze for him and that if that disqualified him from pledging, he was okay with that. Bo had laughed and clapped Declan on the back, saying how it wasn't a problem, apologizing for pushing him too far and even went as far as to apologize to me for what he said that night after the soccer game. Declan believed him to be genuine. I trusted Bo as much as I'd trust sleeping with a poisonous snake.

But regardless, Declan has spent the last month being by my side, hanging more with Phi Theta than Sigma Nu, and refocusing on his school work. Justus was right that Declan had a budding addiction. His first week without getting high with Bo, Declan was more irritable than I'd ever seen him. Justus took him out to the Sound twice that week to get him away from everyone and let him work through the withdraw and emotions on his own. After that, he was a lot better.

Declan hasn't missed class. He's joined us in our study times and overall seems to be doing better. This is why I'm looking forward to the fact we are flying out tomorrow morning to spend five days with my Dad and Jas back in Decleburg for Thanksgiving. And this year, I don't have to worry about any breakdowns like last year. Declan and I can go and enjoy the parade without the shooting hanging over my every move and emotion. I can pray with the town during the remembrance ceremony. It can be a regular Thanksgiving holiday. We're going to my dad's now because we already decided to spend Christmas and New Year's Eve with his family.

Since his accident, it's the first Christmas, and last year he was literally in a coma until New Year's Eve. It makes total sense to spend it with his family to make up for last year. Between finals week and packing to go home for Winter Break, we'll probably get back to Lakeview a day or two before Christmas. Regardless, now that things seem to be going back to normal, I'm super excited about it. Our plane doesn't leave until nine tomorrow morning, and we have my dorm to ourselves tonight. Darcy left this morning to head to Wyoming with Sandra for the break. They've become pretty good friends. Declan's parents are vacationing in Fiji for the holiday, so there's no one to really go home to there. Jackson and Candice left earlier this afternoon to drive back to Lakeview to spend the holiday with their families. Justus is staying here on campus. We tried to talk him into coming with us, but he declined. I don't like the thought of one of our friends spending the holiday alone stuck at school.

Declan's lips on my stomach pull me from my thoughts as he crawls up my body, stopping at my lips. His tongue invades my mouth, and his energy is commanding. I've missed this with him. Missed just being together and being us. Where we drive each other wild instead of making each other angry. It's been a long time since I've had the pleasure of lying down and making out with my boyfriend, especially with a lame horror movie in the background.

Declan has himself pressed between my legs, his jeans digging into the most intimate places of my leggings. This is again one of those times I wish we could just go get married now. Just as Declan sits back on his knees, pulling me with him, so I’m literally sitting on his thighs with my legs wrapped around him, someone knocks on my dorm room door. I go to move, but Declan wraps his arms around me and hangs my head backward so that he can kiss from under my ear down to the top of my breasts and back up. Someone bangs on the door harder.

Declan growls against my throat before sitting up a little, still not letting me go but turning his head toward the door. "Go the hell away!"

I yell in outrage as the door swings open, and Bo just comes waltzing into my dorm room like he owns the place. He looks back and forth between me and Declan, and then his eyes rake up and down my body as he licks his lips. "Well, damn, D-man, that is a position I can approve of. She has got legs for days. Lena, seriously, can you just wrap those thighs around my head for one night."

Declan pulls me against him, and I can literally feel his heartbeat in his chest. He's pissed, and so am I. "Get the hell out of here, Bo. What are you doing?"

"Well, I'm glad you asked that, buddy. Pledge event. Thanksgiving Break. Me and the VP are taking the pledges for a little Sigma Nu time at my family's cabin. Be at the frat house tomorrow morning by nine."

"Dude, I told you weeks ago that Lena and I were heading to her hometown for the holiday." Declan shifts to place me on the bed gently but doing so in a way that keeps him between me and Bo.

Bo tilts his head and narrows his eyes. "Too bad, D. Either be at the house or lose your pledge. Your choice." He turns on his heel and struts from my room, slamming the door behind him.

Declan gets up off the bed and locks the door, mumbling under his breath. I sit up on the bed, legs crisscrossed, already knowing I'm spending my holiday without my boyfriend. I know how much this means to him, despite all the bullcrap, and if he doesn't go, he loses his pledge. Then everything up until now is wasted in Declan's eyes. When he flops back on the bed in front of me, he lets out a loud sigh, sitting forward enough to stare down at his hands.

"It's okay, Declan. I understand." I reach over and lay my hand on his forearm.

He looks up at me, surprised, his eyes searching mine. "I don't have to go."

I give him a humorless chuckle. "You're right. You don't. But you will. And I won't be angry with you. I'm sad I won't get to see you for five days. But I understand. Please be careful. Please stay sober. Bo agreed to that, and you promised me, and more importantly, you promised the Lord. Don't back out of those promises, okay?"

His face softens, and he leans over, lightly pressing his lips to mine several times. "I love you."

"I love you too. Will you stay with me tonight?"