Miranda's Undercover Lover (The A Squad Series)

Chapter Ten

"Hey, Xavier," Rob said as he entered the frat house.

The guy had buddied up with Tom, the frat president, rather quickly. Rob had attempted to do so as well, but with his being a freshman, Tom hadn't hung out with him much. Xavier was a junior year transfer and that helped his status. Besides that, the guy wore designer labels and drove a Porsche. Tom's family was wealthy as well. Rob often saw Tom throwing money around like it was nothing. He'd hoped to get in on the big poker game that Tom was planning. Rob could get the money easy, but Tom was being hesitant about allowing freshmen to play.

"Has Tom reconsidered?" Rob asked, sitting down next to him at the dining room table.

Xavier shuffled his cards like a dealer at a Las Vegas casino. "No."

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Rob asked, watching him flip the cards quickly back and forth over the table.

"Coopertown," Xavier shrugged.

Rob hated the guy. The guy was cocky. Worse than Rob ever was. The guy had a right to be, he guessed. Xavier was good. Rob hated that he was good at cards. That he was good with the babes. That he made friends so easily; that actually he was a lot like him. But what Rob hated most of all was that Xavier had Ryan. Rob hated seeing her touch him, kiss him. What was worse was the guy's hands on her. And that she allowed it.

"Prison?" Rob asked smugly, referring to the Coopertown prison. He'd sent plenty of drug dealers and junkies there.

Kyle raised an eyebrow. He wanted to laugh. Rob really could be a real funny guy, Kyle thought. Especially when he was all jealous. Kyle did sincerely  hope that Miranda ended up with the guy. Rob could certainly hold his own, and he'd need that to get along with the rest of them. "Casino," he answered in his Xavier accent, "Down the block from the prison. I trained to be a dealer there for a year."

"Why'd you quit?"

"Other avenues opened up."

"Such as?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

"I'm studying to be a lawyer."

"Ah. I guess that I should keep your number, huh?" Xavier said sarcastically.

"So, does Ryan know you're such a professional card shark?"

Xavier smiled, amused. "Sure."

"Really?" Rob said in surprise, "I didn't think that you two had gotten to know each other so well so quickly," Rob said bitterly, as he imagined her in bed with Xavier, as she had been with him.

"Just what are you getting at, Rob?"

"I'm just saying that the two of you have gotten pretty serious, pretty quick."

Xavier shrugged. "Love is like that."

"You love her?!" Rob exclaimed, shocked.

Xavier looked up at him. "With all my heart," he said firmly, looking him dead in the eye.

Dear God, he did! Rob saw the serious truth in Xavier's eyes, and it killed him.Rob swallowed hard. "And does she love you?" He asked quietly.

"You'd have to ask her that," Xavier answered.

Rob nodded sadly. He was sure that she did. He'd seen how Ryan looked at Xavier. It punched him in the gut every time he saw Ryan glance at Xavier and share a secret smile.

"What's going on?" Kyle asked Ryan later that night.

They were sitting in the middle of the football field watching a movie marathon with about two hundred other students. Ryan sat in between Kyle's legs and leaned back on his chest for support. Rob was sitting with some of the other frat guys and was flirting with some of her sorority sisters.