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“I’m good,” she says.
“Good.” I bite down hard in case I say it again. “What’s up?” I ask, acting casual.
Dana glances around, pausing as two Delta Xis swoop in to grab a few new trays. Who knew a bunch of girls could eat so much? “Can we talk?” she asks. “In private?”
“I’m a little busy right now,” I say, turning to the sink again.
“Oh,” she says, slinking a step back. “Okay, um… maybe later then.”
Later would be fantastic. But I know putting this off will only make the guilt sitting in my gut even heavier.
“Wait,” I say, stopping her from leaving. “Never mind. I can talk now.”
She blinks in surprise. “Great.”
I dry my hands on a dish towel before gesturing to the open door across the kitchen. The laundry room should be private enough. She follows me inside and I close the door behind us, clenching the knob for an extra long second while I pull my shit together.
It was just a one-time thing.
It doesn’t have to mean anything.
It can’t mean anything.
“So...” Dana pauses with her back against a dryer. “Jacinda.”
“Jacinda?” I say, pausing.
“I didn’t know she was here.”
“She was going to go east coast, but her parents wanted her to go here instead. It’s cheaper. She can live at home, and all that.”
Dana takes a breath. “I didn’t know you guys were still close,” she says.
“We’re not,” I say. “I ran into her last night at the party. We caught up a little.”
“Oh. I didn’t see her there.”
“Well, you were busy.”
“Right.” Her eyes drift low for the first time, a slow smile showing as she takes in my nightgown. “So, who knew the betas at the Beta Brunch would be the alphas next door?” she jokes.
I chuckle. “I certainly didn’t.”
She laughs, the sound not lasting long enough. “It suites you.”
“Oh, it does?” I say, cocking an elbow and striking a pose.
“I mean...” She shakes it off as I laugh. “You look good in yellow.”
I loosen back up, swallowing hard. “So do you.”
She blushes, I think. Kind of dark in here. “Connor, about last night?—”
“Emerson,” I say, the name spitting out before I can stop it.
Dana frowns. “Emerson?”
“You guys seemed kind of cozy,” I say. “Last night, I mean. And...” I glance at the closed laundry room door. “Out there, too.”
