I grin. “That’s awesome to hear.”
We walk back out into the living room, and he thanks me again for letting him borrow my suit. When I sit back down on the couch, I grab my phone and see a text from Poppy.
Good luck ever trying to get your hoodie back from me. It’s so big and cozy, and it’s my new favorite thing to wear.
Excitement flickers inside of me when I think about her wearing it. She looked cute as fuck with it on while I walked her to her apartment.
I think about how close I was to kissing her as I stood outside of her apartment building, how badly I wanted to tease open those plump lips and lap my tongue against hers.
How I was seconds from kissing the fuck out of this brilliant and beautiful girl.
But I didn’t. At the very last second, I stopped myself. Because kisses on the mouth are off limits. Because we’re not a real couple.
Even though every time I spend time with her and hold her hand and kiss her cheek, it feels real. I forget that we’re just pretending. I forget that she’s not mine.
I swallow hard and type a reply to her.
Me: You can keep my hoodie. But I want something in exchange.
Poppy: Like what?
Me: You come to homecoming with me and wear something sexy.
Poppy: You want me to go to homecoming with you?
Me: Of course I do. It’s a big event for the hockey team, and I want my girlfriend there with me.
Poppy: Okay :)
“Damn, we look good. We make James Bond look like slobs,” Blake says as he, Travis, Leo, and I all stand in the living room of our house, sipping beers.
We’re dressed in our suits and pregaming before we head to the student union for homecoming.
“We should head out soon,” Travis says.
“Hang on, I want another beer,” Leo says, draining his can.
I shake my head. “No way. Just one for now. You can have more later.”
He frowns at me. “What are you, my dad?”
“No, I’m your captain, and I’m reminding you that we’re headed to an alcohol-free event, and I don’t want you sloppy drunk. This is a team-sponsored event too, so we need to be on our best behavior.”
Leo huffs out a breath. “Fine.”
We all finish our beers, toss the cans in the recycling bin, and then head out the door. Since the house we share is on the edge of campus, it’s just a ten-minute walk to the student union.
“Is your girl coming tonight?” Blake asks me.
“Yeah, she’s meeting me at the union with my sister,” I say. “You guys have dates tonight?”
They all shake their heads.
“We’re single mingles tonight,” Blake says with a grin.
I laugh.
“Never thought I’d see the day where you’d be the one out of all of us to have a girlfriend,” Blake says to me.
