Originally Chapter 5

Lincoln

Paxton: Where are you, dickhead?

I swallow the rest of my drink and consider my options. We have to go to the gym tomorrow for weight training at 9 AM. It’s Coach’s passive-aggressive way of ensuring we don’t get shit-faced on a Friday night. But it’s still early. There’s plenty of time left to have a good time—whatever that might mean tonight,

Paxton is likely going to be a killjoy. He hasn’t been able to focus on anything aside from practice and what Rae is doing all week. It’s not that I don’t want to support him, I just don’t understand why he thinks it’s his place to police her. Maybe if I had a sibling, I’d understand. Perhaps this is a condition of being a single child that makes relating difficult. Or, possibly my own life and the attempts to force me down paved highways have me feeling sorry for Rae and reluctant to help… Unless I’m helping to keep her away from Derek. Then, I’m only too happy to oblige.

“Asshole. Why are you ignoring me?” Pax appears, his red University T-shirt damp, stinking like beer.

“Better question, why are you being needy?”

He frowns. “I need to find something else to drink and someone to make out with.”

I look around the frat house, filled with people looking to hook up. “The drinks might be hard to come by, but you’ll have no problem with the latter. What’s your preference tonight?”

“Okay. Now that’s gross.” Rae shakes her head, her nose crinkled like the words are bitter.

Pax winces. It’s only slight, but I catch it. This is momentous. I’ve never seen my best friend be apologetic or embarrassed by his preference to hook up with different women, an agenda in mind for what he wants. It’s something he swears by.

“Poppy and I are going to Starbucks and then heading home.” Rae jerks her thumb toward the living room, the opposite direction of the front door.

“It’s still early,” Pax says, his eyebrows lowering, his doubt apparent.

She shrugs. “Yeah, but we’ve realized most people show up to these things already buzzed or drunk, and we’re completely sober, so it’s gone from fun to making me feel old, really fast.”

I snicker. Paxton howls with laughter.

“Plus,” she looks down at her feet. “I’m going to have to shower tonight. Someone spilled beer down my legs.”

“Be safe,” Pax says. “Watch for stumbling drunks on your way out of here. They won’t watch for cars. And don’t offer them a ride home unless you want to clean the barf out of your car tomorrow.”

“I’ll remember that if you ever call, asking for a ride,” Rae says, smiling.

Pax’s bravado returns, his shoulders pulling back and his chin rising. “I can handle my alcohol.”

“Sure you can.” She pats his arm, the gesture mocking, verging on patronizing, but her smile is authentic. “See you guys.” She glances from Pax to me, her gaze as fleeting as a jackrabbit. In the few years I’ve known her, it’s always been the same. She doesn’t take the time to tease or talk with me, not like she has with Arlo or Caleb. It’s as though I bore her. Periodically, I attempt to up my charm, but she rarely seems to notice because she barely looks in my direction.

“Bye.” She offers a parting wave.

“Later,” I call, but she’s already turned around, walking toward the exit. “It’s gross and wrong to watch guys checking out my little sister.”

Laughter breaks through my lips before I can understand my reaction. “Dude, I hate to break this to you, but your sister is kind of hot. So you better get used to it.”

He swipes a hand down his face and then shakes his head. “Stop calling my sister hot.”

I raise my hands, palms facing Pax. “I’m just saying, you need to relax. Let her spread her wings and have some fun.”

“I just don’t want her to do any kind of shit she’s going to regret.”

“Okay, first off, your sister just attended her second college party, a hundred percent sober, and left after less than two hours….” I let that sink into his brain. “Second off, you can’t shield her from the world.”

Paxton bites the nail of his thumb, nodding.

“Okay. Now, are you ready to have some fun?” I place my hands on his shoulders and turn him to face the party. “Blonde? Brunette? Colored? The world is your oyster.”

As though on cue, a girl wearing his jersey saunters over, batting her eyelashes and biting her bottom lip. It’s over the top and rehearsed but effective nonetheless.

“Don’t forget to wrap it up.” I pat his shoulder and make a quick getaway, so he doesn’t have any distractions.

“What’s up? What’s up?” Hoyt slaps a hand to my back. His eyes are still shaded with a bruise he got two weeks ago when Arlo tackled him in practice. It wasn’t intentional, or maybe it was. Hoyt has a way of getting under everyone’s skin. The team is a brotherhood, and most of the guys I’d give my left nut to, even Hoyt, the only exception would be Derek. I’d let his balls shrivel up before offering to help him, and even then, I’d be reluctant. He’s a snake in sheepskin, whereas Hoyt can never chill. Maybe it’s because he’s a freshman, but I have a hunch it’s because he’s homesick and doesn’t know anyone.

“Hey,” I say.

“Glad you guys made it. Did you see they’re setting up another beer pong table? You want to be partners?”

Hoyt also reminds me of a lost puppy. Filled with energy and looking for a place to belong. I feel for him, but damn do I wish he’d find his tribe and stop circling my legs.

“Maybe later? But I think I saw Bobby back there. He’s always up for beer pong, and he doesn’t have a bad shot.”

He grins like my kindness was a treat. It makes guilt ebb into my heart and has me contemplate offering to play a game of beer pong, and then I see Raegan. She’s in the kitchen, her back wedged between the wall and the counter and her eyes wide as she laughs at something.

“Bobby, yeah. That’s a good idea. I’ll go see if I can find him.” Hoyt nods.

“Yeah, if you can’t find him, let me know. I’ll be in the kitchen, and I’ll team up with you.”

Hoyt smiles so wide, he looks like a young kid. “All right. I’ll be back.”

I turn my attention back to Raegan, watching her back up further so that her shoulders are pressed against the wall. A guy towers closer, his hand on her arm. She lowers her head to see where he’s touching her, and I realize she’s likely in over her head.

“Call me the goddamn babysitter tonight,” I quietly huff, making my way through the crowds, ignoring those who call out my name as I pass by.

I stand beside the guy and clear my throat.

He’s unfamiliar. Most are. This campus is vast, and I spend so much of my time in the gym and on the field, I barely have time for the classroom. I clear my throat to gain his attention.

Vanessa turns her attention to me, her gaze meeting mine. I note the way her shoulders relax and the breath of relief that has her chest falling.

I turn to look at the guy, who reads her reaction to me as well. “Oh. My bad,” he says.

I nod. “Yup.”

He chuckles but only backs up a couple of feet.

He’s waiting for my leftovers. Ready to swoop in and steal anything that might remain. A sliver of him is praying she’ll reject me, and he’ll be there to steal her away upstairs.

Not happening.

Raegan looks from him to me, her throat moving as she swallows. She’s uncomfortable, and this joker knows it. Everything about her screams innocent freshman, from the fact she’s alone to how she’s completely sober and clutching her phone.

She might knee me in the balls. Paxton might beat the living daylights out of me, but those seem like viable risks.

I cut between the two, placing a hand above her hip. Through her black cotton tee, her skin warms my hand. Her hip bone juts out just below my pinky. My palm falls as she sucks in a breath of surprise, and I tighten my grip, then lean forward. If I kiss her on the lips, it might mean something, so I tilt my head and press my lips to her jaw.

She grows more rigid. I imagine the look of confusion she’s likely making, one similar to the ones she gives me when I laugh at her jokes.

She’s going to foil this rescue mission.

Still gripping her waist, I pull her closer to me. “Pretend you’re enjoying this.” I then flick my tongue against the tender skin on her neck and gently pierce the same spot with my teeth.

Her arms wind around my neck, loosely holding onto my shoulders. Her heart beats erratically—fiercely—beneath my lips.

I kiss her again, tasting her perfume on my tongue.