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“It is Sea Haven,” is all he says, purposely keeping his friend’s identity a mystery.

I’m tempted to go check the mail right this second just to see who it is.

I’m up and out of my seat, grabbing our plates before I can actually do it. I have to step around Khaos to get to the sink, then I linger for a minute, gazing down at the garbage disposal.

Why is he being so secretive?

“Are you gonna call him?”

I don’t have to ask to know who he’s talking about.

“He is my boyfriend,” I point out the obvious just like he did a moment ago.

When no response comes, I spin around to find the kitchen empty.

This should feel like my normal. Because it is.

Out on the quad, I’m passing by Littoral’s imposing clock tower when I catch sight of Ever Munreaux, her bodyguard following in her wake. I don’t have any classes with the motorcycle heiress but I wouldn’t be surprised if Crue attends hers with her. He’s never far from her. For once, she’s not with her friends, the elites of Littoral University, so I take my chances approaching her. School sports are strange like that. The best of friends on a sports team may not even talk to each other outside of team engagements. While I’m not sure Ever and I are best friends, I do feel closest to her out of everyone else on our team. She lost her mom around the same time I lost my dad. Hers to death, mine to the Garden State. Although, my mom calls it the Garbage State. I don’t know if it’s because she feels New Jersey is solely responsible for stealing her husband—it’s not—or because it’s rumored to smell bad. I’ve never been there to know what it smells like. And I probably never will. Maybe. I don’t know. I still haven’t decided what to do about my dad. I think, if anything, he should be the one to put in the effort and come visit me. Maybe I’ll tell him that and see what he says, what he does.

“Zero?” I call out for Ever, using her cheer nickname.

Her stilettos stop their click-clacking against the sidewalk. Always in the most expensive, hot-off-the-runway looks, she’s easily one of the best dressed at Lit U. May is warming up but not quickly enough. Which is probably why over Ever’s Burberry pleated skirt and cashmere cardigan sits a suede coat that’s way too big for my friend. If I had to guess, it’s Crue’s. And judging by Ever’s arms not being in the sleeves, she doesn’t want to wear it. He’s making her.

“Hey, Scoops. What’s going on?” With black hair and azure eyes, she’s kind of hard to look at directly sometimes. I’m just glad she’s on our team and not one of our opponents’.

It’s not fair for someone to be that beautiful and have the amount of talent Ever has. She’s perfection personified. And she has a dad concerned enough for her well-being that he hired her a full-time bodyguard while his stalker’s on the loose.

“I won’t get you in trouble, will I?” I glance over at her friends.

Ever’s the best dressed on campus but that doesn’t stop her friend group from trying to emulate her every look. For whatever reason, they can never quite pull off the outfits like Ever.

She follows my gaze, then pops her shoulders. “I’m always in trouble. What’s new?”

I can’t help but laugh. I don’t know what caused the rift but I bet the tall, dark, and handsome man next to us has something to do with it. Even in what must be an overpriced all-black outfit, Ever’s rugged bodyguard doesn’t fit in with the ultra-sleek crew. That or he fit in a little too well and Ever wants to keep him to herself.

After seeing what she did to our teammate for flirting with the bodyguard, I wouldn’t put it past her.

Which reminds me…

“Did you hear about Eighmey?”

“I heard her new veneers look better than her real teeth ever did.”

A half grimace, half grin sneaks out. “Yeah.”

“Glad I could help her out.”

Normally, I call Ever Zero because she’s hit the most zeros—zero mistakes—out of everyone on the team, but right now, I could just as easily use it to describe exactly how much remorse she has for “accidentally” kicking Eighmey’s teeth out. Even though I don’t particularly like Eighmey myself, she is our teammate.

“Next season should be fun,” I muse.

Ever looks away suddenly, like she wants to be anywhere but here.

“Anyway,” I rush to say before she can take off. “I wanted to ask if you were going on the Heart and Hype Tour, too?”

“You’re going?”

“Yeah. They announced everyone on social media but I didn’t see your name. I was hoping they were keeping your participation quiet, you know, because of the thing with your dad.”