Breaking Their Precious Little Sister

Hudson had a Core Four. Three guys, one girlan inseparable, airtight clique.

My roommates begged me to stay away from them. They warned me that groups like that were toxic, a black hole of codependency and drama. I didn't listen. I spent a year meticulously working my way into Hudsons orbit, playing the long game until I finally secured the title of his girlfriend.

Before he took me to meet them, Hudson gave me a final, stern warning.

"Tinsley is the heart of our group. Shes like a sister to us. If you so much as breathe a mean word to her, were done. Instantly."

I nodded, looking as innocent and compliant as a Sunday school teacher. Inside, my heart was racing with pure, caffeinated adrenaline.

Replacing the "clique queen"? That was exactly the kind of psychological warfare I lived for.

"Even though youre my girlfriend, Tinsley comes first. Shes the priority."

Hudson was laying it on thick, delivering a speech so delusional it made my roommates want to scream. I reached over, physically covering one of my friend's mouths before she could go off on him, and gave Hudson a bright, shimmering smile.

"Of course, Hudson. Your friends are my friends. Im sure Tinsley and I are going to be best sisters."

My roommate, Ruby, looked like she was going to have an aneurysm. She waited until Hudson stepped out to grab his car before she cornered me.

"Youre the campus sweetheart, Jade. You have guys falling over themselves for you. Why are you debasing yourself for a guy in a cult-clique? Youre going to regret this."

I didn't answer. I just adjusted my lip gloss, grabbed my designer clutch, and slipped into the passenger seat of Hudsons Audi. "Let's go," I chirped. "I don't want to keep them waiting."

When we walked into the private booth at the lounge, Tinsley was front and center. She was wearing a silk white slip dress, looking every bit the "pure, fragile angel" that men find irresistible. Two handsome guys were flanking her, their body language protective, almost territorial.

I expected a spoiled brat. Instead, the second Tinsley saw me, she leaped up and grabbed my hands with terrifying warmth.

"You must be Jade! Hudsons new girl. Oh my god, youre stunning."

She turned to the other two. "This is Bennett and Jax. Guys, stop being brooding statues and welcome the newest member of the family!"

Bennett, the one with the wire-rimmed glasses and a sharp, intellectual vibe, gave me a polite but chillingly brief handshake. Jax, a guy with a buzzcut and a gym-rat build, didn't even bother to uncross his arms. He stared at me with blatant, unwashed hostility.

I licked my lips, my smile widening a fraction. I loved a challenge.

Tinsley didn't stop talking. "Seriously, youre like a supermodel. How did a dork like Hudson land you?"

Hudson laughed, an affectionate, practiced sound, and rubbed the top of Tinsleys head. He took off his jacket and draped it over her chair before she even sat back down. "Youre on your period," he whispered loudly enough for me to hear. "Keep your back warm."

Tinsley immediately looked at me, her eyes wide with faux-worry. "Oh no, Hudson, stop! Jades going to get the wrong idea. Are you trying to start a fight between us?"

The room went silent. Hudsons brow furrowed, his protective instinct already flaring.

I just tilted my head, my expression a picture of pure grace. "Why would I be mad? Hudson already told me youre the heart of the group. Seeing you in person, I totally get it. Youre so sweet and petiteof course they treat you like a little sister."

The tension in the air evaporated. The guys relaxed. Tinsleys smile faltered for a microsecondjust long enough for me to register itbefore she recovered.

"Youre so different from the other girls," she said, her voice dropping into a confiding tone. "Usually, Hudsons flings get so... competitive with me. I try so hard to be friends, but they always end up hating me." She let out a tiny, girlish sigh. "The guys actually stopped dating for a while just so I wouldn't have to deal with the drama."

She paused, casting a lingering, slightly mournful look at Hudson.

"I can't believe Hudson actually let you lock him down. You must have some really impressive... techniques."

I just smiled, letting the backhanded compliment slide off me like water. I could see exactly what she was doing. She wasn't just "one of the boys"she was the gatekeeper of their hearts.

When the appetizers arrived, I felt the shift in the room. Tinsley was getting ready to make her move. I stayed still, waiting for the opening.

Suddenly, Tinsley let out a sharp gasp. A bowl of soupnot boiling, but warm enough to cause a scenesloshed over and drenched her white dress. She looked down at the stain, her face contorting into a mask of theatrical pain.

