The Legacy (Off-Campus, #5)

by Elle Kennedy

Sometimes it’s hard to believe she was once that nervous, babbling freshman whose dorm I accidentally wound up in. That the sweet Grace Ivers I fell for is this fearless woman in front of me, the sexy vixen who’s about to let me fuck her in the bathroom.

I don’t need to win some stupid bet. I’m already the luckiest man in the bar.

It’s Alexander.

For real. Does he have a death wish or something? I mean, I know Garrett does, because clearly he wants me to murder him next time I see him. I love Garrett Graham like a brother. He’s my closest friend. He’s a teammate. He’s fucking awesome. But to do this to us on Christmas? Granted, I did abuse my spare key privileges a few months ago to sneak Alexander into Garrett and his girlfriend’s house for Hannah’s birthday. But still.

“Had to break his heart and tell him there won’t be a wedding, no matter how good G’s BJs are.” “Wow. Garrett takes the time to pleasure you with blowjobs, and you won’t even marry the guy? Heartless, Johnny. Heartless.” He falls backward with laughter, leaning on his elbows. “Yeah, sorry. But I’m already planning on marrying someone else.” “Oh really?” “Really.” He smirks. “It’s you, by the way.” “Oh really,” I say again. “Really.” Those deep blue eyes gleam with intensity. “I told you a long time ago—you’re it for me, Gracie Elizabeth. I’m going to marry you one day.” Pleasure heats my cheeks. Logan’s not the most romantic man on the planet, but when he does express his feelings, he doesn’t do it halfway. “Who says I want to marry you?” I tip my head in challenge. “Don’t you dare pretend we’re not forever.”

“I just don’t get it. We were all roommates in college. I never even suspected you two were boning!” Grace chortles happily. “It’s even better hearing it from Siri. Ooh. There’s one from Tucker.” She taps “next message.” “I always had a feeling. They kept trying so hard to act like they were platonic.” “Because we were platonic!” I growl. “Were?” my girlfriend says sweetly. “Are,” I correct. “We were and are platonic.” Another message from Dean comes in. “Sneaky bastards.”

I hit a button on the screen. “Siri, send text to Best Buds Forever chat.” “Best Buds Forever?” Grace howls. “That’s the name of your group chat?” “Yeah, got a problem with that?” To Siri, I dictate, “Hey dipshit, at least I wasn’t sneaking around taking baths with pink dildos.” With a smug nod, I press send. “There. That’ll shut him up for a while.”

Cuddling with my girl is all I care about.

“What is it?” It’s that same tone she uses when she suspects I’m up to no good. I flash her a faint smile before turning back to the pastor. “So. Just out of curiosity…” My grin widens. “Do you do weddings?”

“Allie. I don’t even know where to start.” “Clearly,” comes Garrett’s dry voice. “By the way, the answer is no. Go ahead and close that box.” I stare at the open jewelry box in my hand, all plush blue velvet and glittering diamond, trying to tamp down my frustration. I’m still kneeling in front of Garrett, former college roommate and best friend for life, in the living room of his expensive Boston brownstone, while our other best friend watches with amusement from the couch.

“It was awful,” Garrett corrects. “And I will not be marrying you, Dean Heyward-Di Laurentis. Sorry to break it to you. Now do it again.”

This time, I lead with the whole can’t-live-without-you pitch, while Garrett clasps his hands over his heart, nodding along. Encouraged by his response, I hurry on.

“You have no idea how stunning you are.” I lean forward, still holding the ring box in one hand. I place my other hand flat on his muscular thigh. Logan narrows his eyes. You wanted it, I think, battling a grin. “Every time I look at you, I can’t even fathom that you’re mine. Your beauty is otherworldly. It makes me want to rip your clothes off. You make me so hard.” My hand skims up his chest toward his collarbone. I’m desperately trying not to laugh as I cup his stubble-covered cheek. “Baby. Will you marry me?” There’s a brief silence. Then Logan’s mouth falls open. He turns to Garrett, wide-eyed. Then back at me. “Chills,” he breathes. “Genuine chills, man. Look.” He rolls up his shirt sleeve to show me his arm. “That’s the one.” “That is not the one!” Garrett growls from the recliner. “Don’t you fucking say any of that or you’re going to lose the girl.”

“Why not? Sabrina and I would love to share our wedding with you. And it opens so many other doors, y’know? Think about it. All your great achievements, we could share together. Like, when you and Allie get married? We’ll be right there with the announcement of our second child. And when you share Allie’s pregnancy? We’ll be there announcing our new house.” Logan chokes on his champagne mid-sip. I narrow my eyes. “Point taken.” “No, wait, it gets even better,” Tucker says enthusiastically. “When Allie gives birth to your first kid, guess who’ll be there! Me again, there to introduce you to our new dog, who I’ll name after your baby to honor you. And when your kid grows up, graduates college, gets engaged, and has a wedding of their own, I’ll be sitting there in the front row. Faking a heart attack.” Logan shakes his head in utter astonishment. “Holy shit. Tuck is a sociopath. Didn’t I always tell you that gingers are crazy?”

