“I don’t want to ruin what we have. What if it’s too soon?”

“You’d be okay continuing to hook up even if you knew that’s all it was to him? That he didn’t feel the same way?”

A heavy pit settles in my stomach. “No, probably not, but things are great. I don’t want to ruin it.”

Dakota snorts. “Isn’t love supposed to make everything better?”

“Yeah, yeah.” I lean back and wave a hand of indifference.

“Well, I think you should tell him and soon.” Reagan stands. “Do I look okay?”

I nod. Even if I couldn’t see her, I’d know she does. Reagan always looks beautiful. “Date?”

“Yeah, a guy from my speech class. We’re going to dinner.” Her dimples pop out.

“You look gorgeous, as usual, babe,” Dakota tells her. “Condoms in the purse? Phone charged in case you need to make a getaway?”

Reagan rolls her eyes. “I’m all set.” Her phone buzzes. “He’s here. Bye!”

Dakota and I watch her go and then I let out a sigh and lay my head on her shoulder.

“Wanna watch a movie or are you heading over to Heath’s?” she asks.

“Nope, he has team stuff this evening. They’re working out or watching film or something. I’m all yours.”

The next day I corner Adam outside of his last morning class. He gives me a half-hearted smile that tells me everything I need to know about how he’s doing.

“What are you doing here?” he asks as he wraps me into a one-armed hug.

“You didn’t respond to my texts.” I extend both arms around his middle and squeeze tightly.

“Sorry.” He doesn’t bother offering an excuse.

“It’s okay.” We walk down the sidewalk slowly. “Have you talked to Mom or Dad since you got back?”

“Not yet. Mom called while I was in class.”

It’s a weird switch of roles for us with me worrying about him, but I want to be there for him the same way he’s always been for me. I nudge him. “It’s going to be okay. I know it won’t be the same, but they’ll still be here for us. Plus, you’ve got me.”

He grins.

“Anyway, the real reason I came to find you was to see what you were doing tonight. We need a night out. A fun night with all our friends to let loose and forget about parent drama.”

“I don’t know. Maybe. Let me see what’s going on tonight. It is a Monday night after all.”

“Monday is a perfectly good day to drink. Live a little, bro.”

“Bro?” He hitches the backpack higher on his shoulder. “You sound like Heath.”

We get to his car and he quirks a brow as I open the passenger side door.