Noah throws an arm around my shoulders and tugs me close. The way our easy camaraderie seeps back into our exchange is a relief.
“The last time you tried something, I was the one who came out victorious.”
Noah rolls his eyes and grouses, “Yeah, well that’s because you fight dirty, like a girl.”
“Please…”
He’s right. I’ve been known to fight dirty if that’s what it takes to win. And against a guy who outweighs me by almost a hundred pounds, you better believe I’m going to use every advantage available.
I’m not an idiot.
“You grabbed my nuts and squeezed,” he grumbles.
I blink innocently. “Oh? Is that what I was holding onto? They were so small, I wasn’t sure.”
He shakes his head. “I sure hope Carter knows what he’s getting involved in.”
A smile spreads across my face. “After the brownie fiasco, I’m going to hazard a guess and say that he does.”
“You’re a fucking menace, Daisy Thompson.”
With lightning quick movements, he grabs my head and sinks his knuckles into my hair before scrubbing them back and forth.
Arrrggghhh.
I hate nuggies! Noah hasn’t done this to me in years. Not since the last time I grabbed his nuts.
“I couldn’t be prouder,” he laughs.
35
DAISY
“You need to back this truck up and start over again,” Olivia demands over the loud noise of the stadium. “I want all the details in slow motion, so I can savor them more fully. Plus, I want to make sure you didn’t leave anything out.”
“That’s not necessary,” I chuckle. “You’re totally in the know.”
“Likely story.” She huffs and slaps my thigh. “I still can’t believe you were holding out on me like that!” She pauses for a beat. “This is huge.”
Even though we’re sitting in the tenth row of the student section, with people jam packed around us, she manages to throw her arms wide, narrowly missing the guy sitting next to her. “Bigger than huge. Mega-huge.”
“Yeah,” I wince. “I know.”
I probably should have clued Olivia in to what was going on with Carter, but how could I do that when I didn’t know myself? Olivia and I have always confided in each other. We delved headfirst into our friendship the first week of freshman year and haven’t come up for air since. Not wanting her to be mad or hurt by my lack of transparency, I loop my arm through hers and tug her close.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to say anything until I knew it was morethan,” I pause trying to come up with an adequate term to describe what Carter and I were involved in. “A friends-with-benefits situation.”
She snorts. “When were you two ever friends?”
Good point.
“How about a frenemies-with-benefits situation?” I quip.
“Sure, we’ll just go with that.” Olivia sits up a little straighter and gives me a knowing look. “See, I wasn’t too far off base when I said that he liked you.” She nudges my shoulder and waggles her brows. “And that you liked him.”
Carter’s reasons for keeping me at a distance somersault through my head.
“I guess you weren’t,” I admit.
