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19

NOAH

“You should take me as your date instead,” Theo says, scrolling through pages of gowns on an iPad as we walk towards my cabin.

“What about me?” Elijah asks, batting his eyelashes and throwing an arm around my shoulder. “Come on, darlin’, you know you want some arm candy.”

“I’m the one who grew up going to these fancy things,” Theo scoffs. “Why do you think I’ve been appointed to find Char the perfect dress?”

“Because you vetoed all Noah’s choices till he threw the iPad in your face?”

Theo waves him off. “She’ll thank me for it. Noah’s style is game day chic.”

“Hey,” I say, shoving him. “I have style.”

“Yeah, but Charlie goes to these things all the time because of her mom,” Theo points out.

My stomach sinks. “I hadn’t considered that.”

“Exactly, so it needs to be better than anything she has in her closet,” Theo says. “Let me take care of this, and you focus on you.”

“I want it to be a gift from me ,” I say, brow cocked.

“How about you let this be my gift to you ,” Theo says. “I promise you’ll thank me.”

“Well, pick something that can be overnighted,” I remind him. “The gala is tomorrow.”

I curse myself for being so indecisive, but I wanted to make sure it was something she’d love, and before I knew it, it was Thursday.

“You got it, Cap.”

We arrive at my cabin, and I open the door, let the guys inside, and shut it behind me. I walk directly into Theo’s back as he and Elijah stand, unmoving.

“Nope.” Elijah spins around, staring at the wall.

My eyes dart past him to where a very naked redhead is sprawled out on my bed, smiling at us.

I divert my eyes and open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.

“Should we… go?” Theo asks hesitantly.

“No,” I say at the same time Hannah says, “Or you could stay.”

There’s no way I’m being left alone with this woman.

“Why are you in my room?” I ask, my question directed at Hannah while my gaze burns a hole into the wall, ensuring I look anywhere but at her.

“I saw you at practice earlier, and you looked like you could use a little stress relief,” she replies, unmoving from my bed.

The same bed Charlotte and I sleep in.

The same bed where she moans my name, over and over and over.

The same bed where I have to remind myself that none of this is real with her taste on my tongue and my name on her lips.

“You need to leave,” I tell her.

“Come on.” The bed squeaks beneath her as I continue my staring contest with the wall. “Your friends can join. I don’t mind being shared.”

“I don?—”

“What the fuck ?” Charlotte’s voice has me whipping around to find her standing at the door. Jaw slack. Eyes bulging out of her skull. Her gaze finds mine, a question behind them. A plea. They jump past me to Hannah and finally settle on Elijah. Charlotte’s lips open and close. She shakes her head then flies out of the cabin, and my stomach drops. Shit.

“Get that woman out of my bed,” I tell them, not awaiting a response.

Charlotte’s already half a football field away, and I sprint after her. “Wait,” I call out, chasing her down the path as curious campers glance our way. “Please!”

“No!” she shouts, not looking towards me. “I can’t believe this,” she huffs as I catch up, jogging behind her.

“It’s not wh?—”

She spins to me, her eyes full of fury, and I stop dead in my tracks, mouth zipped shut. I’ve seen her upset, but never have those molten eyes ever been directed at me. My throat constricts at her glistening eyes. “I knew the sex was just lessons. But as my friend, you could’ve at least told me you were fucking someone else!”

“I’m not!” I assure her pleadingly.

“Right.” Her jaw ticks, and she looks at the ground.

Panic courses through me as Charlotte slips through my fingers.

“Look at me.” I reach towards her and lift her chin. “Please.” Her eyes slowly find mine. “I asked you before if you trusted me.” A silence falls between us. “And you said yes.”

“That was before I found a naked girl in your bed.”

“Was I in the bed?”

“Well, no, but?—”

“Was I naked?”

Her eyes slowly drop down, as if to confirm I’m fully clothed. “No.”

“Ask Theo and Elijah. Please. We walked in, and she was there.”

