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I glanced down. She was right. It was one of his hoodies, I’d forgotten it was his. “I didn’t know you could tell it’s his.”
“It has his number on the back.”
Oh. My cheeks got hot because I’d really forgotten about that.
I was just shaking my head because there wasn’t anything I could say. Look at me, and how I’ve progressed. Tasmin, in a car with my roommates, and they’re all teasing me about my boyfriend… Or I was assuming he was my boyfriend? We’d not had that actual talk, but no, we were. He said he wanted to be my man. I was his woman. The officialness of this all was new to me.
“Just shut up, you guys.”
They all howled after that.
“You’re making me regret acknowledging you as friends.”
“Never!” Tasmin was beaming at me via the rearview mirror. “Consider me locked on like a zebra mussel. Where you go, I go and you’re never getting rid of me.”
“Look at you, knowing your different types of mussels.” That was Miles.
Tasmin just gave him a smile.
My phone buzzed, and I tensed.
But it was Skylar.
Skylar: Are you freaking out? You can be honest. No judgment from my end.
Me: I’m just not used to people knowing my shit, telling me they know my shit, and me not cutting them off. I got trust issues.
Skylar: You’re in good hands. For real. Everyone is happy for you, even Wade.
Wade, who still hadn’t heard from Angela, and I was the only one who knew why besides the hockey house. I shifted in my seat, feeling a little constricted.
Me: Thanks. I mean it and I’m working on accepting it.
Skylar: GOOD!!!!!!
Zoe: The hoodie looks adorbs on you. I never said anything before, but now I can and you are the cutest hockey girlfriend.
Me: Omg! Thank you.
I laughed, giving her a look over my shoulder, then switching to Skylar.
“Wait. Are you two texting too?” Zoe grabbed Skylar’s hand, pulling it down so she could read her screen.
“What, what, what? Who’s texting and not sharing?” Tasmin wanted to know.
Skylar was fast, but not fast enough. Zoe plucked her phone out of her girlfriend’s hands and read through, then sighed. “Oh. It’s nothing. They’re talking about where they want to eat tonight.”
She handed the phone back to Skylar, the two squeezing each other’s hands before Zoe mouthed to me, “So sorry.”
I texted back.
It’s okay.
Skylar showed her, and Zoe’s smile softened. Zoe shared her screen, and Skylar pumped her head up and down at me, agreeing.
Having friends felt nice, but I double-checked my seatbelt was secured.
Just in case.
Another text came through. Unknown number.
I didn’t let myself read it. I just blocked it, and yeah.
Friends.
All was good.
Blocked calls (38)
44
MARA
“Daniels!”
We’d walked into a restaurant/pub eatery that Tasmin recommended. It was close to the Cain University campus, and we were greeted with that yell as soon as we walked inside. I froze, for a second, until Zeke Allen came walking from a back section. He was wearing all Grant West clothes, and on the front the words embroidered read, “Cruz Styles’ #1 Fan.” He came over, saw I was reading his shirt and wiggled his eyebrows. “Nice, huh?” He gestured to the back with his thumb. “Get a load of this.” He turned around and the words embroidered there were, 'Mara Daniels’ Boyfriend’s Fan Club, Charter Captain.’
“Oh, God.” I sank down into a squat right there and then. My butt rested on the back of my heels. My head in my hands.
“It’s awesome. How awesome is this? And get this, I wear this to all of Blaise’s soccer games.” He was laughing as he tugged on my elbow and pulled me back up. “Come in here.” His arms went around me in a big bear hug.
Greetings were happening around us as I stepped back, and saw Blaise was there, giving his sister a hug. Race was next, getting a half-side man-hug. Seeing me notice him, he gave me a slight chin-lift. “Hey, Daniels.”
Daniels.
I mirrored his chin-lift. “DeVroe.”
Zeke threw his arm around my shoulder, yanking me to his side. “I call dibs on Daniels’ friendship. You’re so low on that list now.”
Blaise scowled at him before rolling his eyes. “You’re a moron.”
“Sure am. After all the shit you do, I’m still your best friend.”
Tasmin and Race headed farther inside the restaurant, and Skylar, Zoe, and Miles moved in a different direction. They went over to where Grant West people were, including the rest of our roommates. And they weren’t alone. Seeing me, Kyle Ruiz stood up from their table, a wince flashing over his face before he made his way toward where I was standing.
“Hey, uh.” He raked his hand through his hair.
Before he could say anything, Zeke said, with a bite, “Who are you?”
Kyle frowned at him, lingering on Zeke’s arm still around my shoulders. “Uh, a friend of–”
