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Olivia Martinez was unforgettable. Bold, unapologetic, and vibrantly loud in the most delightful way.

She was a gorgeous, curvy woman and embraced everything about herself.

I could vividly remember the day we met—in PE class.

She told me her name while adjusting her sports bra in the middle of the pacer test, declared herself my new friend, and then proceeded to tell the gym teacher all about himself for making us run in the heat. I’d liked her immediately.

Olivia caught my expression and winked, her lips curling into a mischievous grin. “You’re lucky I picked you,” she teased, flipping her shoulder-length hair. “Could’ve chosen someone basic.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah.”

Realizing I might have come off as a bit harsh to the other girl, I turned to Meghan with a warm smile, trying to soften my tone. “Why do you ask, though?” I asked, curious despite myself.

She shrugged. “Girl code. He’s hot, so I had to know if he was still off the market.”

Hot wasn’t exactly the word I’d use to describe him, but I got where she was coming from. Still, this could have been clarified by anyone else.

Olivia jumped in with a playful glint in her eyes. “You know if those two broke up, everyone and their mama would know. And a certain sexy little quarterback would be first in line to tap in.”

Cloe burst into laughter at the incredulous look on my face. I could feel my annoyance bubbling up, and I was this close to tossing her over the nearest balcony.

“Ashton and I are good,” I lied with practiced ease, trying to deflect any further probing. “So you don’t have to worry about any of that.”

Olivia smirked. “Hey, I’m just saying. If you ever end up single, you know who’s waiting in the wings.”

I wasn’t going to entertain that claim. With how things were between us right now, the last thing I needed was to add public speculation.

Ryder and I always had a certain chemistry, an undeniable dynamic.

That didn’t mean everyone needed to start connecting the dots I was desperately trying to ignore.

“You know he’s my best friend, right? I love him too death, but we’ve never been anything more.”

“Exactly why everyone’s waiting for it,” Olivia pointed out. “Best-friends-to-lovers. That trope never gets old.”

“Uh, what about Brooke?” I tossed in, trying to keep us grounded.

Meghan scoffed. “Brooke Stanton, right? How did that even happen? Ryder barely let me su—.”

She cut herself off, but I’d already caught the implication. My jaw dropped. Cloe reached over, gently pushing it shut. I lightly slapped her hand, laughing, though my brain was spinning.

“He never told you? “Meghan asked, more intrigued than embarrassed.

“No. I don’t get a play-by-play on every girl Ryder’s slept with.”

Why did I feel like I’d just had this same conversation?

Meghan grinned. “Oh, we didn’t actually sleep together. I went down on him for like five seconds before…” She leaned closer, conspiratorial. “He passed me off to his brother.”

Cloe laughed. “I had no idea they got down like that, but who am I to yuck a yum?”

“Do you mean pass off as in, like a hot-potato handoff?” I asked, stunned and a bit disgusted. Not at her, but the fact that they shared someone, because like Cloe, I had no idea they shared on such a level.

Meghan shrugged. “Hey, Cade’s a great backup.”

I didn’t like the way she worded that. “I wouldn’t call him a backup. He’s his own person and more than second to Ryder.”

Cade was undeniably gorgeous, but picturing him the way I did his brother was a no-go. He and Ryder shared their dad’s good looks for sure. I’d told them once how fine he was, their mom too. Neither had been impressed with the observation.

“She’s right. I can’t stand them being compared like show dogs,” Cloe stated flatly.

“Yeah, that was wrong.” Meghan agreed, then sighed dreamily. “Too bad Cade’s strictly a one-night stand guy. Nobody’s come close to being that skilled since. And his… well, his dick is huge. Thick and girthy.” She made a wide gesture with her hands.

Cloe visibly cringed. “Today, on things I never needed to know. Ever.”

“Same here,” I mumbled. “Those two are like brothers to me.”

Olivia’s grin returned immediately.

“Ooooh, that changes everything. Siblings-to-lovers? I love me a dirty a taboo novel.”

“Oh my God, please stop.”

I briefly considered yeeting myself over the balcony.

There’d be a quick splat, a few traumatized gasps, and poof: all my problems solved.

No awkward chats, no spiraling over Ryder, no faking things that weren’t fine.

I wouldn’t have to worry about some masked creep following me around.

