Jordan eyes me from the kitchen where she’s pulling the cheese off a slice of pizza. If I knew she was coming, I’d have gotten a dairy-free one for her.
Distracted with my own patheticness, I blink and miss how subtly ElliotandJaxon drop a finger down. No one missed it. There’s a concert of surprised responses floating around the living room.
“You and Elliot?”
“What the heck? When?”
“No way.”
“Seriously?”
“Really? You and Elliot?”
“Alright. Come on now, don’t say my name like I’m not the best he’s ever had,” Elliot says, pulling her hair back and starting a braid when Chase takes over, weaving the three strands.
All heads turn to Jaxon who is wearing the cockiest shitting eating grin.
“Tell me I’m wrong,” she taunts.
“You are.” He takes a sip of his beer. “I’m”—Jaxon points the neck of the bottle in his direction—“the best you’ve ever had.”
“Honestly, I don’t even remember it.” Elliot levels him with a look; eyes narrowed, cat-like, and lips pursed together with the smallest hint of an uptick on the left, her dimple digging into her cheek.
“Come on,” he groans. “Remember when you ro?—”
“Ha. See.” Elliot thrusts a waggling finger in his direction, cutting him off from whatever juicy detail he was about to reminisce on.
“Whatever.”
“Can we go back to the question of when did this happen?” Dawson asks, mouth slightly agape. “And why is this the first we’ve ever heard of it?”
“I don’t tell you about everyone I’ve slept with,” Jaxon lies knowingly.
“Last semester for like a month,” Elliot admits.
“A month?” Dawson’s mouth falls all the way open.
They both nod. Elliot casually responds, “It was supposed to be a one-time thing. We were both a little drunk off one too many tequila shots. I got ditched at a party, and Jaxon walked me home.”
“I had to carry her, she couldn’t walk in her heels any longer.”
“He’s forgetting to add the part where I didn’t want him to carry me, and I tried to jab said heels into his ass.” Elliot huffs, rolling her eyes at herself. “But when he held the door to our apartment open for me, I thought it was the sweetest thing and kissed him.”
“Apparently, you did a lot more than kiss him,” Chase says, his shoulders wear his regret in asking.
“Did you know about this?” Dawson turns to Sutton.
Her hands are up in front of her. “I plead the fifth.”
Jordan and Xanie sitting down pulls the conversation away from Elliot and Jaxon.
“No cheese?” Jaxon asks, picking it off her plate. “That’s pretty boring, little Carmichael.”
She glowers at him. “Sorry my dietary restrictions are boring. How about I eat the cheese, and then you have to deal with the consequences.”
“You know I’ll take care of you anytime. Just say the word.”
Jordan ignores him, and we return to the game.