“Do you, Di Laurentis? Because if you upset Sabrina tomorrow by asking Allie to marry you, I will be there. I will always be there. At every corner, ruining every important moment of your life until the day you die. And then, when you’re on your deathbed, I’ll commit suicide right before you go, just to steal your thunder. What do you think, man? How does that future sound?” Garrett gives me a smug look. “Told you so.” Welp. He was right. And so was Logan, apparently. Like, Tuck is just sitting here now, drinking champagne and smiling at me as if he hadn’t just threatened to commit suicide on my deathbed. Gingers are psychotic.

“And Summer monopolizes all my free time.” I glance over with a chuckle. “Hey, I warned you she was high maintenance.” “Worth it,” is his easygoing response, which makes me nod in approval. My sister might be a crazy person, but I’d still die to protect her honor and beat up anyone who disparages her, even Fitz.

“Hey, princess,” I say, using Dean’s nickname for her. Everyone seems to have their own pet name for Jamie. Garrett calls her gumdrop. Logan calls her squirt. Hope’s husband D’Andre calls her snickerdoodle, which I think might be my favorite one.

There’s really only one close friend I can’t see, can’t speak to, and that’s Beau Maxwell, because he’s gone. I think Beau would’ve had fun tonight if he’d been here.

Newark.

NJ Devils

Prudential Center.

“Allie-Cat?” I call back. “Is that you in there?” “Yeah, I’m here with Logan.” There’s a pause. “And his penis.” Garrett’s head pops up from his phone. Sheer delight lights his face. “Oh God. I don’t even care that we got our asses handed to us by Jersey. This night officially just became the greatest.”

“Wait, let me get my shoe,” Allie says, hobbling across the room on one stiletto. I narrow my eyes. “Why is it all the way over there?” “Because she threw it at my head,” growls Logan. Garrett hoots. “Such a good night,” he says happily.

She’s honestly my favorite person in the whole world.

“So. With that said. Will you, Dean Sebastian Kendrick Heyward-Di Laurentis, be my fiancé?”

“Of course I will.” My voice is so hoarse, I clear my throat before continuing. “If you’ll have me.” “Always,” Allie says, leaning into my touch. “I’ll always have you.”

“Fuck. I wish I had the ring on me. But it’s at home.” Curiosity fills her eyes. “Is it big?” she demands. “Huge.” “How huge?” “Massive. Even your dad was impressed.”

“You showed your dick to her father?” Allie and I startle when Garrett comes stumbling into the room, a sweatpants-clad Logan flying in after him. “What the hell?” I snap at them. “You guys were eavesdropping?” Garrett’s defense is, “You’re in my room!” “And I’m just nosy,”

Congratulations on the engagement! The three of us are so happy for you! “The three of them?” Allie’s reading the note over my shoulder, her eager hands now reaching into the box. A sick feeling creeps up my throat. I have a horrible suspicion I know exactly what⁠— “No!” she moans when the porcelain doll emerges from the box. “Oh my God, Dean, he’s on our bed! We have to burn the sheets now!” I glower at Alexander’s red cheeks and vacant eyes. “Motherfucker,” I growl. “You realize Logan would’ve had to ask Grace to overnight this? This is literal betrayal.” “Next-level betrayal.”

“I can’t fucking believe Logan would do this to us. And after we complimented his dick?” My fiancée sighs. “We?” “Oh, like you weren’t impressed too,” is my accusatory reply. “Fine, I was,” Allie relents. She offers a shrug. “Mrs. Logan is a lucky woman.” I nod in agreement. “A very lucky—” I stop abruptly. “Wait. What?”

“Here, darlin’. Have some cookies.” I grab three bags of mini Oreos from the basket on the chair across from us and toss them in her lap. “You’re still feeling the adrenaline. It’ll pass.” Sabrina looks up from her bag and fixes me with a death stare. “You’re trying to shut me up with cookies?

“Gee, John, I’m glad you think this is funny.” Shit. She called me John. Now I know it’s serious.

“I think the most important question is—who do you trust to erase our browser history?” “What?” Sabrina cocks her head at me, bent over her lap while she writes. “We can’t let my mom do it, and I think Jamie might still be a little young to use the laptops.”

“You’re making fun of me.” “Nope,” I say innocently. “Just trying to contribute to our death wishes.” She doesn’t have to speak to tell me to fuck off. Her brown eyes scream daggers. I hide a grin and open one of the cookie bags.

