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“What’s up, Mace?” I grinned down at her. I half-hoped she would say something to let me know she felt the mood shift between us
“I missed you,” she admitted.
Katie’s party playlist started playing in the background, and we both looked toward the living room.
I had admitted to Maci a few different versions ofI missed youbefore, but it felt different hearing it the other way around. When we returned to campus after break, the first time we saw each other, I asked her not to ignore me again. Now that my mind was taking a trip down the route of our exchanges, I actually told Maci I would miss her before break too.
Maci lightly squeezed my bicep and snagged her brother’s drink off the table. I hadn’t noticed I was holding my breath until she returned to the couch.
We both knew we didn’t like to be away from each other for long periods of time. I had no idea why I thought getting some space would help me get my mind off her. Every time we were back in the same room, I felt like I was seeing her for the first time all over again. My breath would catch in my chest, and I ached to do things that felt natural to me. I wanted to touch her and kiss her and make her feel good. But I knew the guy that woke up the next morning would go into survival mode and completely crash everything that happened the night before. The thought of sleeping with Maci didn’t scare me off, but how I would treat her afterward definitely did.
Chase’s voice boomed from the living room so he could be heard over the music. “Ten out of ten, Jaxon.” He raised his glass for emphasis, and I acknowledged him.
After a few rounds of Drunk Driving, I was buzzed and felt my second wind creeping into my system. Maci had just beaten Chase for the fifth time in a row, and every time they finished a race, her smile grew bigger, and her eyes grew glossier from the alcohol. Chase was now four drinks in, and since I was his designated cocktail mixer, I knew he would have to crash soon. He was a big guy, but he only had one plate of food when he got here a couple of hours ago, and he drank at least two-thirds of the vodka.
Katie and Connor were riding the same level, both laughing uncontrollably and stealing kisses when they thought no one was looking.
“I’m gonna step outside.” Chase stood up and surveyed the room. “I managed to snag some bud before heading up. Anyone else wanna join?”
Connor and I exchanged a look and followed Chase out of the apartment.
“Well damn, okay then!” Katie laughed just as the front door shut.
Connor led us around the corner to a balcony that peered out over the parking lot. It was secluded from the main hallway, and a few chairs had been left there by previous owners.
I leaned against the railing, and Chase did the same. There was a soft breeze, and even though it was freezing, it felt nice to be outside. Maci and Katie’s apartment was usually kept warm, but after a few drinks, it started to feel like a sauna.
Connor took a seat in one of the empty chairs and offered his lighter to Chase. Chase handed him a rolled joint and turned around to face the parking lot.
“I would do anything to come back here right now,” Chase said and leaned back to grab the joint from Connor. He took a long hit and passed it to me.
“You went to BG?” I exhaled, and smoke drifted in the opposite direction.
“I went to Cincinnati, actually,” Chase explained. “It’s where I met Trey.”
We continued to pass the joint between the three of us. Connor and I exchanged a look at the mention of Chase’s very recent breakup. I wasn’t expecting him to be so open with the conversation, especially since it was like pulling teeth to get Maci to open up about certain things.
“I just meant I’d do anything to be back here in this chapter,” Chase said. “Everything was so simple in college. Anything could happen at any time.”
“Did you and Trey date in college?” Connor asked.
“Yeah.” Chase chuckled, and he looked like he was playing back a memory in his head. “We met my junior year, and by the beginning of our last year, we were together.”
“Hmm.” Connor stared at me like he had something else to say.
I warned him with one look not to say anything more about what I already knew he was thinking. He sucked at remaining neutral when it came to Maci and me. Drunk Connor could be a loose cannon if he was feeling confident enough, and I wasn’t sure what Chase knew about our history.
“Do you still wanna be with him?” I asked.
Chase didn’t look surprised at my question. I couldn’t tell if he looked sad or if everything from the evening was hitting him all at once. He stared out into the parking lot for a moment before turning his head to answer me. “I dunno. I’m not even sure if he would pick up the phone if I called him.” He lightened up and changed the subject. “But enough sob talk. How did you meet my sister?”
Connor smiled smugly in the chair behind Chase.
“I gave her my ice cream at Dairy Queen.” A laugh escaped my chest at the memory.
“She said you had a class together too, right?” Chase asked.
“Journalism.” I nodded
