“Tanner Shaw,” she finishes for me. “I mean, I know. We’re in communications class together. I sit in the row in front of you to the left.”

“You’re in our class too? The one with Chloe and Nathan?” I could have sworn Chloe was sitting by herself in there, and this girl isn’t someone you miss.

She smirks. “Yep.”

Damn, how did I miss her?

“Sorry, I must have been actually listening to the professor. First week of classes habit.”

She laughs. “I’m Sydney.”

“Well, Sydney, I promise I won’t overlook you again.”

Damn, way to sound like a creep. But seriously, I feel like someone just told me Bigfoot exists and I’ve been walking by him my whole life without noticing.

“Do you want to hang out?” I motion with my head to the pool.

“I’m here with some of my teammates. I don’t want to ditch them.” The group of girls behind her sneak glances at us as they arrange patio chairs so they can sit together.

“All right, well, got room for one more?”

“You want to hang out with us?”

“I want to hang out with you,” I correct her.

She grins. “Absolutely.”

We’re just getting situated and Sydney is introducing me to her teammates when Nathan and Chloe rejoin us looking cozy. Definitely something going on there.

“Aren’t they cute together?” Sydney says to her roommate. Emily, I think she said her name was.

Emily sighs. “Chloe’s been at Valley U for less than a month and already has a boyfriend. I’ve been here a year and nothing.”

Boyfriend? Well, damn, I didn’t think Nathan had it in him, but it explains his newfound disinterest in getting shit-faced and partying with randoms.

Girlfriends aren’t normally my thing. The commitment doesn’t freak me out, I’m just not interested in the drama that often seems to follow. Playing two sports means I don’t ever have an off-season. Getting up early, working out, long practices—it’s a lifestyle for me.

The girls play twenty questions with the happy couple while I focus my attention on Sydney.

“What year are you?”

“Sophomore.”

“Same.” I think back, really peeved that I haven’t run into her before. How is that even possible? “Have you been at parties here before?”

Maybe she doesn’t party much or had a boyfriend last year?

“I have and a few at the baseball house, too.”

“You know I play baseball?”

“Yes, Tanner, I know you play baseball and basketball. I know that you were the third highest scorer on the basketball team last season and your saves on the baseball team are on track to be the best of any closer the school’s ever seen.”

My brows lift and hide under the hair hanging onto my forehead. Damn.

“I like sports.”

“That is hot.”

She smiles and arches a brow.