I pull open my truck door and toss my bag inside.
It’s just a party. One hour. Then I can go back to replaying every mistake I made tonight in peace.
LEONORA
The door slams open hard enough to rattle the posters on the wall.
Willow bursts in like she’s been chased halfway across campus, cheeks flushed pink from the cold and her eyes absolutely blazing with the kind of excitement that means someone’s about to get dragged into something.
“You will not believe what I just heard.”
Katie doesn’t even look up from her movie.
“You say that at least twice a week.”
“This is different.”
“It’s always different.”
Willow ignores her completely and drops onto the sofa, nearly knocking the mug out of my hands in the process. Irescue it just in time and give her a look.
“Leo.” She grabs my arm. “Listen to me.”
I sigh and gesture for her to continue.
“The Giants.” She pauses for dramatic effect. “Throw. Parties.”
Katie raises an eyebrow. “…That’s the earth-shattering news?”
“No, you don’t understand. They throwparties. Like, actual, off-campus, everyone-invited, legendary-status parties. The kind people still talk about years later. And I just found out-” she squeezes my arm tighter, “-there’s one on tonight.”
I stare at her.
“Why do I need to know this?”
Willow looks at me like I’ve just asked why ice is cold.
“Because we’re going.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Willow-”
“Leo, listen to me very carefully.” She leans in, lowering her voice like she’s about to share classified intel. “Hockey players. In a house. With music. And probably very poor life choices.” She wiggles her eyebrows. “This is not optional. This is research.”
“Research for what?”
“Life.”
Katie snorts from the couch.
I take a long sip of my hot chocolate and stare at my roommate. Willow is many things - a chaos magnet, a terrible influence, one of the best skaters I’ve ever met - but she’s also impossible to say no to once she sets her mind on something.
“Let me get this straight,” I say slowly. “You want to goto a party full of hockey players from a team my dad used to coach.”
“Yes.”
