“Remind me to thank her later.” His voice is playful. And, dare I say, lustful?

“Who’s your new friend, Jacobs?” a guy’s voice calls to us from the couch.

“People shake hands still,” I mumble as my hand shoots out toward him. “Elizabeth Wilde.” I shift forward, nearly falling out of Austin’s lap introducing myself. I earn a laugh from everyone except Austin.

“Careful, or my teammates are going to get an eyeful of what I haven’t even gotten to see yet,” Austin warns as he tugs me back against him before his friend can shake my hand. I gasp, realizing what he means, and instinctively cover my chest with my arms.

“You clean up nice. Even got that brown spot off your nose,” one of the guys chides with a sneer. It’s King of the Douchebags from my biochem class. Great.

“Rude much?” I snap back. I’m never confrontational, but between the liquid courage coursing through my body and Austin at my back, I rise to the occasion. I’m used to guys like him. Bullies. There are a lot of jerks with huge egos in my pre-med courses. Some of them seem to have a problem with the fact that I don’t talk to anyone and usually ace the class. I’m not an elitist, but that’s how it seems from the outside. Sometimes I wish I could get over myself and make friends.

Be normal.

If it hasn’t happened after twenty-one years, it’s not going to. So, I’ll stay painfully shy and unimaginably awkward and deal with jerks who draw the wrong conclusion about who I am.

“Calm down, Princess. You aren’t in that ice palace of yours anymore. Your sweet little ass is in my house now.” He isn’t playful like Austin. He’s mean.

“You got a problem, Montgomery?” Austin’s voice is harsher than I’ve ever heard it before.

From across the room, I thought Austin was surrounded by his friends, laughing and loving life. Sitting here with him now is different, like he’s on stage. We’re putting on a show. These are his teammates, not his friends.

“No problem. Just surprised at your new piece. She acts like she’s God’s gift. But clearly she’s lowered her standards if she’s picking up strays now.”

Austin’s body goes rigid with anger underneath me.

Montgomery leans in and whisper-shouts, “Heads up, though, she’s probably a rug muncher, being Haynes’ favorite and all.”

“Chill out, Monte,” one of the other guys sitting with us says, giving him a little shoulder shove. Austin gives the other guy a slight nod in recognition. I’ve exhausted my bravery and sink into Austin.

Desperate to take the attention off me, I spot Barbie-Jessie coming back across the room and decide to be nice and continue my introductions.

“And this is Barbie!” I exclaim enthusiastically.