Page 4

She squinches her nose, guilty. “FaceTime at six thirty.”

I perk up a little. “Does that mean I get something good to eat tonight?”

She smiles. “We’re making something called beef bourguignon.” Pulling her phone free, she winces. “Actually, I need to head back to the dorm. He said the ingredients are being delivered around three.”

“Fine. I’ll allow you to ditch me so long as you keep feeding me.”

“I’ll go.” Brady releases me with a shrug. “Can’t get fucked up ’cause we got practice in the morning, but I can play bodyguard and dance partner.”

“Tempting.” I nod slowly. “But I think I’ll see if Paige is back yet.”

“Back from where?” Chase asks.

Glancing his way, I open my mouth to answer when I spot an interesting little scowl pulling at his forehead. “Why do you want to know?” I draw attention to his question, enjoying the way he straightens when all eyes move his way.

“Yeah, why you wanna know?” Brady doubles down with a chuckle.

“I don’t,” Chase answers swiftly. “She mentioned it, so I figured I’d ask.”

I cock my head, and he scoffs.

He waves us off. “I’ve got a meeting with Coach. I’ll see you girls tomorrow.”

“Later,” the boys call out while we wave, and I turn back to the others.

“Payton wrapped up her shoot with the new squad today, so I’m taking her and little man somewhere tomorrow, get off campus for a bit,” Mason says.

“No invite?” His sister pouts.

“Love you, but no.” He chuckles. “I’d like to actually get to play with my son, and if you’re there, I have to compete for his attention.”

The way he says my son so fluidly and thoughtlessly is…I don’t even know. What a man he is and at just twenty years old. He loves that little boy like his own, and he has maybe even since before he was born.

“This one’s just for the three of us,” he continues. “But we’ll both be at the party after the game tomorrow.”

“Mom and Dad decided to stay the night?” Ari asks.

“Any excuse to get to hang with Deaton.” Mason smirks. “They’re coming to the game and taking him back to their Airbnb from there. It’ll be the first night Payton has spent without him—if she makes it all night.”

Ari scoffs. “Please, it will likely be you who calls Mom and wants to pick him up in the middle of the night.”

Brady smiles. “I’d bet on that. My boy hasn’t spent a single night in his room since we got back to campus.”

Mason only grins, his eyes sliding to the side. “Don’t look now, but there’s a Lancaster fan club coming.”

We all turn to look, and the girls smile, not caring they were caught looking at football’s finest.

Mason chuckles. “See you guys Saturday.”

We nod, and Brady pins me with a hard look.

“If you go out tonight, I better get a call and not only after you’re buzzin’ and need a ride home.”

“Whatever you say, Big Guy.”

“I mean it.” He frowns.

“I know.”

That frown deepens. “Why do I feel like I’m being played right now? ”

The twins laugh and my own follows. I take my fave twin and loop my arm through hers.

“Later, boys!” I shout when we’re a few feet away.

“Swear to god, Cammie Baby, if you don’t let me know you’re going out!”

“What’s he gonna do, spank me?” I say to Ari, and the two of us laugh.

We might be out of earshot, but he hears our laughter and shouts again.

“I didn’t mean you can’t call if you get buzzed! Swear, girl, your ass better if you drink somewhere! Do not walk home alone!”

Shaking our heads, we make the five-minute walk to our dorm building.

My mood is uplifted, and I decide a night in with some chocolate pudding, Scooby-Doo! grahams, and last week’s episode of Dateline sounds like a nice way to end my school week.

I’m so glad I didn’t sign up for hours at the child development center on Fridays. I’m living for these three-day weekends.

Perky and ready for a good face mask and junk food, I add a little skip to my step, and Ari chuckles, following along.

And then we walk around the corner, coming face-to-face with Alister freaking Howl.

He grins and I growl.

Of course, that only makes him grin wider.

But why does it have to be such a good grin? All curved and cool and gorgeous and shit.

“Hey, beautiful. Ari.”

Ari gives a tight-lipped smile before glancing my way and motioning with her head to let me know she’s going to go inside.

He watches her a moment, making this even more awkward, then looks back to me.

“How was class?” he asks, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“Peachy. How’s Allana?”

He winces, nodding as he glances away. “I deserve that. ”

Not exactly an answer that clears up if he’s still playing the scorned, stalking lover.

Did he love her?

Better yet, does he love her?

Girl, stop.

You don’t care.

I cross my arms. “Why are you waiting outside my dorm, Alister?”

“This is our thing, isn’t it?” He gives a sad smile. “I follow you around until you pay attention to me.”

A hint of warmth slips over me, yet it’s swiftly followed by that bitter burn of betrayal, freezing out everything else.

Alister sees it, knows that his words backfired, and takes a step toward me. “Cam…”

He reaches for me, but I evade his touch, spinning and putting myself behind him, forcing him to turn too in order to keep me in his sights. A dejected sigh leaves him. “Can we please just talk for a bit?”

“No, Alister, we can’t.” I keep walking backward toward my dorm building entrance and he stays planted where he stands. “I told you before to just let it go. We were hooking up and now we’re not. We’re done. No hard feelings.”

His eyes narrow at that. “I don’t want to be done, and yes hard feelings. Cameron, I hurt you, and I’m sorry.”

I jerk to a stop, my emotions bubbling up inside me and making it hard to tell which is stronger: the feeling of being the pathetic, oblivious girl or the pissed-off, burn-the-world-down one.

“I said I was over it. I’m good, so just…

go back to whatever it is you did before playing my shadow became your favorite pastime. ”

He watches me closely, his green gaze unsettling and making my palms start to sweat. When he finally does talk, it’s not what I want to hear.

“I can’t do that, Cam. ”

“And why is that?”

He gives a woeful smile. “Because I realized something in the last several months.”

“That you’re a royal dickhead?”

“That I’m pretty sure I’m falling in love with you.”

My face falls.

My lungs shrivel.

My knees fucking shake.

“Fuck you, Alister.” I hurry toward the dorms.

I don’t look back when he calls my name and I don’t wait around for the elevator, instead running up several flights of stairs until I reach my and Ari’s floor. Shoving the door open, I rush inside, tugging at my long, blond hair as I search for my best friend.

She pops up off her bed the second she sees me coming, her arms open and waiting.

I fall into them, and together we sink onto the mattress.

She doesn’t ask questions, and I don’t offer answers. Words aren’t necessary for us.

She just lets me pout and hugs me while I do it.

I feel the threat of tears burning my eyes, but I won’t let them fall.

I’m not lovesick and broken by what Alister did to me.

Was I hurt and confused and angry when I found out I was a pawn in his little game of revenge seeking? No shit I was. Maybe, more than likely, still am, but mostly that’s only when I think about it. It’s not this dark cloud following me around like a thunderstorm of misery.

The fact of the matter is I was starting to really like the guy, but I wasn’t in love with him by any means. I mean, shit, we were still sort of undercover when everyone found out I was but a fool who fucked a fool.

Yeah, that sounds bad. I mean, it’s college. We all have sex we regret at some point .

Right?

How dare he say he’s falling in love with me.

No, that he’s “pretty sure” he’s falling in love with me. Like, boy, fuck off, ’cause guess what? I’m “pretty sure” I hate you.

I groan, covering my face with my hands.

Pretty sure that’s a lie.