The Bet of My Four Boys

As a girl who had only ever had one boyfriend, I never expected to wind up with four boys at once. But, well, here I was. And they were determined to win my heart. I only hoped they didn’t break it in the process…. On move-in day, I stepped out of the taxi with my luggage in hand and surveyed the bustling campus. Brighton-Eller University was one of the most prestigious universities in the country, and I had gotten a full academic scholarship. The university was enormous, with great, steepled buildings made of weathered stone and elaborate pathways dotted with fountains and trees. To the left were the dorms. That was where I was headed. My suitcase got caught on the lip of the curb, and the bag in my hand fell, spilling my textbooks. “Dang it!” “Here, beautiful, let me help you,” came a confident male voice, and strong arms entered into view in front of me. Glancing up, I froze at the sight of the boy—no, the man—who had come to my aid. He was tall and handsome, with sandy-brown hair and green eyes. Those eyes crinkled in a warm smile as he picked up a few of my textbooks, his hands brushing mine in the process. A jolt went through me at the contact. “You new here?” I nodded mutely as he handed me my calculus and statistics textbooks. “I’m Jax, the student council president,” he said, reaching out to shake my hand. His grip was firm but gentle, and he held my hand for longer than a handshake should have been. When I didn’t speak, he continued. “Do you have a name?” I blinked, shaking myself out of the embarrassing silence. “Yeah. I’m Emma,” I said, brushing my auburn hair back behind my ear nervously. “You a freshman?” he asked, and I nodded. “Well, this is my junior year, so I’m well-acclimated to the campus. I’d be happy to show you around.” There was that charming smile of his again as he winked at me. A flutter went straight to my core. Dang, he was hot. Were all the guys on campus this good-looking? It must have been a big city thing because all the boys back home didn’t even come close. Jax wore designer clothes, which indicated he came from money, and his hair was styled in messy waves that fell to the tips of his ears. “That would be great,” I said, attempting not to sound breathless and star-struck. I managed what I hoped was a friendly smile as he began walking toward the dorms. “Which dorm are you staying in?” Jax asked, taking my luggage from me with ease. “Uh, I think Oakwood Hall.” “Nice. That’s for the elite admissions. You must be really smart, huh?” Jax grinned over his shoulder at me. “Smart enough,” I conceded. “Quit being modest,” he teased. “You’ve got to be a practical genius to get into Oakwood.” “Okay,” I admitted, grinning. “I’m smart.” “See?” He nudged my shoulder. “I bet all the guys back home don’t know what to do with you.” The way he said that told me he had something in mind he’d like to do to me, and I blushed. Since we were wandering into dangerous territory, I decided to quickly change the subject. “So, what is Brighton-Eller like? It’s one of the top schools in the country, but what are its culture and faculty like?” “Oh, you know,” he said evasively. “It’s like any other school. It has its moments.” He chuckled, as if remembering some joke I wasn’t in on. “You’ll find out, I guess.” Well, that answered absolutely nothing. It only made me more curious, which was aggravating. We walked further down the path, and I noticed a group of students gathered in front of an old, secluded brick building. They all wore the same black uniforms with no adornments, just simple T-shirts, blazers, and slacks. On each of their left breast pockets was a golden pin in the shape of some flower I couldn’t identify. “Who are they?” I asked, pointing to the strange group. “Oh, they’re nobody. Just a bunch of people who have nothing better to do than hang around,” Jax answered. “Come on. Oakwood Hall is this next building.” He placed a hand on the small of my back and led me away. A strange sense of unease crept over me, but it was probably just nerves. I didn’t like the look of that group, but if Jax said there was nothing to worry about, he was probably right. So, I allowed him to guide me toward the tall stone building labeled “Oakwood Hall.” “Which floor are you on?” Jax asked, his eyes both warm and intense. I could get lost in those depths. His gaze dropped to my lips for a long moment before quickly turning to the dorm. “I’ll, uh, carry these up for you,” he said. “Actually, I’m on the first floor. There’s no need.” I hoped he didn’t hear the squeak in my voice. After my ex cheated on me with my best friend, I got nervous when men showed any interest in me. “Nonsense. You could get lost on the way there.” He cleared his throat. I doubted I would get lost on the first floor, but he seemed insistent. Arguing would probably only make me sound crazy. So, I agreed. “Okay. I’m in room 112.” He beamed. “That’s close to Bane’s room! He’s great, but he’s slow to warm up to people.” “This is a co-ed dorm?” I didn’t know how I felt about that. “They all are, beautiful. Brighton-Eller doesn’t discriminate. Although, most of us just call it Brighton.” He began moving again. “Let me show you to your room, then I have to get to a council meeting.” “Okay.” We walked into the building, and Jax led me down the hall and to the left, where we stopped outside a room labeled 112. Setting my stuff down, Jax bowed. “It was a pleasure to meet you, gorgeous,” he said, and when he rose, his eyes twinkled with mirth. “I hope I’ll see you again.” I laughed. Did he really just bow? How adorable. “I’m sure you will.” Then he left, and I took a deep breath, using the key to my room to enter. Inside, a blonde girl was sitting on one of the two beds, her laptop open as she typed furiously. She glanced up when I entered. “Oh, hey! You must be my new roommate! I’m Amber,” she said, setting her laptop down and rising to help with my bags. Was everyone at this place so helpful? “I’m Emma. Nice to meet you,” I replied. “Are you a freshman?” she asked. Why was that everyone’s first question? I nodded. “Yeah.” “Welcome to Brighton.” She smiled. “It’s a lot to get used to, but if you keep your nose down and don’t mess with the status quo, you’ll be fine.” I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I pretended to understand. “Thanks.” “There are a lot of unwritten rules here, but you’ll get used to them. It’s my sophomore year, and I survived year one, so I guess that makes me an expert. But there will be time for that later. Let’s get you settled, so you can get ready for classes tomorrow.” Amber set my bags down near the unclaimed bed. “What’s your first class?” she asked. “Intro to French,” I said. They required that we take a language elective at Brighton, so I wanted to get it out of the way. “Madame Marceau is a great professor. You’ll love her class,” Amber gushed. “I’ll walk you there tomorrow. But first, tell me about you!” Amber sure was cheery. I immediately felt better in her presence, and I was sure I would get along with her fine. I was determined to succeed here … and maybe to see a certain student council president again. Jax was going to haunt me; I was sure of it. As I drifted off to sleep, though, my thoughts circled back to the strange group of students in the dark clothes and their secret meeting. Something about them unsettled me and made me question whether there was something more going on.