Persephone 

"We need to talk." I say sitting down on my bed. 

Peyton sighs as she crosses her legs in front of her, on her own bed. 

"Did you and Phoenix, you know?" I wiggle my brows and she shakes her head rapidly back and forth. 

"N-no we didn't I promise." She stutters. 

I have an inkling she's lying to me, or at least omitting something. No one who's innocent acts like that. 

I quirk an eyebrow, "Are you sure?"

She groans, running a hand through her blonde hair. 

"I know how it looks, trust me it looks baddd. I promise we didn't do anything he even slept on the floor." She defends. 

I give her a blank stare. 

"Phoenix slept on the floor so a girl could have his bed?" I ask and she nods, running her fingers through her blonde strands, "Yeah and I know how that sounds, but I would never lie to you."

We are pretty truthful with each other, besides Peyton - no matter how bad Brendan gets - would never cheat on him. 

She's too in love with him, sadly. 

"I believe you." I say and she lets out a breath of relief. 

"Good and before I forget next Friday Brendan wants us to go to this club a few minutes from campus." She rushes out in one breath. 

Another blank stare is thrown her way. 

"Why?"

She shrugs, "He just told me to invite you so we could all hang out together."

Odd. 

I don't think Brendan has ever initiated a hang out with all three of us and I feel like the odds would be even less after this morning and what he said to me. 

"Oh and my mom called earlier, her, my dad, and Baylor are coming down next month to visit." She says excitedly. 

She rarely gets to see her family so I know she's pumped. 

I've met her parents a few times and they are really nice, their priorities just weren't always in check. Especially when it came to taking care of their kids. 

We end up spending the rest of the day together before she has to go to work. 

* * * 

Tuesday night Asa and I have another study session at his place. 

We had decided to go back to his place during class earlier when I mentioned what room I was in. 

I guess he still has nightmares about Nikki's boyfriend chasing him through campus. 

I had sent Peyton a text earlier letting her know I'd be gone for a while and she sent me a thumbs up followed by another text letting me know her and Jada had to work on their lab anyway. 

When I get to the team house K.J. is the one to open the door. 

We haven't talked much but he seems cool. I know he's a senior and is a lot more mature than the rest of the guys that live here. 

"Asa's in the shower but you can wait down here until he's done." He says and I nod before taking a seat on the couch. 

Miles is sitting on the recliner playing some racing game on the tv, but he says a quick 'hi' never taking his eyes off the screen. 

"Hey stranger." Phoenix says plopping down beside me and bumping my shoulder with his. 

He's got on a white t-shirt that contrasts heavily against his golden brown skin. 

Looking closely I notice a tattoo that is peaking from under the right sleeve of his shirt. 

From here I can't make out what it is since his sleeve covers most of it. 

"So you and Asa are studying again?" He wiggles his eyebrows and I roll my eyes.

I swear he could probably sit in the room with us the whole time and still claim we were more than just working on a project together. 

"We are working on our project." I say and he pouts, "Well thats not fun."

My phone buzzes and I pull it out to see I have a text from Peyton.

Peyton: found us some cute dresses to wear to the club Friday 😵 They were even on clearance!1!!!1!!!! 

Peyton: Oh and Jada is annoyed I dragged her to the mall 🙄like we are headed over to work on the lab soon hold your horses.

I laugh at her messages and Phoenix peeks over my shoulder. 

"A club? I'm in." He says and I pull my phone from view. 

"Nuh-uh." I say shaking my head, "You are not tagging along."

Especially given the other night and the fact that Brendan's going to be there. That's just a straight recipe for disaster. 

"Please babe I am the party, I don't just "tag along"." He uses finger quotes to emphasize his point. 

Asa comes down the stairs, pulling a shirt over his head. He then shakes his damp hair as he looks up and notices me. A small smile plays on his lips as he comes into the living room. 

