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It was a pub with a whole section for games, with an inside room that was sports heaven. I counted thirty televisions mounted, most with a different sport playing too. Wade grabbed a high top in the corner.
The server was nice. She barely glimpsed my fake, so we ordered water and beer. It was thirty minutes later, after we’d gotten through an entire chapter for abnormal psych when another roomie came in. Darren, and he brought a whole group with him. I was assuming football players judging by their height and weight. Big guys, or most were big.
“What up, roomies?” Darren snagged a chair at a table. A guy slipped into the other seat that Darren introduced as QB1, their starting quarterback. His teammates or friends filled the rest of the spots. Another group of guys showed up, and soon we took up half the section. It wasn’t long after that when the girls started coming over.
The first pitcher of beer was gone within five minutes.
“If I knew you were their roommate, the entire team would’ve been hanging out at Darren’s house all year long. Sorry, but damn, are you fine.”
“She just moved in this semester,” Wade said, reaching for the next pitcher.
“Don’t encourage him.” Darren shot Wade a look.
Wade shrugged, filling his cup, my cup, and the QB1’s cup. Darren wasn’t drinking.
“Don’t matter. She’s taken.”
“What?” QB1 spit out his beer, leaning back in his stool. He gave me a once-over. “Say it ain’t so.”
I frowned at him. “What’s your name?”
“Kyle.” He leaned in. “What’s yours?”
“You already know her name.” Darren bent his head into his textbook.
“Tell me again. I want to hear how you say it.”
“Call me Daniels.”
“Daniels, huh? That a nickname or something? Something only your best buds call you?”
“Yes.” I gave him a flat look. “It’s special, just for you.”
“Daniels!”
“I stand corrected.” I straightened in my seat as Gavin came around the side. He threw an arm around my shoulder, giving me a one-sided hug. “What’s up? Why are you here?”
“Wade needed a distraction, and I heard studying in a bar was the best type.”
“Fuck yeah, it is.” He turned for QB1/Kyle. “Hey, man. How’s it going?”
“Miller.” They gave each other a fist pound.
Of course they were friends.
Gavin did the same with Darren and Wade, then moved to the next table, repeating. None of the guys were surprised at seeing him.
I frowned. “Does Miller ever study?”
Darren snorted, grinning at me. “Not that I’ve seen.”
Kyle was still looking my way. “You got some friends. Wade. Darren here. Now Miller? Who else you know?”
I had no doubt he also knew about Cruz, but I shrugged. “Dude. I’m here to study.”
Wade started laughing.
Darren snorted again. “She ‘duded’ you. Friend-zoned.”
“Daniels!” Gavin came back, his backpack slung over one shoulder. “Make room for me. I’m joining you.” He had a chair behind him.
“What? No–”
“Yes.” He ignored Kyle, clearing the table himself of all the condiments until there was room for his phone. He made it work. The guys scooted in, giving him enough space.
The server came over and frowned at him.
He was side-eyeing her. “Don’t give me shit that this is a fire hazard or something. I know you let others do this all the time.”
She sighed. “Why are you here, Gavin? You’re not twenty-one.”
“How do you know that?”
“I’m in your freshman econ class.”
“Oh. Yeah.”
She rolled her eyes. “You can stay, but if you get me in trouble, I will make your life hell.”
She was walking away when he called after her, “Wanna go out?”
She ignored him, shaking her head.
Kyle laughed, shaking his head. “Why the fuck are you at Alpha Mu? You’re too cool to be at that house.”
Gavin reached for the beer, giving a shrug before he filled his cup. “Connections. And speaking of,” his eyes went to mine. “Heard you had a run-in with one of them earlier today.”
“What’d you hear?”
“Just that you had a little thing with Flynn.”
“Flynn Carrington?” Darren asked.
Wade said, “It was more me that had a run-in with him.”
Darren frowned. “Because of Rosa?”
Wade nodded, tight-lipped.
Gavin met my gaze, confused.
He asked, “Rosa?”
“A chick that woke up naked in Carrington’s bed and after a medical exam, she found out she’d had sex. She didn’t remember a thing.”
Gavin tensed. “When did this happen?”
“Last year. Fall semester. Let me guess, no one talks about it?” Wade bit out.
Gavin shook his head. “No one’s said a word. You want me to ask around?”
Wade narrowed his eyes at him.
I spoke up, “No.”
“What? Why?”
I answered Gavin, “It’ll make you a target. Keep your head down.”
“The guys who I could ask–”
“Just don’t. Guys like that, they always get away with it and everyone else gets hurt. And the girl, it always comes back to haunt her.”
I was aware of the guys sharing looks over my head, but I didn’t care. Let them think what they want. To be honest, it wouldn’t be so far off-base. I didn’t know a girl who hadn’t had to deal with sexual harassment, and I knew ten who had worse shit happen to them. Being a girl sometimes sucked and that was coming from a girl who enjoyed having sex, but I wasn’t supposed to.
