Chapter 4: Friday Night

The Sigma Rho house smelled like beer, floor wax and cheap body spray.

Jude parked across the street and turned off the engine.

"Five minutes," he said.

"I come in, you get the locket, we go."

"I'm going in alone," I said.

"Lucinda."

"If you walk in beside me, Brock tells everyone my big strong friend did the talking," I said.

"I need this one to be mine."

Jude looked at me for a long moment.

Then he reached over and pulled my braid from under my collar and let it fall on my shoulder.

"I'm at the door," he said.

"One look and I'm coming in."

I got out of the truck.

The living room was packed with maybe fifty people, red cups and a speaker the size of a refrigerator.

I saw the cake video playing on somebody's phone as I crossed the floor.

Brock stood on the stairs with two teammates, and he saw me and raised his cup like I was a guest he had invited.

"Cake Girl!" somebody shouted.

A few people cheered.

Brock came down the steps with that grin, and I climbed on the coffee table.

It was sticky and one leg wobbled.

Somebody turned the music down, because people always do that when a girl stands on furniture.

"Hi," I said.

"My name is Lucinda Gisborne, and I'm only here for one thing."

The room went quiet.

"Brock Tennant borrowed my grandmother's gold locket in October and never gave it back."

"He told me it was for luck at his game."

"I want it back tonight, in front of all of you, so nobody has to wonder where it went."

Brock said, "Lucinda, come on," and tried to laugh.

Keep reading free with an account. Start I'm In Love With My Brother's Best Friend?! from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.