I moved to help her, but before I could reach her, Hudson shoved me aside. Hard. I hit the floor with a thud.

"I knew it!" Jax barked, his face turning an angry shade of red. "Theyre all the same. Act nice for ten minutes and then show their claws. You did that on purpose!"

Bennett pushed his glasses up his nose, his voice cold. "We told you, Hudson. No one touches Tinsley. Not even your girlfriend."

"Jade," Hudsons voice was low and dangerous. "Apologize. Now."

Tinsley was curled into the guys' arms, looking up at me with a tiny, triumphant glint in her eyes that only I could see.

If I were any other girl, I would have screamed, thrown my drink, and walked out. But I wasn't any other girl.

I let the tears well up instantly. My lower lip trembled, and I made sure my voice came out broken and breathless.

"I'm so sorry, Tinsley... I thought you were handing me the bowl... I was just trying to help..." I turned my head slightly, showing the most vulnerable angle of my neck, letting a single tear track down my cheek. "I love Hudson so much, and I wanted so badly for us to be friends. Youre so kind, Tinsley... please tell me you dont think I did this on purpose."

Tinsley froze. The guys froze. She had spent years perfecting the "victim" role, but I was currently out-victim-ing her in front of her own audience.

"Of course," Tinsley stammered, forced into a corner. "Guys, stop. It was an accident. Don't be mean to Jade."

I sobbed quietly and threw myself into Hudsons arms. I looked up at him through my lashes, my eyes full of hurt and longing. For the first time, Hudson looked genuinely guilty. He held me tight, but before he could speak, Tinsley jumped in.

"Let's just finish and go to the pool! Hudson, you promised to teach me that new stroke today. I even brought my new bikini."

Nobody cared if Id actually eaten. They dropped their forks and stood up. The three of them swarmed Tinsley, treating her like a porcelain doll, leaving me to trail behind like a forgotten shadow.

Hudson glanced back once, but Tinsley immediately leaned into him, whispering a question about swimming techniques. Jax snorted. "I'm a better swimmer than Hudson, Tinsley. Let me teach you."

Tinsley giggled. "One at a time, Jax. Youre next."

We arrived at the campus athletic center. Tinsley emerged from the locker room in a dainty, floral one-piece, her arm linked through Hudsons. The moment her toe touched the water, she let out a tiny shriek and jumped into Hudsons arms.

I stepped out in my own suita sleek, midnight-blue bikini that left very little to the imagination.

"Hudson?" I called out, my voice soft. "I'm actually not a very strong swimmer. Do you think you could help me too?"

The three of them turned. The air seemed to leave the room. If you want to play the game of a "pick-me" girl, you need the hardware to back it up. I had it.

Every guy in the pool area was staring. Hudsons expression darkened with a sudden, sharp possessiveness.

He instinctively started to let go of Tinsley to come toward me.

But Tinsley gripped his arm tighter, laughing. "Sorry, Jade! Hudsons mine for the afternoon. I called dibs."

Hudson hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. "I did promise her, Jade. Just hang out for a bit, okay?"

They splashed into the water, Tinsley clinging to his chest like a barnacle. I sat on the edge, watching calmly, until a guy from the varsity swim team approached me.

"Hey," he said, flashing a confident grin. "You look like you need a coach. Want some pointers?"

In the water, Hudsons head snapped toward us. "Shes my girlfriend," he called out, his voice echoing off the tile. "She doesn't need your help."

The swimmer looked at Hudson, then at Tinsley, who was currently wrapped around Hudsons waist. He gave a look of pure disgust. "Dude, youve got a girl in your arms and another on the hook? Learn some respect."

"Shes like my sister!" Hudson yelled, clearly stung.

"Yeah, 'sister.' Right." The swimmer rolled his eyes and looked back at me. "Beautiful, heres my number. Give me a call when you realize youre dating a clown."

He walked away, but not before Hudsons ego was thoroughly bruised. Hudson swam to the edge, looking agitated. "Those guys are just trying to take advantage of you, Jade. Use your head."

I looked at him with big, watery eyes. "But I'm bored just sitting here. If youre busy with Tinsley, maybe Jax or Bennett could help me? Theyre your best friends, right? Im sure Id be safe with them."

Jax, who was sitting nearby, looked up. "I'm not going to 'take advantage' of you. I'm not that thirsty."

I gave him a sweet, challenging smile. "Then its settled. Teach me."

