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“Thanks,” I said. “I’ll go change.” I avoided looking at Arsen and started away.
His hand slid around my bicep, stopping me. “Matthew.” He spoke quietly, and I rotated. Even though I turned back, he didn’t release the hold on my arm. Instead, his thumb swiped over my skin as he spoke. “What’s going on?”
“I’m moving,” I blurted out.
His hand tightened around my arm. “What?”
“Into a townhouse off campus.”
His brows drew down. “By yourself?”
Kruger snorted. “With me and Jess.”
“He’s our new neighbor,” Wes put in.
“Got a problem with that?” Max challenged.
Arsen released my arm. “Go get dressed.”
I went, exhaling the second I was alone behind the locker room door.
I hadn’t planned on seeing Arsen this soon. I thought I’d have time to convince myself the reason he affected me so much was that I’d been in an impossible situation the other night.
“P!” Kruger bellowed as he banged into the locker room.
I didn’t answer because he knew where I was, and as proof, he turned the corner into the row of lockers where mine was right beside his.
“You okay?” he asked, concern evident in his voice.
“Yeah, of course.”
He was silent a moment, then, “I’m evoking bro code.”
I groaned, lowering the joggers I’d been about to put on. “Why?”
“Because the bullshit you’re feeding me right now tastes rancid.”
I started to protest—okay, to lie—but he made a rude sound and arched an eyebrow. “Bro. Code.”
Bro code was sacred, a pact we’d made a long time ago to be truthful and loyal to each other no matter what. Back when we were younger, I’d been a bit less… controlled. I was even less forthcoming than I was now, and it often got me into trouble, trouble that Kruger often ended up stepping into as well. It was after one of these, ah, instances that he came up with bro code, and I’d agreed because he showed up for me time and again and I wanted to do the same. Even if it did suck donkey balls. And even if I never had to use it on him like he did me.
Still, I honored it. Every time.
“Did you tell them about me?” I asked in lieu of a direct answer.
“I’d never,” he swore. “I didn’t even tell Jess back when she mind-dumped it all.”
I nodded. I remembered. It made me feel guilty for asking. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. You have a right to ask because I told Coach. I’m sorry about it. But I was freaked out, P. You were in jail. Jail. I was worried as fuck. But hey, I asked Coach not to tell anyone else, and he gave me his word. You know he will keep it.”
“He’s gonna want to talk to me about it.”
“Probably. But I’ll come with. And don’t freak about it, okay? He believed me. He didn’t act like I was making up some shit or anything. He was cool about it.”
I wasn’t sure how that made me feel—relieved or nervous. Maybe both. “Really?”
“I’d never lie to you.”
