College Ruled

twenty-four

| 24 |
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I DON'T get to answer his question.

        In the seconds it takes his words to register and for my breath to still in my lungs, a pair of headlights washes over Grayson's flushed cheeks and a horn blares through the night to greet us.

        Once. Twice.

         I jump in Grayson's hold and glance over my shoulder, squinting toward the street as tires scuff over snow, pulling to park on the curb. The engine cuts out, then the lights.

        It's Theo's truck.

        I hadn't even realized he wasn't home.

         Grayson's fingers tighten around my hip as the driver's side door squeaks open and Theo himself steps out, sneakers sinking into the fluffy ground as he strides forward and shoves the door shut behind him. A moment later, the passenger door opens with the same rusty-hinge squeal. Chase rounds the hood with a QuikTrip bag dangling in his hand and a smirk hanging on his lips.

        "'Sup lovebirds," Chase sings. He stalls in the yard in front of us, bouncing between his feet as he hugs his hoodie closer to him. "Having fun freezing your asses off?"

       Theo snorts. "Emmy loves this shit. Always has." He surveys the yard, eyes roaming over the sloppy footprints, over the discarded yellow dish towel that fell off my still-standing snowman at some point in the night.

The corner of his mouth pulls into an easy grin. "She's cute."

          My face warms. "Thanks." I take a step away from Grayson, suddenly feeling awkward getting caught in his arms. Even though that's the goal; I should want Theo to catch us all over each other. But now all I want is to fold into myself and hide.

        Theo juts his chin toward the lump of snow that used to be Grayson's snowman. "That yours?"

       "Sure is," Grayson grunts.

       "Not so good with your hands when you're off the field, huh, Katz?"

       Chase chokes on a laugh, looking constipated from the cold wind lapping over us.

       "Oh, I don't know." An arm wraps around my waist and pulls me right back into Grayson's side. "Haven't had any complaints yet."

I nearly flinch at the words, my mind flooding with images that do absolutely nothing to smother out the color on my cheeks.

Him on his knees in front of me. His hands trailing along my thighs. Fingers sinking into skin.

       He's a division one quarterback. He has nice hands. He knows how to use them. And if anyone had any doubts, the rumors that circle campus would absolutely be enough to convince anyone—

"Here." Theo's jaw is tight as he holds out a styrofoam cup toward me, yanking me out of my thoughts.

       My hand stalls in the air between us. "You got me a hot chocolate?"

       "Yeah." He shrugs. "I know it's your favorite on days like today."

"Yeah," I say slowly. Another wave of homesickness prickles through me. "Thank you."