“Hmm…Maybe.”
She knew damn well that was the class they’d shared.
“Thanks for saving my friend’s phone. You’re like a real Knight in Shining Armor, aren’t you?”
“That’s what they tell me,” he said with a smile, handing the phone back to me once I scrambled off the bed to grab it. “Nice to see you again.”
“You too,” she called out.
Izzy, who’d been standing by Tristan and smiling between him and me as if she knew exactly what was going on with Gia, came up beside me and waved at the phone. “Hi Gia,” she said, completely unbothered.
I imaginedholy shitwas a phrase often whispered breathlessly around both of them.
Gia was unruffled, of course, almost equally excited to see Izzy. “Hey, girl!”
I shot Gia a knowing look as they stepped back outside the room to finish their goodbye. “Have I ever told you that you have a gift for subtlety?”
Gia shook her head. “Not nearly enough as you should.”
I laughed, flopping back on the bed.
Izzy walked back in a minute later with a blush on her cheeks. “Sorry we scared you, Quinn.”
“Youdidn’t scare me.”
I stared pointedly at Gia, who had the decency to blush, before she refocused on Izzy. “Can I just say you and Tristan look like you were literally made for each other? I’m not going to lie. I totally had the hots for him in class.”
“I picked up on that,” Izzy laughed. “But I don’t blame you. That’s where he caught my attention, too.”
“He’s so focused for someone with all that golden retriever energy.”
“Exactly!”
Gia sighed. “Can you just tell me he has a really small dick and no idea how to use it? Oh, and that he doesn’t believe in foreplay. That would help.”
“Sure, if you don’t mind me lying to you so soon after I met you.” Izzy shrugged, unable to hide her smirk when Gia waved her on. “Absolutely shit in bed, that guy.”
She added two thumbs down for good measure.
“And would you look at that? I’m cured.” Gia snorted. “I’ll curb my reaction next time, so I don’t freak you out again, Quinn. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. Really, you did me a favor and highlighted a failing in my security system. I should know better than to hang out with my back to the door.”
The sympathy on Izzy’s face reminded me she wasn’t familiar with my stellar methods of deflection. Which had gotten better, but hadn’t disappeared completely.
“You really shouldn’t have to be worried like that. I’m not surprised you are. I just…” She sat down across from me on her bed. “Today was so much fun. It makes me sad that she isn’t normally like that. And that she turned into her mother.”
My brow arched. “Huh?”
“Yeah, say what now?” Gia prodded.
“Vivian. Her mom was our school principal. One of those parents holding onto the good ol’ days by living vicariously through her child?” When Gia and I nodded, Izzy continued, “She waseverywherein high school. On top of being principal, running detention, and unofficially supervising every club Vivian was a part of, she controlled her life. I’m pretty sure she’s the reason Vivian and Max Dread got together, too.”
I threw my hands up. “Seriously, why does everyone call him by his full name?”
Izzy laughed. “Partly because there wasn’t a day in school that Max Dread wasn’t summoned to the principal’s office over the loudspeaker. But mostly because wherever he went, dread followed. It really was that simple. He was…way different in high school, and our first few years in college, compared to how he’s been recently.”
“How do you mean?”
