Lane looks interested. “What are you two up to?”
“Just pickin’ apples.” Donovan smiles, yanking on my tank.
As he opens his bedroom door, I can just make out Lewis calling after us—something about enjoying the harvest.
“Okay, so that was a perfect real-life example of whatnotto do going forward,” I whisper, following him as he shuts his door.
“Hit me with it.”
“Make sure your friends are out when you bring a girl over here. And make sure she’s madly in love with you before you introduce them,” I add.
Looking around I let out a whistle.
“This is insane!” I gasp. “I had no idea you could get rooms like this on campus.”
“My dad’s the basketball coach.” He smiles. “It has its advantages.”
You could literally do cartwheels in here. I’m super jealous. The most striking thing, though, is how clean it is. Neat, tidy. Nicely decorated and furnished. I hate to admit it, but I really like what Donovan’s done with the place.
“Were you expecting some kind of gross man cave? Or you just surprised I make my bed?”
“I mean… both!”
“I’m gonna hop in the shower. Make yourself at home.”
I stand there for a moment, taking it all in. Notes laid out on his desk, shelves on the walls, scattered with photos, most of them showing the Campus Drivers standing by their cars like proud parents.
I wander over to the window, humming as I go. Even the view is nice.
I perch on the edge of the bed and bounce up and down. The mattress must cost a fortune. I’ve never slept on anything as plush as this. Suddenly, an idea hits me.
I kick off my sliders and clamber into the middle of the bed, grinning to myself. It’s rude, I know. But it’s an old childhood instinct I just can’t resist.
I’m about to start bouncing, when Donovan strolls in, bare-chested, track pants slung low around his hips, a towel draped around his neck. He narrows his eyes.
“What are you doing?”
“Just making myself at home…”
“By jumping on the bed?”
“Jeez, live a little! This thing is like a bouncy castle.”
I start to jump.
“Carrie!” he warns.
I bounce harder. “Wolinski!”
“You really shouldn’t—”
I bounce higher and faster, ignoring his warning, and on my final jump the rebound is so much more intense than I was expecting that I yelp in surprise. My life flashes before my eyes as I go soaring through the air, shrieking as I come crashing down sideways, landing with my back on the floor and my legs lumped on top of this freaking murderous mattress.
So this is how I die.
A burst of laughter comes from above, and the bed frame squeaks as Donovan’s head pops up between my ankles. He’s lying on his stomach, eyes sparkling.Thank God I decided on shorts today.
“Told you so.” He smirks. “Need a hand?”
