“We’re not all you, Ava,” Mia snapped.
“Ugh,pleeeeasego eat a baked potato or something,” I groaned as I sat up and looked at her, shielding my eyes from the sun. “You’re horribly bitchy when you’re hungry.”
“Are you coming?” Mia demanded. I swear her foot almost stomped the grass.
“No. I have Leitch next, and you know I need to find my Zen before he starts telling me I’m a terrible failure in his class.”
“Oh.” Mia frowned as she looked down at me. “I might eat candy if you’re not with me.”
“Then eat candy!” I laughed at her answering eye roll. “Grab some peanut M&M’s — peanuts are protein, they’re positively healthy.”
“You suck,” Mia declared as she picked up her tote bag. “I’m buying asalad.”
“Good for you,” I encouraged her as I ate more chips.
“You sure you’re okay?” Mia hesitated.
“I’m good,” I assured her.
“I really shouldn’t have let you walk home alone.” I looked up at her as she chewed her bottom lip. The sun shone strongly behind her, blocking out my ability to see her face clearly, but I knew Mia; I recognized the tone of her voice. “Is that why you’re mad? Because I ditched you?” she asked me quietly.
“Mia, I’mnotmad. I’ve told you a hundred times. You met tall, dark and, unfortunately for you, dreary. I wasn’t that drunk, and I walked home to the apartment. No big deal.” I forced asmile. “If anything,Iditchedyou, and you should be mad at me, but you’re not. And I’m not mad at you. All good.”
“Okay. But next time, you have to stick to the buddy system; you’re not supposed to walk home alone.” Mia crouched back down beside me, enabling me to see her properly. “Anythingcould have happened to you. You’re not invincible, Ava.”
She was right, and I might have been reckless if I had walked back on my own. But I hadn’t been alone. “I solemnly swear I will break up your lovefest with whichever victim you’ve chosen, and I will not walk home alone when drunk, again,” I said, my hand raised to my temple in a three-fingered salute as I simultaneously crossed my fingers at my side for the lie.
Mia squinted as she considered my salute. “What is that even supposed to be? Boy Scout or soldier?”
I examined my hand and shrugged. “Which one do you want it to be?” I asked her with a grin, easing the slight tension. Reaching over, she swatted my hand playfully, her smile chasing away her frown. I licked my bottom lip as I half sat up and looked around quickly. The grounds were busy, but there was no one really nearby. “You definitely didn’t see me leave?” I asked her.
“No.” Mia’s smile was replaced by a look of sadness and worry. “One minute you were talking to some dude with amazing blond hair, I mean, like it was totally shampoo commercial worthy, and the next you were gone.” She pushed her hair off her face as she looked at me. “Hair guy was where I had seen you last, and I did go over and check, but he said you wanted fresh air and then you were heading home. I called and texted, but you didn’t answer.” Mia huffed in derision. “Butthat’snot unusual, and of course, it turns out you didn’t even have your phone!” Mia wailed.
So, I hated being available twenty-four-seven, sue me.
“Hey,” I said gently as I reached out and caught her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I was fine. I came home, fell into bed and died a thousand deaths when I woke up.”
Mia hastily covered her mouth to stop her giggle, but her laughter was not to be contained. “You lookedsobad when I came home.”
“Ifeltsobad when you came home,” I agreed as I rubbed my forehead in memory of the misery that was Saturday. “Why do people repeat that process every weekend?” I shuddered in memory of my hangover.
“You don’t need to drink as much as you did,” Mia admonished gently. With a quick smile, she pushed herself to her feet again. “I’m glad you’re not peeved. I mean, I know you would have told me, you just, you know . . . I need to ask.” She saw my amused look and rolled her eyes. “Again.”
“Iknow, Little Miss Needy,” I teased her. “Now go feast on lettuce.”
With a shake of her head, Mia turned and started to walk away. “See you later, Ava!” she called over her shoulder.
“Not if I see you first, Mia!” I yelled after her. Her one-fingered salute over her shoulder was my goodbye, causing me to laugh loudly.
Grinning, I ate more chips and checked the time on my phone. I had another twenty minutes before Leitch ruined my day with his harsh criticism of every word I wrote. Mia’s continuous need to ensure she hadn’t upset the balance of any relationship was one of her biggest downfalls. I knew this as her best friend, and maybe, in this case, it was justified. And maybe if Ihadactually walked home, I would feel a little miffed, but I hadn’t. Somewhere between leaving the party and arriving home before Mia on Saturday morning, I had fallen into Jett’s bed. I couldn’t tell her, I knew exactly where her thought process would go, and even though I had no recollection of hooking upwith Jett when I woke, my brainknewthat what had happened between us was consensual.
Loud, wild laughter caught my attention, and my easy smile faded as I watched the group of guys cross the quad.
Hecaught my attention immediately as he walked with his brother, Gray, and their cousin, Ash. They were on either side of him, and they looked . . .godlike. A handful of other players from the team crowded them as they passed a ball easily between them.
Jett’s dark wash jeans were in the distressed style but still clung to his thighs, and I noticed when he turned to look over his shoulder that they sculpted around his ass. A black T-shirt half tucked into his jeans hung loose on him but still managed to pull across his broad shoulders. Dark sunglasses hid his eyes, but his trademark smirk was, as always, plastered on his too-handsome face.
Slipping my own sunglasses on so that I could observe them discreetly, I watched a group of girls flock to the three Santo men like bees to honey. I had no fear that they would look over at me; I could blend into the background like a pro.
