Chapter 6

**Saint **

“Where is Cyrus?” I asked Royal as I began to light up my cigarette. “He was supposed to meet us.” Royal had texted us a couple of minutes ago wanting to meet for some dumb ass reason. I knew it had something to do with Winter being back even though I could care less she was back. She was nothing to me after she ran off to her grandmother’s. She was a waste of time seeing how she couldn’t take the heat. She couldn’t take belonging to all of us, so what’s the point of even caring she was back? It wasn’t like she would want us back. I liked the fight just as much as the other guys, but after a while the fight gets boring. You want them to actually want you some of the time. She might have started to show interest before this shit went all the hell, but it was too late now. To me, she was a lost cause. Zander was a different story. I didn’t know what Cyrus thought. It was hard to ever tell what was going through his mind when he didn’t speak. Royal though, I think was on my side. He and Hailey have been going strong lately it seemed. Winter coming back wouldn’t be good for them. It could ruin them. They were meant to be a power couple. Winter meant a distraction from that. I could see Royal did still want her though. I could kind of see why. Hailey was boring compared to Winter. Hailey meant following the rules where Winter was breaking them all. There was a high from doing something you aren’t supposed to.

“I don’t know. I texted him and it said he got it. He must have stayed a little bit longer at the gym this morning. He has some tough competition this year,” Royal mentioned about Cyrus’ basketball team. I was sure he would manage though. Cyrus had always been the star player and the best they could ask for. He was on his way to the NBA if he would just speak. I knew not to push it. We all had known Cyrus for years and it was better not to push the subject of him talking. He communicated fine in other ways.

“Whatever man, I got to meet up with Scar soon. We got class together.” I said pushing off the wall I had been leaning against, throwing the ash against the ground off my cigarette.

“You know this is important. Winter is back. We need to figure out what we are doing as a group with her,” he said trying not to make look at the ash I dropped near his shoe. I would have gotten a lecture if I had gotten a spot on his shiny shoes. Royal always dressed to the nine’s. He looked better than most college kids did going to class. I wore mostly basketball shorts around. I looked like a slob compared to Royal.

“How about nothing? This might seem like a weird idea to you guys, but nothing. There are other girls here. We all seemed to have moved on from her. It could be for the better.” I shrugged my shoulders up and down.

“No, we have to do something. I already caught Zander staring at her. He is going to do something stupid.”

“So, let him do something stupid,” I sighed. I should care more about my friend doing stupid things, but I didn’t care when it came to her. I knew Zander wasn’t going to stop at anything until he got her back.

“We can’t. Not as his friends. You know how important his relationship with Amber is. He can’t screw that up.”

I rolled my eyes. I put the cigarette back in my mouth. One thing that made me glad I wasn’t rich, I could date whoever I pleased without stupid politics getting in the way. I could date whoever I wanted to without very many problems. Which is exactly how I like it. I am not the type of person who likes to be told what to do or how to do it.

Cyrus appeared at that moment from the building. He wasn’t really smiling, but I could tell he was satisfied with himself by the way he walked. “Cyrus,” I said. “Where have you been?” I asked like he was going to answer even though I knew I wouldn’t get more than one word.

He shrugged not saying a word as he sat by Royal pulling out his phone. I sighed looking at Royal. “So what are we going to do now that we are all here?”

Royal nodded putting away his phone. “We are going to make sure she knows she’s not welcome here. We are going to send her packing her bags and running for the hills.”

I raised an eyebrow. This didn’t sound like a Royal plan. He wasn’t normally so vicious. That was Zander’s plan. I did like the change though. Royal had always been so clean-cut even more since Winter was out of our lives. Maybe Winter returning would be a good thing.

“What is your plan?” I asked as I threw my cigarette on the ground, stomping it out with my foot.

He paused for a second, before speaking. “I think we should remind her how things used to be. How rough we used to play with her.”

“I don’t know. Why don’t we just scare her? Make her feel unwelcome.” I said. I wasn’t sure if I wasn’t to ruin things with Scarlette and myself just yet. Well, not again. We had been on and off since the start of college. It has been almost two years of big fights and hot make-up sex. It was some of the best I have ever had.

“That’s exactly what we are doing,” he said straightening his polo. It was almost like he was nervous or something. What was going on with Royal? He seemed different in just one day of Winter coming back. I never thought he would be the one who changed, but I guess there was something changing in the weather.