Can’t overthink if you’re dead, right? I sighed, rubbing my face. “Man, I really need a nap.”

Cloe shot me a look. "Should I start booking your counseling sessions in my office?"

"I'm fine, just pondering the sweet relief of concrete."

"Ah. So, a typical Tuesday?" she replied, deadpan.

I adored her even more in moments like these.

I spotted Ashton posted up near the bottom of the stairwell.

His posture was casual, but his eyes were calculating, trying to figure out if it was safe to approach or if he was about to get metaphorically smacked.

I wasn’t mad at him. Not really. Things were far from perfect between us, but I didn’t have the energy to hold onto any animosity from this morning.

"Hey," I said, approaching him with a genuine smile.

His shoulders visibly relaxed. A familiar grin appeared, giving him a boyish look. "Hey," he replied warmly, his eyes focused solely on me, briefly shifting to Olivia and Meghan. "What's up?"

"Hi!" Meghan chirped.

I had to have imagined her upbeat tone.

"Don't do that," Cloe warned, her words as precise and sharp as a scalpel. "That's not very ‘girl code’ of you."

Ashton glanced between them, confused. "Girl code?"

"Don’t worry about it," I said quickly, slipping my hand through the crook of his arm. "Come on. I'm starving."

We arrived at the dining hall shortly after.

It was bustling with activity, the noise bouncing off the sleek walls and soaring ceilings.

It felt more like an upscale food court than a typical cafeteria, with various stations offering something for everyone, from fitness enthusiasts to hungover liberal arts students.

The place had been renovated to align with the university's modern updates, featuring dark wood, lots of decorative glass, and green spaces nestled between tables.

Roxxi had already secured our usual spot at the back with the rest of our crew.

I could see Cade devouring his meal like he had sampled every station.

He was unapologetic, resembling a scene from a National Geographic documentary, a predator at the top of the food chain.

I could almost hear the faint strains of Circle of Life playing in the background.

“What do you feel like eating?” Ashton asked, his hand resting on my lower back.

“BLT chicken wrap and fries. A cookie if I’m still feeling it afterward.”

He smiled. “The Sanjana Special.”

“The very one.”

Cloe and Olivia headed over to the sushi station, as was their routine, while Meghan drifted towards the pasta without so much as a goodbye. Ashton and I made our way over to the wraps station and got in line.

I decided then to tell him about the second incident, deliberately ignoring Meghan's obvious fascination with him. I didn't think her interest was worth discussing. I would’ve had to be living under a rock not to know Ashton had a decent number of girls interested in him.

He was nice to look at, genuinely kind, and had gained popularity from being on the football team.

The fact that he came from a wealthy family was his least notable quality, as did half the student body.

I wasn’t sure how they would feel about his sexual prowess, or lack thereof, but that was not my problem and the last thing for me to be worried about at the moment.

“I noticed another person in a mask,” I murmured, my eyes drifting over the menu board out of habit rather than necessity.

“Another one?”

I kept my voice hushed. “By the Literature building. They were masked too. Different physique than the one from this morning, so it wasn’t the same guy. Or girl.”

He halted and turned to me. "Did they follow you?"

“No. I was in class. They were in the courtyard, but it felt like they were looking up at my classroom.”

He exhaled slowly, his jaw clenching. "Sanj, you need to tell me these things as soon as they happen. What if they tried something?"

"I'm telling you now," I reminded him gently. "I didn't want to cause unnecessary panic, and I wasn't sure they were watching me. I’m still not. I didn't want to seem like I was overreacting."

He raked a hand through his hair. "Trust your instincts, Sanj. I'd never think your concerns are anything to brush off."

Looking into his green eyes, a fresh wave of guilt washed over me.

Ashton was truly a good guy, even if sometimes he was a bit oblivious and too lax about things, like the incident that morning.

He had always treated me well and never given me a reason to distrust him, which was why I didn't instantly suspect him of having cheated on me with Sarah Myers.

So, while not all of our problems were my fault, I was definitely the cause of quite a few.

Had it not been for the widening gap between us, I might have embraced the moment more.

Nevertheless, I smiled at him after he pressed a light kiss on my lips.

We picked up our meals, and Ashton led us to the long table at the back where everyone was already gathered, including Ryder and Brooke.

There was a spread of trays piled high with burgers, pasta, wraps, and enough fries to serve as a collective tribute to the gods of salt.