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“That’s what I thought, but Aiden thinks it won’t be a problem.”
“Are you going to do it?”
Liam shakes his head firmly. “No.”
“Because you don’t want to have to be around him all the time?”
He tilts his head to the side, seeming to think about that for a moment. “Actually, no. He’s a nice guy and I think we could be friends, I’m just not into the whole Greek scene.”
“You can be friends with someone you’ve hooked up with?” I choke back a disbelieving humph.
Liam traps his lips between his teeth for a breath, a gesture that takes me back to that moment outside our locker room, before drawing an imaginary line between the two of us. “We’re friends.”
“Yeah, but that’s… I mean,” I stutter, trying to reconcile how he can think our arrangement is the same as whatever he’s gotten up to with Aiden.
“I know what you mean. I’m just saying it’s possible to be friends with someone before, during and after you’ve had sex with them. Anyone who says otherwise is lying or too immature to be having sex.”
My expression must give away that I’m questioning whether I’m too immature when I catch a look of horror washing over Liam’s face. “Shit. I didn’t mean it like that. Obviously, you’re mature enough. Maybe even more so than everyone else since you can separate sex from desire and… And you’re doing it just fine now since we’re friends, so clearly—” He runs a shaky hand through his hair as his eyes roam my face, looking for clues about how I’m going to react.
And yeah, at first his words shocked me, but I know he didn’t mean any offense by them. He’s probably just as confused as I am by the fact that we’ve done sexual things together despite the fact I’m not a sexual person. I can’t fault him for getting tripped up over how to explain sex not ruining friendships to someone who never mixed the two before.
“I get what you’re trying to say. It’s fine.” He doesn’t look convinced, so I try a new subject. “So, why aren’t you going to rush?”
“Boys clubs aren’t really my thing. Too much testosterone.”
I bite back a laugh. “That’s kind of a weird opinion coming from an athlete.”
He gives me an eye roll. “Trust me, I know. There’s just as much bullshit with guys in the locker room as there is with guys in the frat house, and I almost gave up sports because of that. But with teammates, that energy and aggression can be focused toward a common goal. Not that being teammates automatically takes away the macho crap a big group of guys can ooze, but ideally, they use it on the field. With frats all that goes unchecked.”
“I never thought about it that way, but I see your point. I—”
“Beer pong, bitches.” Jagger throws an arm around my shoulder and starts pulling me toward the table while Cam does the same to Liam. Despite my eye roll, I can’t help smiling since Jagger’s excitement is sort of infectious.
Unfortunately, I’m no better at this game than I was the first time around, which is evidenced by my awkward stumble when Liam and I make our way back to the dorms. Fortunately, this time he deposits me in my own bed before I can fall onto his.
Chapter twelve
Liam
My phone buzzes in my pocket— again—and I discreetly reach inside to silence it before it catches the attention of the people sitting in front of me. Good thing my calc professor is loud, and most people are too busy taking notes to realize it’s gone off for the sixth time in thirty minutes.
I haven’t looked at the screen to see who’s calling, but I have a pretty good guess. And I can’t decide whether I’m relieved or pissed about it.
Fifteen minutes and three calls later, I’m rushing to the hallway to confirm my suspicions when someone knocks into me as I’m trying to squeeze out the door. Since I know without a doubt I am not, in fact, invisible, I whirl on the offending party, only to come face-to-face with the auburn-haired woman Cruz was talking to at the frat party a few days ago.
I vaguely remember him telling me I’d been giving her a death stare—I plead the fifth—but he also said they’re friends. So, I bite my tongue and try for a neutral expression, holding my hand out in a little ‘after you’ gesture.
She goes first, but rather than bolt down the hallway like I want her to, she turns and watches me, giving me the distinct impression I’m supposed to approach. Small talk isn’t really in my wheelhouse today, but I don’t need it getting back to Cruz that I was a dick to his friend, so I step forward and wait for her to say something.
“You’re Cruz’s roommate,” she says.
“Yeah.” Not warm and fuzzy, but it counts as an answer.
“I’m Dani.” She holds out her hand.
“Liam.”
We shake briefly before she drops my hand and crosses her arms in front of her chest. “I’m trying to figure out if I’ve done something to piss you off.”
