The Risks We Take Duet Box Set

9. Carys

CARYS

W ednesday afternoon, I hand my professor my economics final, knowing I passed. That’s all that matters. I don’t give a second thought to whether it’s by one point or one hundred points. That requirement has been fulfilled, and I don’t have to take it again. Once I get outside, I grab my phone out of my bag and text Em.

Carys

Hey. I’m done with my test. Let me know when you want to go look at the apartment.

She and I have looked at a few places to live off campus, but none of them have been what we wanted. Thanks to her dad’s overcompensation for always being out of the country, we have a much bigger budget than we anticipated. Apparently, rock stars are more generous with their money than their time. At least, according to Em.

Emerson

Stay where you are. We’re coming to pick you up now.

I look around the parking lot for her Mustang but don’t see it.

Carys

Who’s we?

A horn honks as Jack’s matte-black Dodge Charger comes to a stop next to me. The window rolls down, and Emerson leans across her brother. “Get in, bitch. We’ve got a house to check out.”

“What?” I look from her to Jack skeptically. It’s just supposed to be Em and me today.

The back door opens, and Theo sticks his head out. “Come on, CC. Hop in.”

“Umm... okay. But why are you guys going with us?” Maybe my brain is fried from finals, but I’m so confused.

Once I’m in the car, Jack whips out of the parking lot, and Em turns in her seat to face me. “So... Jack and I were on the phone with Dad this morning, and it turns out his new girlfriend is a producer on that show, Selling SoCal .” Em stops talking, and her wide eyes stare at me, waiting. Expecting a reaction, but I think I’m still confused. At least, I hope I am.

“Okay. So did your dad’s girlfriend find the two of us an apartment to look at?”

Please say yes. Please say yes. Please say yes.

Theo throws his arm over the top of the back seat. “Not just the two of you.”

“Emerson,” I clap back, shocked. “My mom is not going to let me live with two guys.”

She shakes her head. “Your brother lives with three guys and two girls. And... one of them is his girlfriend. What’s she going to have to say about you living rent-free in a four-bedroom house with me, my brother, and his best friend?”

“Free? No way. I’ve got to pay rent.” My mom may not be rock-star rich, but we’ve always been more than comfortable. Her grandfather started one of the oldest banks in Kroydon Hills years ago, and Mom has run it for as long as I can remember. Not to mention, Aiden and I both have trust funds our grandparents set up when we were born that Mom’s invested over the years. I can definitely pay my own way.

“Just go with it, Carys.” Jack’s eyes meet mine through the rearview. “Dad’s trying to impress his girlfriend of the week. And apparently, that means he’s buying us a house. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t give a shit if we even like it.”

Emerson interrupts her brother. “I think he may have already bought it but doesn’t want to tell us that. I think in his mind, if we like it, he’s the hero when he buys it. But my money says it’s a done deal.”

I look over at Theo. “And you’re okay with this?”

“I’m not like the rest of you. I’m here on a scholarship. If Stone Madden wants to buy a house and let me live in it rent-free, why would I say no?”

I guess Theo has a point. But I still feel ambushed.

Jack turns down a street with the ocean in the distance behind the houses, and my mouth drops open.

These are really nice houses.

Really nice.

When he turns into a long driveway leading up to a three-story, contemporary house full of windows, I get déjà vu. This house looks similar to?—

“Ohmygod,” Em yelps. “Linc’s house is at the other end of the street.” She’s out of the door and walking to the end of the driveway to see just how close we are to Linc’s before I even get my door open.

Once I’m out of the car, my annoyance ratchets up a notch. Because standing at the front door is a beautiful woman with a camera crew behind her, welcoming us.

I think I might kill Emerson.

T urns out, Em and Jack’s dad, Stone, was already inside. He was sitting in the kitchen, waiting for them. He’d already bought the house, like Em thought. And okay, so maybe the place is perfect. It’s only a ten-minute drive from campus. There are four bedrooms and five bathrooms with a finished basement that’s already been equipped with a recording studio. And the backyard... well, the backyard is amazing. There’s a deck, a hot tub, and a gorgeous stone firepit. And if that wasn’t enough, it also has direct beach access.

Even I can’t say no.

At least not to the house. I had no problem saying no to signing the waiver that would give them permission to use me on an episode of the TV show they’re shooting.

Theo and I want to give Jack and Emerson some alone time with Stone and his girlfriend, so we head into the backyard. He follows me when I slip my sneakers off and push through the black wrought-iron gate to walk on the beach.

I’ve always loved the beach. The ocean, not so much.

“Hey, wait up.” Theo catches up to me and bumps his shoulder against mine. “So, we’re gonna be roommates.”

“I guess we are.” We walk down to the line of hard sand where the waves no longer reach.

“You know what that means, don’t you?” Theo’s dark hair shines in the sunlight, and his smile lights up his handsome face.

But he doesn’t do it for me at all. When we hooked up months ago, I was trying to convince myself that I was available. That my heart didn’t already belong to someone else. Because what’s the point of someone owning your heart if they don’t want it? Why can’t we choose who we give it to?

Fate’s a fickle bitch.

I stop just far enough that the water washes back out to sea before it reaches my toes, then turn toward Theo. “You know that there will be no roomies with bennies situation going on here, right?”

His hands skim up my arms, but there’s not a goosebump in sight.

Not even a teeny tiny one.

“Now, why would you go and ruin today by saying something so mean, CC? We just got a house with our very own recording studio in the basement and the beach in the backyard. This might be a normal thing for you, but this is not how I live when I’m in Ohio.”

I plant my hands on my hips and glare at him. “Listen, it’s a great house. Almost too good to be true. But—and this is a really big but—you and I make way better friends than anything else. And we’re going to stay that way.”

Theo’s face twists, and I can’t tell from the tight expression if he’s really hurt or if he’s kidding, so I soften my tone and stroke his ego a bit. “Besides, this time next year, you and Jack will graduate and move to LA. Before you know it, stadiums full of people will be singing your songs. You don’t want a girl back in San Diego pining for you. You’ll have groupies.”

He’s quiet for a minute before a mask slips across his face, and his goofy smile returns.

Theo does that.

Masks how he’s feeling with humor.

But this time, he’s quiet, and he’s rarely quiet. “Some women are worth more than groupies, CC.” He reaches for me, but a flying furball runs between us.

Wanda, Trick’s military dog, quickly backs me up, so I’m a few steps away from Theo as Trick and a very shirtless, very sweaty Coop jog over to Theo and me. Black basketball shorts hang from lean hips, showcasing a perfect V that I want to drop to my knees and lick.

Wow . Did it just get hotter out here?

I trace every indent of his muscular chest with my eyes. Take in every black line of his tattoos. And watch with rapt attention as a bead of sweat glides over his washboard abs.

Damn. He has gotten bigger since last summer.

Coop bends down and scratches behind Wanda’s ears. “Good girl.”

Seriously? Am I jealous of a dog now?