“I love you,” his voice was a beautiful, hoarse whisper in my ear that sent me over the edge. Release took us both, seconds apart.

It was my whisper in his ear that took us both when we finally made it the shower.

I ended up four minutes late for class, but I walked in anyway, shot the professor a sheepish grin and took my seat.

#

The weather was pleasant and not sweltering hot, so our little group took our lunch outside, sitting under the shade of one of the thick oaks near the library.

Jacob tipped his bowler hat up, the one from last year’s Halloween party as he frowned at the dozen or so styrofoam cups in front of him. He was building a pyramid. I didn’t ask.

I popped my straw through my cup as I kicked off my flip flops. Brit reached for my toes and I shot her an evil look. “You touch my feet, you die.”

“She’s serious.” Cam nudged me. “I touched her pinky toe once and almost lost a finger.”

“That’s not the only thing you almost lost.”

“Oh, that sounds serious.” Brit glanced at her tub of mayo and then her fries. She sighed. “I miss Ollie. I loved grossing him out with my fries.”

“Well, you have all of us to gross out.” Jacob’s lip curled. “Which you are doing right now.”

“It’s not the same.” She pouted. “Ollie was hot.”

“Excuse me?” Jacob almost knocked over his pyramid of awesome. “I’m hot.”

Cam frowned. “So I am.”

I elbowed him in the stomach.

“Well, since I must explain the obvious.” Brit plopped her fry in the mayo with flourish. “Jacob, you don’t like girls. Cam, you’re hopelessly devoted to Avery, and that left Ollie.”

I grinned.

Jacob looked up, his lips slipping into a small grin. “Well, there is one more.”

Twisting at the waist, I followed his gaze. Jase was across the road, heading for us.

Brit sighed. “Yeah, I couldn’t handle him.”

“Why not?” I asked, eyeing Cam’s friend.

She made a noncommittal sound. “He’s not the relationship kind or so hear.”

“And do you want a relationship?” I asked her.

“No.” She laughed, dabbing her fry. “But I have a feeling with someone like him, you get one taste and you will always want more.”

“Sort of like crack?” Jacob suggested.

“Or Cheetos,” Brit supplied.

Cam made a face as he swiped some of my fries. I sent him a death glare that I ruined when I kissed his cheek.

Jase dropped down beside us, stretching out his long legs. He looked a little off, his near perfect features pale. “Okay. Am I hallucinating or did I just see your sister walking into Knutti?”

“You’re not hallucinating,” Cam replied. “You saw her. She enrolled here late.”

“Oh.” Jase’s eyes’ narrowed as he stared off into the distance. “That’s… that’s good.”