“What are you doing?” Sahil’s booming voice asked them from across the room.
Ethan instantly put down the lime and stepped away from the alcohol. Sahil climbed over people on the floor. He grabbed the bottle of tequila. “When you do a shot in this room, it’s customary—nay, common courtesy—to ask the host to join.” And with that, Sahil poured the three of them another shot.
“What’s the punishment for breaking the rules?” Lorna dipped her finger into her shot and placed a drop on her tongue.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Maybe.”
“Whoa, get a room!” Ethan said.
“Well, I do have a room, and you’re in it.” Sahil held up his shot and lime. Lorna and Ethan followed suit.
“What are we toasting to?” Lorna asked.
“To living it up tonight. Woo!” Sahil yelled in Ethan’s ear and nearly blew out his ear drum. They cheers-ed.
Lick it. Take it. Suck it.
That one went down a little easier than the first, but Ethan would never not feel the burn.
“So be honest, Lorna, is this guy your boyfriend?”
Ethan couldn’t stop his blushing. Sahil knew how to catch him off-guard.
“Why? Jealous?” Lorna asked.
“Maybe just a little,” Sahil said with a smile that tried to hide some truth.
Ethan could’ve kept up the charade and laughed along, but here he was, drinking Sahil’s top-shelf liquor. Some parts of him didn’t need to remain private. He made a mental calculation and decided that Sahil wasn’t going to throw him out of his room and incur the wrath of Lorna.
“Actually, I’m gay,” Ethan said.
Lorna and Sahil’s head both swiveled to face him. The music kept going, but Ethan only heard deafening silence. He’d never seen Sahil this serious, and perhaps his calculations were off.
Sahil put down his shot glass and raised his arm. Ethan realized that he was waiting for a high-five.
“YEAH, RAINBOW!”
Ethan reluctantly high-fived back. He couldn’t tell if Sahil was genuinely happy or relieved that Lorna was still single.
“That’s awesome,” Sahil said. He went to pouring them another shot.
“Really?” Ethan asked.
“Yeah, dude.” Like it was no big deal, which apparently it wasn’t to Sahil. Maybe Greg had read him all wrong.
Or maybe he didn’t want me coming to the frat house.Ethan’s world spun in a slow circle. Partially thanks to the alcohol. Greg had lied about Sahil, and he’d lied about being roommates. He probably had a single.Bedrooms are so boring. They’re not us, he had told Ethan. He should’ve known that was code for,I don’t want my frat brothers to find out I’m a big homo.
Lorna sprinkled salt on Ethan’s arm. “You ready?”
“Hey, Sahil,” Ethan said. He cut limes for them. “Where is Greg’s room?”
CHAPTER twenty-three
Greg Sanderson had a bobblehead collection. Famous baseball players Ethan didn’t recognize,Family Guycharacters, and even a Muppet hidden in the back. He had them lined up in neat row on his dresser, not a speck of dust to be found. One glimpse inside Greg’s bedroom, and Ethan already knew so much about him.
“Ethan, wait up.” Lorna froze when she reached the threshold, which was the all-too-appropriate word here. This was more than a room. It was a mecca for Ethan. Real uncharted territory.
