Page 50 of Running Play (Gods of Campus #1)

Shelby

I wake and roll over, watching Christian stir beside me until his eyes flicker open. A sleepy smile spreads across his face as he slides his arm around me. He’s shirtless, his chest warm against mine and our bodies instinctively mold together.

“What was all that noise last night?” I yawn, thinking back to the commotion downstairs that Christian said he would deal with.

I look up into his eyes as he rolls his eyes and then readjusts his body to stare at the ceiling.

I lie in the nook of his arm and wait for him to answer.

He’s either smiling or annoyed, I can’t quite tell.

“Oh,” he shakes his head slightly. “That was just dumb and dumber trying to blow up an air mattress completely smashed out of their heads.”

“Who?” I ask, tilting my chin closer to him.

He rubs his eyes with his thumb and forefinger.

“Dani and Letti,” he exhales. “When I went downstairs, I found two half-dressed girls trying to blow up the air mattress. They were laughing and giggling so hard they kept falling over. Not one of them could use the foot pump and balance themselves at the same time. So, I sent them to the kitchen to get some water while I pumped up their bed. Seriously I’ve seen more grace from an under 8’s hockey game.

Those two are going to be seriously hungover this morning, and I’m going to relish in that fact after the shit they gave me last night. ”

“They gave you shit for helping them blow up their bed?”

Christian smiles and rolls on top of me, his face finding its home in the crook of my neck. “No, they gave me shit about you, actually, and I couldn’t argue with them because everything they were saying was true.”

I smile, thankful he can’t see my face while fighting the urge to ask what was said. “Well… it sounds like they had a fun night.”

“I told the boys to keep an eye on them,” he grumbles. “How did they get so shitfaced.”

“Those girls aren’t going to take orders from the boys. They are going to do what they want, you know that. Seriously, if those boys told them to stop drinking, you know they would walk right up to them and do a shot inches from their face just to spite them.”

“Yeah, well, usually when Dani does that, she gets thrown over Seth’s shoulder, end of story.”

“She had Letti for support, so good luck with that. Maybe we should go down and check on them, make them all breakfast and coffee.”

“You’re far too nice. I think let them suffer!”

“Oh, don’t be mean. ”

“Fine, we will go make them breakfast, but in a minute.” He smirks as he leans into me for a kiss and grips my waist. My body lifts to welcome his touch, my arms wrapping around his neck as I kiss him back, still managing to smile.

“Let’s make it fifteen.” I murmur.

***

Except for some soft snoring, the house is eerily silent as we walk downstairs and into the foyer.

The double air mattress takes up the living room floor, and under a pile of blankets lays Letti and Dani.

Letti lies completely passed out on her back, one hand over her head, one across her stomach.

Her brown hair is strewn across her face as she snores quietly.

Dani is flat on her stomach; her cheek pressed into the pillow.

Her blonde hair, arms, and legs are spread out in every direction, one foot draped over Letti’s leg.

I close the curtains next to the television to stop some of the incoming light, giggling to myself at the sight of them.

I tiptoe past their bodies and back to Christian as he scowls, arms folded in the doorway as he stares down at them.

“I’m sure the boys looked after them. Now, what do you have to eat?” I ask, grabbing at his arm and leading him into the kitchen.

“Not much, I don’t think,” he groans as he walks over to the fridge.

I take a seat at the stool and watch him rummage through the fridge. “Nothing. We have nothing to eat in this house besides some apples and beer. So how about you get the coffee going, and I run to the store and grab some food.”

I nod but manage to keep my neck arched. “Sounds good.” Once again I’m wanting this man. How the hell is that possible? I could easily have him take me on the kitchen island, roommates be dammed. He just has to say the word and I’m all his.

He pulls away before we do something that will wake up the others. “Don’t be long.”

He winks at me. “I won’t.”

***

I have his coffee ready and a full pot brewing when Christian walks back inside. His arms are full of groceries. “Wow, how much did you buy?”

“A lot.” He lifts the bags onto the island with a thump. “But trust me, it won’t last long. There are four full-grown men in this house, all who eat like horses when they’re hungover, and at least three ladies…that I know of.”

“Placing bets there’s more than three in this house?” I smile.

“I think it’s a safe bet.”

