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Isaiah sighed. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. Let’s get your charger back so you can move on.”
They approached the door and the frat dudes vaping beside it. Nico’s step slowed, nervousness swirling in his stomach as they entered.
Nico scanned the common area. Isaiah elbowed him and pointed toward the kitchen. “He’s there.”
And there Tomas was. In the narrow hallway, leaned back against the wall, ubiquitous red plastic cup in hand. He was chatting with a tall, blond preppy guy, their smiles more than frat-brotherly.
Tomas laughed, chin lifting, and his gaze snagged onto Nico. His smile faded.
Nico straightened, held his head high, and strode over. “Do you have it?”
Terse and rude, but it fit his mood. Tomas couldn’t wait fifteen minutes to start flirting?
“It’s on my desk.” He shooed Nico toward Isaiah. “I’ll get it in a minute.”
“Oh, heavens no, dear. I wouldn’t want you to exert yourself. I know the way.” Before Tomas could answer, he herded Isaiah toward the stairs.
“You dated him?” Tomas’s preppy guy asked, derision dripping from his voice.
“He thought we were dating,” Tomas said. “But you know me. I don’t go for guys like that.”
A snigger. “Yeah, I couldn’t see it.”
Nico clenched his jaw to keep from shouting you went for me well enough when my cock was in your ass.
He felt Isaiah’s hand on his lower back. “Stick to the plan.”
“Right.” Nico tore his gaze from the hall and led them to Tomas’s room.
As promised, the charger sat in plain view on the desk. Snatching it wasn’t as satisfying at Nico had hoped.
Fighting back tears, he scooped up a black Sharpie from the desk, walked over to Tomas’s bed, spun the pillow around, and uncapped the marker.
“Nico!” Isaiah hissed from the doorway, glancing left and right. “What are you doing?”
“Closure.”
“Closure?”
Nico scrawled, We dated! Fucker! on the white background. He underlined the last word three times, capped the pen, and tossed it on the bed. “Now, we can go.”
I don’t go for guys like that.
That summed up his entire dating life.
No matter how great he was in bed, no matter how much he cared, all guys judged him for his campy outbursts.
He was sick of it.
Nico dashed a hand over his burning eyes and bowed deeper into his closet to avoid Isaiah spotting him.
He’d had a night to get over the moment with Tomas yesterday, he should be fine by now. Should’ve pushed it aside . . .
Nico fingered the sleeve of his slim-fit mulberry velvet jacket. Rubbed the stretchy tapered pants that looked fantastic with his Berluti shoes.
Was it over the top?
Maybe pride kept him from listening to the truth. He was too much.
If he toned it down, just a bit, acted more like the everyday man . . . maybe he’d have more luck. In life, and in love.
Nico shut the closet and grabbed his car keys. He had a wardrobe to update.
Nico: Packed. OMW.
Luke: I’m ready. Game sucks. We’re losing.
Nico: There’s always a next game.
Nico’s phone bounced in his pocket as he hopped up the steps.
Why did guys like cargo shorts so much? Maybe he shouldn’t have put so much stuff in his pockets. But what was the point of having them if you didn’t use them?
Ugh, he’d never felt so uncomfortable and bulky.
A cheer erupted from the house, and someone shouted, “Go!”
Nico knocked, but no one heard him over the noise. The door opened with a testing push, and he poked his head inside. An odd assortment of gym bags, a suitcase, and a suit carrier sat inside the otherwise empty foyer.
He entered and shut the door, hard enough to say “hello.” As if on cue, Luke appeared in casual shorts and a loose T-shirt.
His eyes shone with a smile the moment he saw Nico, and Nico reined in the desire to toss out a flirty hello. He settled on a small dude-like grin with an accompanying half-nod to match his appearance.
Luke gestured Nico to join him in the living room. “Can we finish watching the game? It’s bottom of the ninth and the Phillies are rallying against the Nats.”
“Umm . . . okay, but I think I’m illegally parked.”
“Don’t worry. Campus cops don’t bother anyone unless we call. Besides, this shouldn’t take long.”
Luke’s gaze roamed over Nico’s attire, and his brow quivered.
The look was better than the one Luke had cast him that first day. This look was baffled, surprised, and definitely curious.
Nico would take it.
He followed Luke inside the living area to the back of a couch seating three other guys. Guys who looked like they’d either just gotten up, been drinking since noon, or some combination of both.
The batter got a hit, and Luke and his friends started shouting at the players on base to run. A coach was waving his arms wildly, and the player rounded the bag and sped past.