Please believe me, baby.

“But why would she think she can do that?” she asks, tone aching.

“Insanity, Char.” I shake my head. “That’s my only explanation.”

Her eyes bore into mine, and I don’t dare look away. Don’t dare give her any possible reason to think I’m telling anything other than the truth.

“I promise I haven’t, didn’t, and wouldn’t ever sleep with her.”

She blinks up at me. “I want to believe you.”

“Please believe me, soffione ?” She blinks, and I brush a strand of hair behind her ear. “Have I ever lied to you?”

“Not that I know of.”

My chest aches. “Never.” I rub my thumb across the pad of her lip. “She’s another reason I wanted to fake date in the first place. So she’d back off.”

“Well, that worked well,” she says, brow cocked.

I take her hands in mine. “Maybe she’ll get the point when you come to the gala with me.”

“She’ll be there?” Charlotte says, a worry crease on her forehead.

“She’s my boss’s daughter. Remember?”

“So that’s why you wanted me to come,” she says, dropping my hands and stepping away.

“No,” I say firmly. “I want you there.”

So badly.

“Is this going to affect your play time? Is your coach going to bench you because you won’t date his daughter?” Is this really what she’s thinking about?

“I’m pretty sure he’d kill me if I did.”

“So is that why you’re pushing her away? Because your boss wouldn’t like it?”

The thoughts going through her mind are giving me whiplash.

“No,” I say, blowing out a frustrated breath. “I’m not interested in her.”

Charlotte narrows her eyes. “You seemed interested in Miami.”

“ You were the one who practically forced me to get a drink with her.” I grip Charlotte’s chin, angling her mouth to mine. “And then you left me to go see your boyfriend . In case you forgot.”

Her eyes narrow on mine. “ Ex -boyfriend.”

“Right,” I say, corner of my lip quirking up at the pleasant reminder. “And then you showed up at my hotel, where I was alone .”

She gnaws on her lower lip. “So you don’t plan on sleeping with anyone else while we do the fake dating thing?”

“Of course not.” I scoff. “I definitely don’t.” The thought of even looking at another woman while Charlotte’s in my bed is laughable. She folds her arms over her chest. “What?”

“Aren’t you going to ask me?”

I bite my lower lip, holding in a smile. “Are you going to sleep with anyone else?”

“I might,” she says playfully, and even knowing she’s kidding, my veins still flush with heat.

“Then I might have to punish you after the gala,” I tease. “If you’re still coming?”

She looks down at her hands, picking at her nail, and then her gaze returns to mine. “Yeah. I’m still coming.”

“Good,” I say, relief flooding me, and I glance at my watch. “I have to leave for my meeting, but a car will pick you girls up tomorrow and drop you off at our hotel.”

“Hotel?” she says, brows raised, a curious smile on her face.

“Yeah, it’ll end late, and I didn’t think we’d want to drive back to camp the same night.” I realize now I maybe should have asked first. “Is that okay?”

She sways back and forth on her heels, and I swallow hard. “Yes.”

Another wave of relief barrels through me. “Okay, good.” I pull out my keys and hand her the one to my cabin. “In case you still want to sleep there tonight.”

“You wouldn’t mind?” she says, eyes hesitant.

“Not at all. I know you prefer sprawling out on the bigger bed.”

“I do not sprawl, ” she scoffs, and I raise a brow. “Fine.” She snatches the key from me. “Thank you.”

I lean down, nuzzling her nose, and press a kiss to her lips. “See you tomorrow, soffione .”

My stomach twists as I head back to my cabin, and I tug out my phone. I’ve been distracted this past week by long legs and soft skin, but I don’t want another moment to go by with people not realizing I’m taken. Don’t want another bullshit situation like today to happen and give any fuel to further her trust issues.

After pulling up the photo of me and Charlotte by the wildflower field, I post it with the caption, That’s amore, hoping people get the hint.