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“No,” I say.

“It’s not a date! My friend from forever ago might be transferring to Shafer, and I just want to show her a good time so she’ll want to go here. It would be a group thing. No pressure.”

“Sounds like pressure. Convincing someone to transfer colleges? That’s a job for a marketing team and a college brochure.”

“You don’t have to convince her, I just want her to see the best Shafer has to offer.” Behind her, Cash pretends to be offended.

I laugh. “The best?”

“Yeah, the cream of the crop.” She smiles a pretty smile.

“Ooh, you know how to lay it on thick.”

“Yeah, seriously, Mais,” Cash says. “So he’s got a Hollywood face and basically leads the nation in tackles. But the cream of the crop? Shafer’s got better than that.”

Maisy ignores him. “Please? Pretty please?” She presses her palms together in prayer and drops to her knees in front of me.

Cash’s face turns serious. “Don’t do that near my friends.” Thanks to the drunken kiss Maisy and I shared freshman year, Cash doesn’t trust his friends around his sister—despite her deciding sophomore year she wants to date only women.

She gives him a contemptuous look. “Grow up.” Then she turns her smile back on and looks up at me. “Please, Lorenzo? She’s so easygoing, I swear. You don’t have to put on a show for this girl.”

Cash comes over and takes her arm, trying to pull her to her feet. She ignores him completely, keeping her smile in place andher eyes on me and smoothly jerking her arm from her brother’s grip.

“I can’t.” I extend a hand to Maisy to help her up. “And what would she want with me? Your brother’s got a hundred friends dying for a chance at some fresh meat.”

“Yes, but you have actual manners. This girl just needs a night out; she’s not trying to fuck a football player.”

“Wow, you really know how to sell a guy,” Cash says sarcastically. “Let me help.” He turns to me. “Maisy says she’s hot.”

Maisy nods. “And unfortunately for me, she’s also straight.”

“What about the fine upstanding gentleman you call your brother?” I ask.

She draws back like I’ve offended her. “No! My brother’s not even allowed to breathe near my friends anymore. Not after the number of friends he’s cost me.” She shoots an accusing look at Cash.

“Can’t help it if girls have no self-control.”

I take a seat on the couch. “Sorry, Maisy, can’t do it this time.”

“Grandpa Lor strikes again,” Cash says.

Maisy cocks her head. “You have a new girl on the line?”

“I don’t know.” I notice my knee bouncing up and down and I quiet it. “Something like that.”

Cash jumps on me as soon as Maisy leaves.

“When did you find time to meet a new chick between all the shoulder exercises you’ve been doing?”

I hesitate. I wasn’t planning on telling Cash anything yet since Ruby and I haven’t talked about what we are and who needs to know about it. But hiding it feels sketchy, and anyway I’m dying to run the situation past someone else who can tell me whether I’m nuts for going down this road with my best friend. “She’s not exactly new.”

“Dude.” He looks disappointed. “I didn’t think you were really going back for round two with Alli.”

“I’m not. It’s Ruby.”

I watch Cash’s face move through a series of expressions—shock, elation, disbelief—before he speaks. “Come on.”

“No, I’m serious. We’re giving it a shot.”