Epilogue

                                    

                                          
Once the guys stopped hooting and laughing about us wearing their underwear, they let us in on their original plan, which was to give us our panties back while treating us to a campfire and s’mores. Of course, this was pretty much what Emmie figured they had planned—just another opportunity to hang out with us. Despite not being quite as clever as Emmie’s plot, their idea was still pretty nice, so we all headed through the woods to the small campfire they’d built. They’d even pulled logs around for us to sit on.
                          
Jared sat next to me, straddling the log so he faced me on my right side. I was almost completely surrounded by his big body. He was so close, it made my heart skip.
                          
“So, I guess I should give these back to you,” he said. I looked down and he was holding my pink underwear. It seemed odd that they were folded neatly. I suppose I was just glad he wasn’t holding them up like a trophy.
                          
I shrugged, hiding my awkwardness over him having my panties. I’d barely even been kissed by a guy and this guy was holding my most intimate piece of clothing. “You can keep them, if you want,” I said.
                          
He shook his head. “That’s creepy. Like, old guy in a trench coat creepy. I’m not that guy. Don’t make me into that guy. Please, just take them.”
                          
“Okay,” I said, laughing as I took the panties from him and stuffed them into my blazer pocket. “But you’re getting yours back, too.”
                          
He looked surprised. “I thought someone bought them. Doesn’t that mean they get to keep them?”
                          
“Someone did, but it was a token thing. She doesn’t actually want them. She doesn’t want to be that girl.” And anyway, she’d rather see them on you, I didn’t say. I shimmied out of his boxer-briefs and handed them to him. He shoved them into his back pocket.
                          
“So,” he said, grinning. “How much were they worth?”
                          
I shrugged, playing coy. Also, I didn’t really want to tell him. It had sounded great when Emmie’d announced how much we’d made off the auction, but what she didn’t say was that her opening (and winning) bid for Dave’s leopard-print bikinis had been a thousand dollars, thanks to her Gucci to Goats program.
                          
“Brooklyn, come on.”
                          
“Let’s just say the person who bought them was very motivated.”
                          
“That’s good for the ego,” he said.
                          
Speaking of ego, something nagged at me. The old Brooklyn would have let it go, but the new one wanted to know. “Tell me something,” I said.
                          
“Mmhmm?”
                          
“Did you end up with mine by accident?”
                          
He dropped his eyes to his hands as he fidgeted his fingers. But I could still see the smile on his face; he was suddenly shy. Which felt weird for a guy who’d lived his life on TV and in the tabloids.
                          
“Jared?”
                          
He was quiet for a moment and I started to think he hadn’t heard me. “I like that you call me by my first name,” he finally said, still not looking at me. And then his knee nudged mine, the gentle pressure of him touching me feeling like more than just an accidental bump. “I like the way you say it with that hint of an accent.”
                          
I didn’t say anything, waiting for him to answer, fearing that he was stalling because I was his booby prize.
                          
A long moment passed and I began to fidget, thinking maybe I’d read him wrong.
                          
But then he spoke. “No. It wasn’t an accident,” he said, finally looking up at me, his emerald green eyes finding mine and holding them, hypnotizing me. “I wasn’t the one to take them from your room, but when I saw you at the dance…”
                          
My heart did a little jump then. My lips parted as my lungs suddenly required more air.
                          
He edged closer, his knee pressing into mine. “And then I danced with you and you made me laugh.” He grinned. “I’m a sucker for a funny girl.”
                          
I’d never been called a funny girl before, but something about being the new Brooklyn made me feel brave and fun. And obviously whatever it was, it was working.
                          
 “So I’m just a clown to you, then?” I looked around. “Where’s that rainbow wig?”
                          
He grabbed my hand, dwarfing it in his, and tugged me toward him so our foreheads touched. “You’re not just a clown; you are the best goddamn looking clown, who can rock a pair of boxer-briefs like nobody’s business.”
                          
The new Brooklyn threw back her head and laughed.
                          
Jared rubbed my palm with his thumb and opened his mouth to say something more, but was interrupted by Emmie who suddenly stood up on the other side of the campfire circle. “Everyone, it’s getting kind of late and I think we need to shut this party down soon,” she paused as everyone booed and groaned. “I know, I know, but we need to put out this fire and get out of here before we attract the attention of security. But before we do, I just want to give a shout out to the newest addition to The Rosewood Academy for Academic Excellence.”
                          
I gasped and glanced over at Jared as he squeezed my fingers. I looked back at Emmie; her eyes were on me.
                          
“Brooklyn, we’ve only just met you, but already you’ve proven yourself to be a great roommate and an even greater friend. You didn’t even flinch when called to your initiation earlier today.”
                          
What?
                          
She smirked. “You didn’t even know that was your initiation, did you?”
                          
I shook my head.
                          
“Well you passed, with flying colors. You are definitely a Rosewood, through and through.” As cheers went up around the circle, she looked around. “Don’t we have anything to toast her with? God, you boys are so unprepared.”
                          
“Toast her with a marshmallow,” Dave said.
                          
Emmie rolled her eyes. “Fine.” She took the loaded stick Dave offered and set the marshmallow on fire, holding it up over her head like a torch. “To Brooklyn.”
                          
Everyone else held their underwear over their head, which made me laugh, but was still kind of fitting. “Hear, hear,” they all said. “To Brooklyn.”
                          
Jared pulled me into a hug, but over his shoulder, I saw all my new friends smiling and cheering me on.
                          
And just like that, I officially became one of The Rosewoods.