With the bundle of bacon and sausage, Christian decided it would be easiest to cook the meat on the barbeque outside.

He has the music set up on the deck and it streams through the open door where I stand cutting tomatoes, cooking eggs, making toast, and grilling the hash browns.

If someone had told me this time last year that I would be right here, in this kitchen, this happy, I would have never believed them.

The bliss I feel right now is something I want to bottle up and save for a rainy day. I feel euphoric.

Letti groans, and I look over and give her a sympathetic smile.

She grips at the wall before pushing off and making her way to the stool on the opposite side of the island.

The pain on her face makes me wish I could drown her in my bottle of bliss.

Her hair is disheveled, eyes bloodshot, and she has on one of Seth’s shirts, at least I assume it’s his.

It’s all black and so large that it hangs mid-thigh.

“That smells so good, I think I’m going to vomit,” she says, holding the back of her hand against her nose.

I shake my head lovingly toward her. “You need to eat something, Letti. How about coffee and some toast?”

“Sure,” she answers as she staggers over to the table and uses it to balance as she sits down. She leans her arms on the table and rests her head on them, staring back at me. “Please make the room stop spinning,” she moans as I reach into the cupboard and pull out the Advil.

“Here,” I say, taking out two tablets and passing them to her. I place the packet in the center of the table with water, coffee, orange juice, and cups. I know Letti won’t be the only one needing them this morning.

“Morning,” Seth says, coming into the kitchen. A gorgeous, black-haired girl stands next to him. Her hair is long, she is petite, and her face reminds me of a young Isla Fisher but with green eyes .

“Shelby, this is Georgina.”

“Hi,” I say in greeting.

“Hello,” she says back.

“Morning,” Letti mumbles behind them. She shoots them a half wave, her head and arms still resting on the kitchen table.

“That bad, huh, Letti?”

She answers Seth with her middle finger, but gives Georgina a smile, “Thanks for helping me get to the toilet last night, Georgina. I appreciate it, because I think if I fell between the toilet and the wall, I wasn’t getting back up.”

“It was nothing, it was a fun night.”

Our conversation stops, our head turning in the direction of tiptoeing footsteps rushing behind Seth and Georgina. Even Letti manages to lift her head as Dani bolts out the front door. We all cringe when we hear her heaving over the balcony and into the garden below.

I’m headed to the front door when Seth holds up his hand. “It’s okay, I’ll go. Have a seat,” he offers to Georgina.

“Thank you,” she smiles at him, nodding her head as he pulls the chair out for her at the table and goes after Dani.

“Can I get you anything?” she asks Letti.

“A gun, maybe,” she moans back.

“How did you manage to not look like those two after last night?” I ask Georgina.

“Oh, I’m fine,” she answers. “I don’t drink. I did a few rounds of beer pong but used lemonade instead.”

“That’s definitely to your advantage,” I say as I slide the scrambled eggs out of the pan and onto a plate.

“Well, I’m never drinking again,” Letti says with the smallest sip of her coffee.

“I’ll believe that when I see it.” I laugh at Letti.

Georgina reaches over and takes the carafe and pours two coffees. She slides one in front of the chair beside her as Seth walks back into the room.

Dani follows behind him, hovering at the kitchen door. “I’m going to go brush my teeth.” She points as she walks upstairs.

Seth nods and presses a kiss to Georgina’s head and takes his coffee. “I’ll go see if Christian needs help,” he says, heading out the back door with his coffee.

Hearing footsteps bounding down the stairs, I figure that Randy will appear in the doorway next.

And he does.

“She looks like death,” Randy says, entering the kitchen and throwing a thumb over his shoulder. Even after a big night, he still seems energetic and full of life.

“Steer clear of the front garden for a little while,” I say to him as he passes behind me, picking up a fork and shoving a mouthful of scrambled eggs into his mouth.

“Noted,” he says to me between chews. “Shit, Letti, you don’t look much better.” I slap him on the arm as he laughs .

“Shut up,” she moans back. “This is all your fault.”

“Me? What did I do?”

“You’re the one who suggested beer pong.”

He shrugs and looks all innocent. “In my defense, I didn’t think you would be so good at it.”

“Gee, thanks.” He rustles her hair as he takes a seat beside her. Then he reaches across the table and grabs two Advil and pops them into his mouth with a gulp of juice.