What am I even thinking about this for? Yes, they’re all hot, and yes, they seem to like the idea that I look at their picture, but I’m not interested in dating even one person, let alone four at once. I promised myself that I would focus on school and not on boys, that I wouldn’t let my future be jeopardized because of a nice smile or broad shoulders or quick fingers. I don’t want a boyfriend, and I really don’t want four boyfriends. Even if they are good-looking and brilliant and driven.
“Well, if you still have a picture of us,” says Lukas, pulling out his phone, “it only seems fair that we have one of you.”
Chapter Five
I choke on my beer. Surely I misheard him. This is the absolute pinnacle of embarrassment in an evening rife with humiliation. Everyone around us is staring at me as I cough. This is the absolute pinnacle of embarrassment in an evening rife with humiliation.
“She needs water,” says Elliot, disappearing into the crowd of onlookers. More liquid is probably not what I need as I continue to sputter on the beer in my airway, but I’m too busy coughing to protest.
“We’ll be outside,” calls Felix, taking one of my arms while Lukas takes the other to steer me out the back door. Sebastian strides ahead of us, clearing a path to the back door.
Ronnie is halfway to us with a concerned look on her face, but I wave her off.
“Fresh air,” I mouth in between coughing fits so she knows where I am. Not that she could possibly miss the spectacle of me hacking up a lung as I’m escorted outside by three tall, attractive guys.
There’s a small porch on the back hosting a few smokers, but once they hear my coughing, they clear out pretty quick, leaving the guys to settle me on the bench swing.
Felix sits beside me and Lukas and Sebastian hover around us as I try to regain my breath. I try sipping a little beer to see if it helps, but it does not. It really is disgusting beer, even for a frat party.
It’s freezing out here. The sweat on my skin from inside began to dry as soon as the cold air hit my skin, and Ronnie’s strappy little glitter top isn’t doing anything to keep me warm. I rub my hands over my arms, and Lukas takes his sweatshirt off and drape it around my shoulders.
“Thanks,” I rasp out, still fighting a coughing fit, and slip my arms into the sleeves and zip it up. It’s warm from his body and smells like boy, in a good way. I’m tempted to bury my nose in the fabric and inhale, but that would be really weird of me, so I staunch the desire.
“Sorry it took me so long,” says Elliot, stepping out the back door and closing it behind him. “They’re out of cups and the glasses in the cupboard did not look clean, so I had to wash it first. Here you go, this should help.”
I accept the glass and take a sip. The water is much better than the beer. The only reason I’d been drinking it in the first place was to give my hands something to do and to not look out of place. Looking around, I realize that none of them have a drink in their hands. They can’t hold a beer and solve their cubes one-handed, after all.
Wait, actually, they can. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.
But for whatever reason, they’re here, completely sober, and want to spend time with me.
“Thanks, I needed that,” I say to Elliot, once I’ve drained half the glass.
“What did you answer about the photo?” asks Elliot. “I wasn’t here to hear it.”
“We’re still waiting for an answer,” says Lukas, leaning against the railing across from the swing and pinning me with his gaze.
The other guys fall into line on either side of him, Felix standing to join them. It’s a little intimidating, all four of them staring at me from the railing, solving their cubes almost in tandem.
“Why do you want one?” I sip more water instead of the beer, which I set on the table next to the swing as I have no plans to consume any more of it tonight. Even if it doesn’t try to pour itself into my lungs, I don’t want to fit in badly enough to force any more of it down. Not to mention, I’ve embarrassed myself plenty tonight stone-cold sober. The last thing I need is to get tipsy and make it worse.
“Fair is fair,” says Sebastian, echoing Lukas’s words from a few minutes ago.
“Exactly,” agrees Elliot. “You have one of us.”
They do have a point. I’ve been looking at their photo all week, and it’s notfair for them not to have the same opportunity.
I can’t believe I just had that thought.
“Why? Other than to be fair?” I ask. “Because I could delete your photo from my phone right now, if you want me to.”
I don’t want to delete it, but if they’re uncomfortable with me having it and this is their way of telling me, then I will.
Their hands still on their cubes. It appears I’ve alarmed them with my suggestion.
“Don’t delete it,” says Sebastian quietly.
“Yeah, don’t. We like you having it,” Felix tells me.
