I didn’t have to answer. Giana buried her face in my chest and I kissed her hair as Zeke and Riley walked by. Following them allowed my gaze to drift down to Kyle and Maliyah, who were both staring right back at me.

Kyle looked suspicious.

Maliyah looked… challenged.

I didn’t allow my gaze to linger, pulling it back to Giana and tilting her chin up with my thumb and forefinger. “You’re coming, too.”

“Coming where?”

“The Snake Pit.”

“The do what now?”

I barked out a laugh, carefully dropping her feet to the ground and tucking a stray curl behind her ear. “It’s a party house where some of the upperclassmen guys on the team live. When someone who lives there graduates, a new teammate moves in, and it’s where we celebrate after every home win.” I made a face. “It’s kind of disgusting, honestly, but just don’t look too closely at the floors or crevices and you’ll be fine.”

“I don’t know,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “I was kind of looking forward to a night in after being out so late last night.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” I said, bending to retrieve my duffle bag and walking toward the exit. “Because someone you want to see will be there.”

Giana scrambled to catch up to me, tugging on my sleeve. “Wait, really? Shawn?” She shook her head. “Why the hell would he be at a football party?”

“Because I’ll invite him,” I said. “And he’ll shit himself before saying he’s in. Probably show up with a bottle of wine as a gift or some shit, too.”

Giana rolled her eyes, but an excited smile spread on her lips, a little bounce in her step as we walked.

And right as we passed Maliyah and Kyle, I reached down, threading Giana’s small hand in mine.

Chapter Ten

Giana

“Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!”

I ducked out of the way just in time to dodge a beer funnel being lifted up over my head, but didn’t move in enough time to escape the driblets that slopped over the edge of it. Beer spritzed into my hair and on my shoulders, and Clay laughed at my expression of horror before grabbing my shoulders and guiding me off to the side.

The Snake Pit, as Clay had called it, was a large house in a surprisingly nice neighborhood that was currently dark, loud, and crawling with NBU students. A DJ spun popular tracks in the main living room, the old couches with torn cushions pushed off to the sides to make way for a giant dance floor. Lights flared and flashed all colors of the rainbow around the scene, girls dancing and guys trying to find a way to join them.