I feel three sets of eyes following my every move out the door. Chloe catches me before I reach the stairs. Her red dress from last night pulled back on and bare feet, she looks like sex on Christmas morning.

“Thank you for covering for me back there. I panicked.”

“No problem.”

She nods. “Listen, about last night. It was…”

“Awesome? Hot? Unexpected?” I call out adjectives like dirty mad libs as images from last night flash through my mind. The night’s a bit blurry in places, but those long legs wrapped around me and her blonde hair falling around her shoulders as she rode me, taking her pleasure and rocking my damn world, are fucking vivid.

“A mistake,” she finally says. “I don’t do things like that. Ever.” She shakes her head with what I can only imagine is revulsion at what I thought was a pretty good night.

“You did it pretty well for someone who doesn’t.”

She blushes. “I—”

I cut her off before she can destroy any more of my fondness for last night. “I get it. Last night was fun. Let’s just leave it at that.”

“Thank you.”

“Yep.” I turn and head down the stairs.

“Tennis?” she calls after me.

I shake my head without looking back. “Basketball, princess.”

Joel’s in the kitchen when I get back to the house. “What’s up, buddy? I was just about to send out search and rescue.”

Sitting on one of the barstools, I take the muffin he tosses at me. It’s still warm. “Momma Moreno?”

“Yeah, you just missed her.”

“Too bad,” I tease my buddy. His mom is ridiculously hot, and we all like to give him shit about it.

He gives me the finger. “We need to figure out who we’re going to ask to take Wes and Z’s rooms this year.”

“Feels weird replacing them.” Both Wes and Zeke graduated in May, and we’ve been dragging our feet to get new roommates.

“I’m thinking Shaw and Datson. Get our starters under one roof.”

“What about Wickers?”

“Nah, he’s got a place off-campus already with his girlfriend.” Joel’s phone vibrates on the counter. “That’s Katrina. I’m heading over to her place before practice. Think about it and if you’re cool with it, we’ll let them know today.”

After Joel leaves for his girlfriend’s place, I grab a Powerade from the fridge and head up to my room. I plug my cell phone in and lay down on my bed. When it has enough juice to turn back on, I read through the texts I missed last night.

Wes: Local paper wants a picture of starters.

Wes: Dude, where are you? We’re waiting on you.

Wes: ?

Shaw: Wes is about to blow a gasket. Where are you?