Conflicted (Secrets and Lies) by M. M. Koenig Read Free Book Online

to him. "It's fine Jackson. You can tell me about class. I'd like to hear about it."
    "It was old man Kennedy. You know how he's a stickler for the Friday morning quiz. Why do you think I moved partying to Wednesday nights? It was purely selfish," he snickered.
    "So how did you do on it?"
    Jackson shrugged. "Meh. I'm sure I would've done better if I had my old study partner."
    I sighed. "It's not like I lost the knowledge when I stopped going to school. You can always ask for my help when you study."
    Jackson squinted unsure of the offer before a subtle smile crossed his face.
    "Thanks Mia. I'd like to get more than a C in his class. Studying with you all these years has probably given me a better GPA than what I deserve," he said sincerely.
    I beamed. There was still a little tension looming in the air so I decided to switch gears. "What are we doing this weekend? We should break from partying around here. We should do something epic. Any ideas?"
    Jackson perked up. "I have the perfect idea!"
    "Do tell."
    Jackson put out the cigarette he finished and turned towards me with excitement in his eyes.
    "We should go party on my parent's boat for the weekend. There are plenty of rooms. It could be another house only occasion like last night."
    "You had fun with just us didn't you?" I questioned dryly.
    His smile was genuine as he answered, "It's nice to hang with your closest friends. Plus, you and Bri are gorgeous so I still fulfilled my quota of spending quality time with hot chicks."
    Heaven forbid the man whore goes an evening without hot chicks as company.
    "Glad we could be of service. As far as your weekend proposal, I'm definitely in."
    "Let's see what the other three think when they get home. If they're up for it, we'll head out tonight. Of course, after we stop and stock up for weekend's worth of trouble."
    "That's a given."
    Jackson toyed with his lip ring which was his tell. He wanted to ask me something but was nervous about doing it. I raised both brows giving him permission.
    "How did your meeting go yesterday? Shane and I heard Bri shouting at Trey to track you down when she couldn't reach you."
    I pulled a strand of hair from my ponytail picking at the split ends before looking at him. "It went fine. It was overwhelming to be back there. Everyone looked at me like a caged zoo animal while I walked through campus."
    Jackson huffed at that revelation. I let out a light chuckle observing the concern in his eyes.
    "My meeting with Derrick left me with a lot to consider. I needed a minute alone and I lost track of time."
    The empathy vanished as his face-hardened. "If you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen."
    I softened knowing that he was just as worried as Trey. It was heartwarming but I had to figure this out on my own. I planned to tell Bri but that's it. I knew those boys cared about me. With this type of offer, I couldn't share details about it with too many people. Above of all, they would scream at me for even considering it. I stood to venture into the house.
    "Thanks Jackson. I'm going to call Bri. She can fill in Trey so you should call Shane. I'd rather get a jump-start on the weekend than wait for them to come home. If they confirm, we can go pick up supplies."
    Jackson cocked his head to the side giving me a roundabout grin. "I love the way you think. The sooner we get started on this weekend the better."
    He got up following me into the house. I headed for the kitchen to get my phone to call Bri while he walked past me to call Shane. I sat down on one of the stools grabbing my cell from the counter. I hit speed dial for her number. Bri answered on the third ring. I filled her in on the weekend proposal. She squealed in delight at the idea. Bri said she would meet Trey and fill him in on our weekend plans. Jackson entered with a grin matching my own confirming Shane was in.
    "Let's hit the grocery and liquor store. Bri and Trey will be home within the hour. When's Shane getting home?" I