“I can’t believe you did this,” I tell her for what might be the fiftieth time since we got here.

Music booms around us, but the club’s lights aren’t quite as dim or strobing as I imagine they might be on a normal night. They’re low, but still highlight the nostalgic décor—streamers, tightly bunched balloons, a backdrop for photos with the same patriotic logo we wear on the sleeves of our jerseys. But it’s the text below the year on the large, hung poster that really gets me.

NEW ENGLAND REBELS ONLY.

I’m not sure if anyone here—the guys or their plus ones—even notice. They’re too busy apparently dancing off to all the songs we probably are all too embarrassed to admit we loved so much in high school.

Parker smooths my hair back, raising her voice over the music, “You wanted to go to a school dance with me. This is the last free weekend before the season really kicks off.” She leans forward, finding my ear. “And I just want to make you happy.”

Smiling like an absolute, lovesick idiot, I wind my arms around her waist and squeeze. “God, you already do.”

“I would’ve tried to get this in a school gym,” she says. “But, you know, my days of sneaking booze onto school campuses are over and I figured these guys could use one last drink.”

It’s at this moment Micah starts doing the worm on the floor beside us.

“Yeah. Or five.” I spin Parker around, tucking her back into my front to clear her out of Micah’s path. That was a mistake. “If you keep moving like that, we’re leaving the dance early and all your hard work will be wasted.”

Parker stretches her arms up and tilts her head to me. “I’m tired anyway,” she says, smiling as one of her hand lands on my cheek and her ass presses harder against me. She opens her mouth, faking a yawn, but I close her mouth with my own.

And that’s how we dance for the next few minutes—all over and wrapped up in each other.

Until the music stops.

“Excuse me!”

I narrow my eyes at Parker before we both look toward the platform supporting the DJ booth, where Josh and Lo stand with a microphone. It takes a few booms of Josh’s loud voice to quiet everyone down before Lo speaks.

“I know this came together really quickly,” she says into the mic. “So first, thank you for coming and I really hope this was the perfect send off into this season’s full grind.”

Lo stops for applause.

“And,” Lo continues. “I’d like to especially thank all of you for keeping our little secret from your captain.”

I feel Parker’s eyes bore into mine before I look down at her. “Which captain?”

“Fitzy.”