I practically forced them into the water. As they stood on either side of me, guiding me in, Tinsleys voice turned sharp. "Hudson! Focus on me!"

I glanced over and caught Hudsons eye. He wasn't looking at Tinsley anymore. He was watching Bennetts hand on my waist as I lowered myself into the pool.

I blinked, then suddenly let out a small cry. I "cramped" up, my body going limp as I tumbled directly into Jaxs chest.

Jax froze like hed been struck by lightning.

"My leg... it hurts so much," I whispered into Jaxs ear, my breath brushing his skin. I looked over his shoulder at Bennett with a look of pure, helpless distress. "I should have stretched. Can you help me?"

Bennett hesitated, then reached underwater to massage my calf.

"JAX!" Tinsleys voice was almost a scream.

Jax flinched and reflexively shoved me away to turn toward her. Without his support, I slipped under the surface, purposefully inhaling a bit of water to make it real.

The panic of drowning is hard to fake. I clawed at the nearest bodyBennettand as I broke the surface, coughing and gasping, I pressed my lips against his, desperately "searching for air."

Bennetts pupils blown wide. He was paralyzed.

I scrambled out of the pool, looking like a drowned, beautiful wreck. Bennett stared at the water, his face unreadable, refusing to meet anyone's eyes.

Tinsley stormed over to me, her face flushed with rage. "Jade! Youre Hudsons girlfriend! How could you be so... disgusting? Kissing Bennett in front of everyone? Have you no shame?"

I looked like I was about to collapse. Before I could say a word, Bennett and Jax spoke up simultaneously.

"Her leg gave out, Tinsley. She was drowning. It wasn't on purpose."

"And honestly," Jax added, his voice oddly defensive, "its not like there isn't touching involved in swimming. Youve been all over Hudson all day, and Jade didn't say a word."

The silence that followed was deafening.

Tinsleys eyes welled with real tears of shock. "Are you... are you yelling at me? For her?"

The guys looked stunned by their own words. They seemed confused as to why they were defending me. Jax immediately tried to backtrack, grabbing Tinsleys hand. "No, no, Tinsley, Im sorry. I didn't mean it like that. Hit me if you want, just don't be mad."

Bennett reached out to wipe a tear from her cheek. "Tinsley, don't cry."

Hudson, meanwhile, looked like hed swallowed a lemon. "You guys are acting like shes your girlfriend. I'm the one whos supposed to be pissed here."

Bennett went quiet, looking guilty. Jax just blustered, "I don't want a girlfriend. I only care about Tinsley."

It took ten minutes of them groveling before Tinsley finally "forgave" them. But then she turned her gaze on me. My internal "pick-me" radar went off like a siren.

"Jade," she said, her voice dripping with artificial sadness. "I really thought we could be friends. But youre just like the others. You came into this group just to drive a wedge between us." She sighed, looking at the boys. "I guess shes just better at it than the other girls. This is the first time youve ever been mean to me because of a stranger."

She looked at me, her head tilted. "Why? Were both girls. Why can't we just get along? Why do you have to be so... competitive?"

I watched as Bennetts expression turned cold and distant again. Jaxs hostility returned. Hudsons face darkened.

"Jade," Hudson said. "Did you do that on purpose?"

I had to hand it to her. She was good. She was the one constantly competing, yet she was framing me as the aggressor. No wonder these guys were single. Their "sister" was a psycho-gatekeeper.

I blinked, letting tears overflow. "I'm so sorry, Tinsley. Its just... Hudson was so busy with you, and I was lonely. I thought we were all friends. I didn't realize I wasn't actually part of the group. I was so stupid to think I belonged."

I looked at Hudson, my lips trembling. "We should break up."

Hudsons eyes widened. "What? No. Its not that big a deal, Jade. I didn't say we were breaking up."

"You don't get it," I whispered, my voice thick with suppressed sobs. "Tinsley is right. Shes the priority. And she clearly doesn't want me here. Neither do Jax or Bennett. I love you, Hudson, and I don't want to make your life difficult. Id rather lose you than make you choose."

I looked at Jax and Bennett. They looked away, shifting uncomfortably.

"When Tinsley and the guys are actually ready to accept me... maybe then. But for now, goodbye."

I turned and walked away, perfectly poised even in my exit. The moment I got back to the dorm, I blocked Hudson on everything.

I didn't see the "Core Four" again for two weeks. Not until the Greek Life Mixer.