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Parker’s brows drew together as he took stock of the floor, Mac’s lack of clothing, and Chloe’s outfit from last night. I clenched my jaw against the unbidden urge to defend her. She was perfectly capable of defending herself if she chose.
Except she didn’t.
Parker glared at Mac, I glared at Parker, and Mac edged closer to his door. None of us were in top form, especially since I was probably the only one who’d slept.
Riley broke the standoff. “Chloe, what are you doing in the hallway?”
Chloe’s eyes flicked to Riley, then back to me, and I suddenly knew why she was hesitating. “I needed some help, so I came over here to ask. I’m sorry I bothered everyone.”
There it was. The only reason Chloe paid any attention to me now—when she needed help. After spending hours watching her flirt with every guy at Eva’s birthday party, I wasn’t in the mood.
I nodded at Mac. “Looks like you’re taken care of. I’m going back to bed.”
Mac sputtered. “What? No, man. I’m half-assed naked.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, willing him to take this one for the team, but Mac didn’t get my telepathic message.
He rolled his eyes as if we were confused about his state of undress. “Like butt-assed naked but still got a towel on. Noah can help her.”
In an act of friendship aggression, he went back into his room and shut the door without another word. The one time Iwantedhim to be loud and annoying. I chanced another look at Chloe. Her face seemed more expressive than usual without her glasses, pleading with me to help without making a fuss.
Or maybe I was still suffering from the weird-ass dream where I’d had her naked in the pool with gleaming scales hugging the curves of her hips.
I clenched my jaw, unwilling to give in this time. “Parker or Riley then.”
Chloe winced. “They can’t help.”
The couple shared a look I couldn’t read, and Riley took a tentative step forward.
“Are you sure I can’t help?” she asked.
I knew I liked Riley, and her soft question put her firmly in favorite roommate territory. Unfortunately, Chloe shook her head. Why was she so determined to make me suffer?
Chloe caught her full lower lip between her teeth, and a bolt of heat shot down my spine. As if she could sense my reaction, her gaze skipped back to me. The last time I’d showed up to help her, when the hockey fuckboy had abandoned her drunk at a party, she’d spent the entire drive home explaining in vivid detail how I’d missed out on the best blowjob of my life.
Sweat gathered between my shoulder blades just thinking about it.
I wasn’t sure she remembered—we’d never discussed it—but I’d swear on Mac’s signed Wonder Woman poster she hadn’t been blackout drunk. Our gazes clashed and held, a battle of wills I was already losing.
Her fingers tangled together in front of her, and the image of drunk Chloe gleefully tossing her shirt at a hooting frat boy tightened the muscles in my back. How much worse could this situation possibly be if she was standing in front of me, barefoot and sober?
In the back of my mind, I knew it didn’t matter. If she needed me, I’d be there.
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. Fuck. I was going to regret this. “Fine.”
A relieved smile flashed across Chloe’s face, there and gone so fast I might have imagined it. I shifted to give her space to pass me, and she didn’t spare the others another glance.
Parker’s door closed softly behind us, and I found myself alone in the dark with her once again. Better get this over with. Chloe waited while I grabbed my shoes and keys by the door. Hopefully, sweats and a TU football shirt would be appropriate attire for whatever she needed me to do.
I dragged my gaze away from Chloe’s perfect ass as she led me out into the cold night. “Where are we going?”
She nodded at the apartment she shared with Eva. “I have a small problem in my bedroom.”
I frowned at her. “Chloe…”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not trying to trick you into bed. Eva’s staying the night elsewhere, and I can’t handle this on my own. I’d hoped the problem would be resolved by the time I finished cleaning, but…” She trailed off with a shrug.
Guilt pricked at the thought of her picking up the huge mess we’d left in their apartment. I’d assumed Eva would hire a cleaning crew like she usually did.