“It’s one thing to send him out of the blue on a non-occasion,” he’s saying, “but our honeymoon, dude? Have you no shame?” “Is that Dean?” I demand. Tuck nods absently. “Put him on speaker. Now!” Tucker swipes his finger on the screen. “You’re on speaker now. Sabrina has something to say.” “Mrs. Tucker!” Dean’s asshole voice chirps from the phone. “Happy honeymoon!” “Don’t you dare happy honeymoon us,” I snarl. “Tuck says you don’t like mine and Allie’s gift. I’m hurt. Almost as hurt as I am about the fact that you didn’t give us an engagement gift.” “You haven’t even begun to hurt.” “Oh, come on, you two. Let’s not be hypocrites now. You’ve sent him to all of us before.” “We weren’t sending him to you. We were sending him away from us,” Tuck says darkly. I draw a deep breath. “Dean.” “Yes, Sabrina?” He has the nerve to chuckle. “This ends today, you hear me? We’ve all been complicit in this, but no more. I don’t care how much he cost. The moment we hang up, I’m taking him outside and throwing him in the ocean.” “You can’t pollute the ocean,” Dean protests. “Watch me.” Then I grab the phone and end the call.

HANNAH: For what it’s worth, Allie and I only stumbled on the news at your wedding, S. They’d already been married for months by then. ALLIE: Yeah, see! I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to ruin your big day. You’re welcome, bitch. I send a middle finger emoji, followed by another reprimand. ME: Don’t use my wedding as an excuse, you traitor. You should have informed everyone the moment you found out. I’m disappointed in you, Allison Jane.

“Don’t laugh at me,” Sabrina mumbles afterward, tucked in tight and head elevated on two pillows. “I would never.” “I know you,” she says miserably. “I don’t want to hear a sound.” “I swear.” Sabrina drifts off while I’m getting undressed to take a shower. With the bathroom door closed, I cover my mouth and let out a muffled laugh under the sound of the running water. Because that shit was hilarious. Not that my wife got hurt, but come on. A coconut falls on her head and knocks her the fuck out? I release another wave of laughter against my forearm. Jesus. For anyone else, the odds would be astronomical. But for us? Just par for the course on this trip.

“Tuck!” Bruce shouts when he catches my gaze. “Sabrina! C’mere! You are not gonna believe this!” Exchanging a wary look, we walk over to the men to see what all the fuss is about. When we reach them, Bruce is peeling strands of seaweed off some item I can’t quite make out. When he flings the last of the seaweed off, I suck in a breath. Jesus fucking Christ. “How remarkable is this?” Kevin says, eyes wide. “It just came in with the tide and floated right up to our feet.” A curious Sabrina steps forward before I can stop her. “What is it?” Then she sees Alexander and starts to cry.

“Your happiness is more important to me. Can’t help it, that’s just how I feel. Making you and Jamie happy is what makes me happy.”

“It’s maybe not a terrible idea.” “Granted, those same friends tried to ruin our honeymoon with Alexander, so really, we should be discussing cutting them out of our lives, not bringing them closer into the fold.” My expression darkens. “I don’t like knowing he’s in there,” I say, nodding toward my carry-on. “Maybe airport security will think we’re smuggling drugs inside his creepy head and confiscate him.” I snicker at her hopeful face. “Babe, if they decide we’re drug mules, we’ll have bigger problems to deal with than a haunted doll. Don’t worry, though. We’ll ship him off the moment we get home.” “It better be Dean.” “Nah. They’ll expect it.” I pause. “Wasn’t it Garrett who left him under my pillow when they came over last Thanksgiving?” Indignation burns in her eyes. “Jamie woke up when she heard me scream, and we couldn’t get her back to sleep for hours.” I nod. “G.” She nods back. “I concur. I mean, he and Hannah are over there living their best lives. We can’t allow that.” “Someone needs to knock ’em down a peg.” “Exactly.”

Beside me, Hannah gets those gooey starry eyes she dons every time she’s in Connelly’s vicinity. And I’m sure that when he walks away, she’ll do her usual shtick of poking me in the arm and whispering, “He’s so handsome.” I personally don’t get it. I mean, he’s a good-looking dude, for sure. But has Wellsy seen who she’s dating?

“He’s so handsome,” Hannah breathes as he walks away. “Keep it in your pants,” I chide.

I see zeroes. And more zeroes. They keep going until my legs get a little unsteady and I reach for a chair. Three hundred thousand dollars. I’ve never seen so much money in my life.

“I love you. Maybe more than I ever have.” “We’re having a baby,” I say, grinning with both excitement and still a bit of trepidation. “Bet your ass we are.”