"Did you hear that we aren't invited to the club?" Phoenix asks with a dramatic groan and Asa gives him a confused look. 

"What club?"

Phoenix points to me, "She's going to a club and we are not invited. Actually she doesn't want us there can you believe it?" He throws his hands in the air almost hitting me in the face. 

I groan, "Trust me you don't even want to go, Brendan will be there."

Freaking Brendan Gack.

Phoenix whips his head to look at me, his brows are pinched together and a frown takes over the normal smirk he has. 

"He's still around?"

I snort, "Well yeah, he only lives twenty minutes away. Usually between him working the night shift at the construction site and Pey's classes during the day they rarely get to hang out together but since he's now in college, he quit his job so their schedules sort of align."

She had informed me yesterday about everything her and Brendan talked about. 

How he thought her skirt was too short - the one she wore to the party - and that he quit his job because 'college takes priority'.

That statement makes sense, well the college part not him thinking he can tell her what to wear. 

That though will probably never change.

"Well then count me there." Phoenix says and I am tempted to throw a piece of bread at his head. 

"I just said-" 

He cuts me off, a hand to the face. 

"I know what you said." He grumbles, "But Asa and I love to drink so we'll be there." I swat his hand away. 

"Who said I'd go?" Asa asks and Phoenix chuckles, "So if Seph right now asked you to go would you?"

Asa shrugs, "If she invited me, maybe, but clearly she doesn't want me there."

"Uh I'm right here." I say waving my hand between them. 

Also I would love to see Asa dance, I wonder if he can. 

I wonder how it would feel to dance against him and-

"So we are going end of discussion." Phoenix states, drawing me out of my thoughts. 

"Whatever, I have a project to work on. It's your funeral." I say, getting up and following Asa up to his room. 

When he shuts the door he turns to me. 

"We don't have to go, Ridge doesn't even know what club."

I sigh, "It's fine, it might actually make it better having to deal with Brendan."

Now that I think about it, not having to be the third wheel to the two of them sounds awesome. 

Especially since he's been more on edge recently with me. 

"Well just let me know what you decide." He says flopping down on the bed. 

I join him, and pull out my laptop but I can barely focus because he looks too good right now, well he looks good all the time but him just laying in his bed in comfy clothes?

That does something to me. 

I really need to get these thoughts under control, Asa is cool and we're sort of friends which I'm enjoying I don't want to ruin that. Especially given the fact that he's my dads player, it just seems like a recipe for disaster. 

Still, halfway through working on the project my hair slowly begins to fall out of my bun, a few strands falling into my face. 

This is one reason I hate layers. 

Before I can push them back Asa does it for me, tucking the strands behind my ear. 

I look up into his hazel eyes, as his hand rests on my cheek. 

My heart thuds loudly in my chest, I wonder if he can hear it. 

His thumb lightly rubs my cheek bone and I shudder. 

My eyes flit down to his lips and then back up to his eyes to see him looking down at my lips. You know what I don't care if it could all end terribly I want him to kiss me so bad right now. 

This has been building, at least on my end. I wonder if those small innocent touches we've shared have affected him just the same. 

"Asa." I whisper and his eyes meet mine again. 

My heart pounds a little faster at the thought of what he might do but then he closes his eyes and when they open again I can see him starting to pull back. 

Clearing his throat he says, "Should we start on the slides?" He asks and I clear my own throat, batting away the disappointment, "Uh yeah, sure."

We start working again and I can't help but glance his way a few times wondering what he's thinking.

Did he almost just kiss me or was I reading too much into that?

No I wasn't he so was, but why was I about to let him? I shouldn't, which is why it's a good thing he had more self control than me and pulled away. 

I can't get mixed up in the world of Asa Brookes, because in the end the only person who would end up being hurt is me. 

_____

A/N Ok so update, I have started the book about the academic rivals. It follows two very strong and independent characters who are basically competitors in everything. I genuinely love where it's going so far and I hope ya'll will too!