I’d been thinking the same thing and I think of Chloe so willing to do anything to fit in with her team. Maybe it’s not the rookies. Maybe it’s us.

“What about having the team over tonight? Just the guys.”

He nods. “Like a team intervention? We could go over all the shit they’re fucking up.”

“Nah, man. No basketball talk, just hanging, relaxing, getting to know them.”

“You wanna make friends with the rookies?” He quirks one dark eyebrow.

I shrug. “What we’re doing now isn’t working. You got a better idea?”

Joel doesn’t answer right away. Coach yells out for us to sub back in, and we get to our feet quickly.

“Let’s do it,” he says. “I’m willing to try anything.”

After practice, Joel and I each tell a few guys about the plan for the night and then he takes off to get supplies while I go back to the house and survey our stock. I text him a list of things and then jump in the shower.

When I walk back into my room naked except the towel I’m currently using to dry off my hair, Chloe’s there on my bed. Books and laptop sprawled out, she smiles up at me, heat in her gaze. “You just walk around naked on a Tuesday afternoon?”

“Not usually hot girls sitting on my bed when I get out of the shower. Did I conjure you up because the Chloe I was thinking about while I soaped up was naked too and you’re fully clothed?”

“We’re supposed to work on our Comms project. You forgot, didn’t you?”

“Shit. Yeah, sorry. Team is coming over in an hour.”

She nods and looks me over. I still haven’t bothered to cover myself. “But you have an hour?”

Pretending I don’t know what she’s angling at, I sit on the bed and pick up a textbook. It’s upside down, but she doesn’t notice. “Sure. We could probably get the first section done in an hour. You think?”

I run my fingers through my still damp hair and then run a hand over my chest to wipe away some water drops. She watches every movement I make; her pretty lips part and quiver. She’s so still I can’t be sure she’s breathing.

“Chloe?”

Her gaze snaps to mine. “Sorry, yeah, let’s do that.” She tries to recover, fumbling with a notebook and pen.

“Chlo?”

She looks up, hesitant this time.

“I’m totally fucking with you. I’ve got an hour and you think I want to do schoolwork?” I drop the textbook on the bed and then sweep my hand across the comforter to send it all to the floor. Didn’t quite think it through because her laptop hits the floor with a thud.