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“Where did these come from? I don’t remember packing them.”
A chuckle slips past my lips as I step behind her, circling my arms around her in a bear hug. “For nights when you miss me.” I kiss her cheek, then spin her to face me. Her perfect lips part and heat burns in her gaze. With a wolfish smirk, I trail my mouth to her ear. “For you to keep up with your homework assignments.”
Her breath hitches. “You want me to keep up the sexy selfies here?”
“Advanced class. Think you’ve got what it takes to pull it off?”
“Yes.”
The indignant huff she pushes out makes me laugh again. I press the curve of my mouth to her soft skin beneath her ear. “You have no idea how much I want to see you wearing my clothes.”
“Coop,” Tate whispers thickly.
She tilts her head for a kiss, but we’re interrupted by the arrival of her new roommate. The girl pauses on the threshold and takes in the way we’re wrapped around each other.
“Hey. Tatum, right?”
“Yeah.” She clears her throat and untangles herself. I keep an arm slung around her waist. “This is my boyfriend, Cooper. He’s a sophomore with my brother here.”
It feels great every time she calls me her man. “‘Sup.”
“Alison.” She squints at me. “Room rule: sexual partners welcome, but no surprise booty calls while we’re both here.”
Tatum holds up her hands. “God, no, of course we wouldn’t. I’ll, uh—”
“It’s chill.” Alison relaxes from her stern demeanor with a soft smile. “You didn’t seem like the type when we chatted on messenger. I’ve read about some roommate horror stories on Reddit, though. Just let me know if you need the room to yourself, and I’ll do the same.”
I choke back a snort. I like Alison’s vibe. These two will get along just fine.
“Right.” Tate blows out a breath and returns the smile. “Sounds perfectly fair.”
“I’ll go get Jackson and the rest of the boxes.” Before I go, I take her hand and squeeze, leaning in with a smirk. “Advanced class.”
Tatum nods, the determined look I’ve grown addicted to settling on her face.
THIRTY
TATUM
Every time I’ve pictured how things would be when I started at South Bay College, it was completely different from how it’s been in the last week since I moved in on campus. I feared I’d feel so far behind everyone, like a kid pretending to fit in with people way more mature. Except I haven’t felt that way once. I trace the back of a paint pen I’ve been using to decorate the daily spread in my to-do list journal down the floral page of the dreams and goals planner I kept in the basket under my bed before college began.
New friends? Check.
After the first meeting with my roommate, Alison and I have fallen into a comfortable dynamic. We’re both practical and a good fit for each other. And Jenny, the bubbly girl I met at one bonfire this summer, messaged me to meet her outside our first shared General Psychology 101 class today.
Not starting college with my V-card? Check.
Check, check, checkity-check check. I bite my lip around a smile, shivering at my desk. I’m still rocking the delicious ache between my legs from last night when Cooper was over to watch a new episode of my favorite nature documentary while Alison had plans. We got five minutes in before making out led to losing our clothes and tangling ourselves together.
His rough order still echoes in my head.Hands on the table, Tate. Keep them there.
Boyfriend? Check.
Well, a fake one. But Cooper makes sure he fulfills every expectation I could possibly have about having a boyfriend before I’ve even thought of it. I’m not exactly practicing my newfound experience with anyone else, but I haven’t thought about my original plan while I’m focused on helping him.
The door opens and Alison comes in with a towel wrapped around her head, fresh from a shower. She hooks a thumb at the door. “Your boyfriend is headed this way.”
“What?” I check the time on my phone. My first class starts in a little less than an hour. Gathering my bag and my notebooks, I rush past her while she puts away her shower caddy. “Later.”
