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I glance at the two women together. They look so different, yet there’s something about them that vibes. They’ve both carried their share of shit, but they walk like the world doesn’t weigh a fucking ton.
There’s something weirdly attractive about it.
Clenching my jaw, I look to the ground, gripping the back of my neck and wondering if I should disappear to my room.
Until I hear Zander offering to drive Nylah home.
“I got it.” I ping straight, no doubt giving myself away.
I try to make sure my face is neutral—better yet, a little annoyed. That’s more like me, right?
Dipping my eyebrows, I stare back at Zander’s surprised expression. “You sure?”
“Yeah. I mean, you want to stay with your girls, right? I can do you this favor.” I shrug.
“Or I can just catch an Uber,” Nylah says.
“No,” Zander and I reply in unison before he digs out his keys and throws them to me.
Nylah shares a quick look with Sienna, her lips fighting a grin.
“They’re protective here,” Sienna explains. “You just have to go with it.”
Shaking her head, Nylah lets out a soft snicker and says her goodbyes before grabbing her stuff and trailing me downstairs.
Finally, I can get her alone again.
CHAPTER25
NYLAH
There’s a cold nip to the air, and Carson gets the heat going as soon as I slip into Zander’s SUV. I smile my thanks and can’t help laughing when he frowns at me.
“What?”
“Nothing.” I want to tell him that his grumpy face is kinda cute, but I doubt that will go down well.
Poor guy was so worried about Zoey tonight.
“She’s gonna be fine, you know. Babies get sick all the time, and they bounce back real fast.”
“Yeah,” he mutters like he doesn’t believe me.
I watch his fingers tighten on the steering wheel and reach across, lightly squeezing the back of his neck. My thumb rhythmically strokes the short hairs at the nape as I watch the campus streetlights flash by.
Carson’s driving like a snail, and I kind of hope it’s because he doesn’t want to leave me.
Maybe we can find a place to park and?—
But nope. There’s Buckley Hall, and he’s slowing to a stop beside the curb.
“So…” I unbuckle my seat belt and lean across to kiss him, but he flinches, jerking back and pressing the back of his head against the glass.
“Don’t,” he quickly warns me, and I turn to see two guys walking past the window.
I kind of recognize them, but not really.
One of them spots me, obviously knows my face, and starts to grin, sauntering toward the car.