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She bounces back quickly enough to come at me with, “I know the only company you keep is Matt, but maybe try cleaning your room for once. God forbid you ever trick a girl into coming back here with you.” Her eyes fall onto the pile of clothes on the floor. “She probably won’t want to sit on your dirty clothes.”
She starts to leave, her hips swaying with each step. “They’re clean!” I call after her, but she’s already gone into her dorm, shutting the door behind her.
Rae sighs with a shake of her head. Then looking at Matt, she says, “I’ll text you.” She throws me a wave. “Night, Jackson.”
I nod. “Night.”
As soon as Matt closes the door behind her, he turns to me. “That was the most fun I’ve had with a girl. Ever.” He runs his hand over his hair. “She likes football, and she’s not a Bama fan.”
I let out a slow whistle. “Dodged a bullet there. Who’s her team?”
“Chicago,” he says without losing his smile. “Her family is originally from there.” With a shrug, he adds, “I can get behind the Bears for that. It’s the same reason I love LSU.”
I’ve only been on a few first dates, but I’ve never felt anything close to what he’s feeling right now. Hook up with a girl? Sure. Take her out to dinner and talk to her for an hour and a half? Hard pass. I haven’t met a girl who would make that sound fun—who knows if I ever will.
“You’ll see her again?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
He nods, pulling his phone out of his pocket as he flops onto his bed. He smiles and immediately starts typing a response. Rae must have texted him. With a stupid grin, he answers without looking at me. “Definitely.”
“So.” I sit on my bed, fidgeting with the headphones I let Margot use. “I got a call while you were out.”
This makes him pause. “Like a call from Dave Lutz or a call from your mom?”
My mouth quirks as I coil and uncoil the headphone wire around my finger. “A call from Dave Lutz.”
He sits up straight, on the edge of his seat to hear the news I never thought I’d be able to deliver. “And?”
I can’t fight my tight-lipped smile as I look at him. “And he wants me to play for American Thieves.”
“No shit!” He gapes at me. He pretty much looks exactly how I looked when I got the call. “When do you start? What does this mean?”
“It means my schedule is about to get a whole lot busier,” I say as I rub both hands over my face, but even the stress of balancing school and my dream career can’t get rid of my smile.
13
margot
We were invited to a party off-campus tonight, and even though it’s not our first night out since starting college, it will be the first time the four of us hang out together—if Jackson shows. I’ve been too afraid to ask Rae if he’s coming. Just the possibility of him being there has my nerves on high alert. They say you shouldn’t live in a constant state of fight or flight, but clearly, they never lived across the hall from Jackson.
Parties have never really been my thing—they’ve never been Rae’s thing either, but she suggested we go with Matt and some of the other people on the floor.
“I can’t believe you’re making me do this.” I look myself over in the bathroom mirror after blow-drying my hair. Soft, auburn layers frame my face. Rae bumps me with her hip as she joins me in front of the mirror and unzips her makeup bag.
“No one’s making you do anything,” she says with a laugh. “Remember when you made me hang out with you and Chris for at least a month so your parents wouldn’t get suspicious? That was by force. Tonight will be fun, and you look amazing.”
My lips twist. “Well, when you put it that way.” My parents have always been strict. If they found out I was dating anyone, they’d want all the details—and I wasn’t ready to give them.
They had expectations for me, and when I didn’t meet those quotas, to say they were disappointed would be an understatement. Nothing less than straight A’s. Must be involved in at least one after-school club and one sport. Earning a scholarship was expected.
I was more like an employee than a child, only appreciated when I performed well. So, when I announced my move to Florida and major in journalism, they weren’t thrilled. A degree in journalism doesn’t exactly align with the Reid Family’s corporate goals. My mother, a lawyer, still thinks I’ll follow in her footsteps after undergrad—even though I’ve told her countless times I won’t. My father tries to be supportive, but I can see through his encouraging thumbs up. Deep down, he’s wondering where this degree will take me, but I’ve always loved writing. There’s something comforting about being able to craft words in a way that convey what I’m feeling. I like being able to go back and edit. It’s a luxury that isn’t offered when you talk to someone face to face.
“Keith might be disappointed if you don’t show,” Rae says with a knowing look as she watches for my reaction in the mirror.
I go back to putting on my mascara. Keith is a nice guy, but that’s about as far as my opinion of him goes. He always finds me when I’m in the common room, and he’s pleasant to talk to, but I don’t see it going anywhere. “But Jackson would love it if I didn’t go,” I answer dryly.
Rae rolls her eyes. “Who cares what Jackson thinks? I’m not even sure he’ll be there. Matt says he’s been busy with the band.”
He didn’t tell me about getting picked for the band, even though I was the one with him that night. That must have been what he was about to say when he first opened his door, but I guess I wasn’t worthy of hearing his big news. At first, I was offended, but I guess I can’t blame him. If I was looking to celebrate, Jackson would be the last person I’d want to share it with.
