Taking The Reins (The Rosewoods Book 1) by Katrina Abbott Read Free Book Online

distance than I could handle,” I said. She didn’t need to know I never had a boyfriend in London.
    “Right you are. Well, don’t you worry. There are a ton of guys to choose from at Westwood.”
    Her phone beeped again. She rolled her eyes and looked down. “Patience, young man. You will see me soon, I promise.”
    But I could tell by the way she grinned at her phone, Emmie was just as eager to see her boyfriend as he was to see her.
    “How long have you been going out?”
    “We hooked up after the Christmas dance last year.”
    “Sounds serious,” I said.
    She looked up, “I guess so. It feels weird, you know; it’s been so long since we’ve seen each other. We’ve Skyped and stuff, but it’s not the same. I miss smelling him and touching him; I just hope it’s the same as it was.”
    I thought about Will and how good he’d smelled the day before, his mixture of subtle cologne and clean sweat.
    “I met a guy yesterday,” I said, feeling stupid even mentioning it.
    “From Westwood?”
    I nodded. “He helped me move in. Not that I think I really have a chance with him, but still.”
    “What are you talking about? Don’t have a chance with him?” She gave me an obvious once-over. “You’re plenty doable.”
    “Thanks,” I said with a laugh.
    “Okay, so I’m going to get ready real quick and then start unpacking and you can tell me all about this boy you met. I probably know him if he’s not a freshman.” She glanced at her luggage and exhaled, her shoulders dropping. “You still sure you want to help?”
    I looked at the alarm clock. “We have about a half an hour.”
    She cringed and heaved one of her huge suitcases onto her bed before unzipping it.
    “You go,” I said, waving her toward the bathroom. “If you don’t mind me in your stuff, I can at least get it out and organized.”
    Jumping from foot to foot, she made her way into the bathroom, “Thank you!” she yelled as she shut the door. “I really have to pee!”
    That made me laugh, but I started pulling her stuff out of her suitcase, folding it into neat piles. As I did, I wondered if Will and Dave were friends. Wouldn’t that be convenient?

First Day of Classes
    B y the time Emmie was ready, we were just a few minutes from being due at breakfast. She came bursting out of the bathroom (her hair looking très cute and like it had been cut by a pro, I was relieved to see), saw the progress I’d made in putting her clothes away, gave me another quick hug and herded me out the door, claiming she was dying of starvation.
    When we got to the dining hall, I fell into the background as she greeted the many girls who hadn’t seen her since last spring. And I could tell that she was genuinely liked by many; I seemed to have hit the roommate jackpot.
    Before we knew it though, it was time for morning announcements and then our assembly with the dean.
    Even though I knew where the auditorium was, thanks to my tour the evening before, Emmie led me down the hall, chatting as we went.
    “The dean’s a dragon, but I guess I’m going to have to chat with her about this rooming situation,” she sighed. “I’m sure my mother left a message on her voicemail before they even left the premises last night.”
    I wasn’t surprised; her mother was totally the type. “What are you going to tell the dean?”
    Emmie glanced over, a sheepish look making her look adorable under her pixie cut. “The same thing I do every year: that I want to be treated like every other girl here and if she doesn’t like it, I would be just as happy to go to a public school where everyone is treated the same and parents don’t donate buildings.”
    “Scandalous!” I said with a gasp and a dramatic palm pressed to my chest. But I appreciated her moxie. Though... “Would your parents ever let you go to a public school?”
    She laughed. “Not in a million years. And believe me, I’ve tried. I would rather their money go to something truly good, like building