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I rolled my eyes at him. “I’m trying to decide if you’re an optimist or just being willfully blind.”

“Maybe I’m simply a true romantic,” he replied. “Maybe I like to believe love overcomes all obstacles.”

“Maybe you like to cause trouble.”

“Oh, always that,” he said with a grin. The smile slowly dropped from his face as he considered me. “Seriously though, Noah’s been irritable and moody ever since you broke up. He’s the worst company ever.” He let out a sigh. “I was hoping the two of you would have made up by now.”

“Like I’ve been trying to tell you, that’s never going to happen.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” he replied. “Look, just do me a favor, and don’t give up on Noah yet.”

I stared at him, at a loss for what to say. Did Luther know something I didn’t? What could Noah have possibly said to give him the impression there was any hope? I wasn’t sure, but the one thing I was certain of was if I didn’t give up on Noah now I would never get over him. I couldn’t spend my life letting my heart ache for a boy I couldn’t be with. It wasn’t fair for Luther to expect that of me. “You can’t ask me to do that.”

“Well, I did.” And he didn’t look the least bit remorseful about it. “Anyway, I’ll catch you around, newbie. Stay safe out there.” He went to walk away but paused and handed me the football he’d stolen from the guys. “Here,” he said. “A souvenir so you can remember that time I saved your life.”

“I don’t think my life was in danger…”

“That’s not how I remember it,” he replied. “And think about what I said. You and Noah belong together.”

He turned to leave, waltzing away like he hadn’t just tried to blow up my life with the world’s most ridiculous request.

“There’s nothing to think about,” I called after him.

He didn’t turn back, and I wasn’t sure if it was because he hadn’t heard me or because he refused to acknowledge my protest.

Not giving up on Noah? Luther couldn’t have asked something more demanding if he tried, especially seeing as Noah was the one to give up on us in the first place. I shook my head and continued down the corridor to Wes’s room.

I was relieved when Wes answered the door after only a couple of knocks. I thought he might be surprised to see me, but his face lit with a welcoming smile. A small crease then puckered his brow as he looked down and noticed the ball in my hand. “Trying out for the football team?”

“Trying to avoid the football team, more like.” I shook my head when I caught his curious expression. “Don’t ask.”

“But now I’m all intrigued.” He stood back and gestured into his room. “Want to come in? It’s kind of mad out there today.”

“Justkind ofmad?” I asked as I followed him inside. Not only was it chaos in the corridors, it was dangerous too. “I swear the boys’ dorms have always been so quiet when I’ve come here before.”

“Clearly you’ve been coming at the wrong time,” Wes replied. “If our dorm parents look the other way for even a minute, the place turns into a jungle.”

“Yeah, well, I swear some of the monkeys out there are rabid.”

“They should probably put a warning at the entrance,” he agreed with a smile. “Enter at your own risk, or something like that.”

“Probably.” I placed the ball down on his bed and tucked my hands into my jeans as I looked around the room. It was almost like an invisible border ran through the center of the space. One side was a pigsty while the other was spotlessly clean. My eyes landed on the heap of clothes spilling out of a suitcase on Sawyer’s bed. It seemed he’d gotten about as far as I had when it came to unpacking.

“Is your brother around?” I asked.

“Nah, Sawyer’s out playing a pickup game of soccer. It’s just you and me,” he said, sitting at the end of his bed.

“Uh-huh.” I swallowed down the nerves that suddenly made an appearance in my throat. I didn’t want to talk to Wes with Sawyer around, but I was also anxious at the thought of being here alone with him.

“Did you want to sit down?” Wes asked, gesturing to the bed beside him.

“Um, no thanks, I’m good.”

He gave me a half smile, like he didn’t quite believe me. He stood and approached me slowly as though he was worried I might spook if he moved too fast. “I’m guessing you came to talk about what happened last night?”

I let out a deep exhale and nodded. I had no idea where to begin, and I was glad Wes had been the one to raise the subject. I guessed the best place to start was the one thing I felt sure about. “I don’t want things to be weird between us.”

“I don’t want that either. I really like you, Isobel.”