"Oh, like you two were doing?" Ethan interrupts, his voice sharper than I've ever heard it. His cheeks are pink, but his chin is up.
James's mouth opens. Closes. Opens again like a fish gasping for air.
"Why do you look so guilty anyway?" Ethan asks. "You two are acting like we caught you cheating or something."
"Nothing's going on." I manage to sound casual despite the heat creeping up my neck.
"Uh, guys?" Tyler looks back and forth between us. "You know you're allowed to make out with your boyfriend, right?"
James's face goes red. "We're not— I mean?—"
"It's not really public—" I add, making it worse.
Tyler and Ethan exchange confused glances.
"Wait," Ethan steps forward with his nurse voice. "Are you two trying to keep this secret? From us?"
"The frat is full of gossips," James mutters, not making eye contact.
I glance at James, and I really want to laugh. His face is priceless, a mix of pure shock and embarrassment. Only Gavin and Drew knew for sure we are dating; getting caught with hands in pants is a lot for my quiet guy.
"We just wanted to keep it quiet," I manage, but it sounds weak even to me.
"We should go," James says.
"Yeah, definitely let's get going. How about we all find somewhere else to... continue our respective activities?"
Tyler's face breaks into a cheerful smile. "Deal. "We'll take the study room on the second floor, no one ever uses."
"Perfect," Ethan says, grabbing Tyler's hand.
As they turn to leave, Tyler glances back with a smirk. "Try not to damage any expensive equipment, yeah?"
James flips him off, which makes Tyler laugh harder as he and Ethan disappear down the hallway, and I grab James's hand and tug him out of the room too.
James's room is safe and quiet after all the craziness at the party. Plus, it has a working lock. The music still pulses through the walls, but it's muffled enough that we can hear each other without shouting.
"Not much of a party guy?" James closes the door behind us and turns the lock with a sharp click.
He shrugs. "Never have been. Spent too much time in foster homes where adults getting drunk meant bad news."
The casual way he says it makes my chest tight. The image forms before I can stop it;James, as a little kid, too smart for his own good, learning which nights to stay in his room.
My voice comes out rough. "I get that. I wish I didn't.” I have to clear my throat before continuing. “ I've seen too many country club idiots get wasted and do terrible things, knowing daddy's money would make it all disappear."
Something shifts in his expression. "Is that what happened with Christopher? Was he drunk like your dad said he was?"
My shoulders tense automatically at the name. "No, he wasn't drunk, just... opportunistic. He tried to get me drunk first, though. When that didn't work… My shoulder lifts in what's supposed to be a casual shrug. But my stomach still knots thinking about that night and everything that happened with my family after. "Anyway, that's why I don't drink much."
James is quiet for a moment, then says, "Yeah…"
"It's not a big deal."
"It is," he says softly.
The warmth in his eyes makes the tension behind my ribs unravel. Without thinking, I close the distance between us, pulling him into a kiss that quickly becomes heated. His hands find my waist, tugging me in tight.
"Congratulations on becoming official," he murmurs against my lips.
