Letterman Jacket

39 / three days before

Once we were seated in the bus, ready to leave Castelrock Beach after three days of basking in the sun and water, Sutton turned to me across the aisle with a huge smile on her face. "Good news, Thea. There are fourteen cabins around the vicinity of Roseden near Sansiro Lodge with three rooms each. Mr. Finch said two or three people can room together."

Nico groaned, snuggling closer to me. "I'm not rooming with Theo again. He can cuddle with Faust or JJ. I'm out."

"Asshole," my brother muttered from behind me. "How's that considered good news?"

Sutton just shrugged, mouth tipping upwards as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Just means we have a cabin to ourselves and we can pick our own roommates. Faust, Theo and JJ can room together, then Paula and I, and Nico and Thea."

I sat up straighter. "Wait. Is that allowed?"

Sutton's smile grew wider. "No, but I'm saying it is. Mr. Finch trusts me, so he won't do rounds in our cabin."

JJ raised his hand. "Then I'd like to room with you, please."

Faust rolled his eyes. "Give it up, Ford. She's way out of your league."

Sutton shot JJ a look. "And I don't involve myself with fuckboys."

The boys howled with laughter. JJ pouted and crossed his arms, sagging back against his seat.

Nico nudged me with his elbow and whispered in my ear, "Alone in a room together with no supervision. That sounds like heaven to me."

I grinned and faced him. "Naughty, naughty."

"Only for you, princess," Nico said, sliding his arms around my waist and pulling me back against his chest. "Only for you."

When we arrived at Sansiro Lodge, just as the sun was about to set, flames were burning in the fireplace. Wood covered the cozy and small common room from ceiling to wall to floor, bean bags and benches were strewn across the space alongside two long tables and a breakfast bar by the kitchen.

Nico waved our room key in front of my face. "Sutton gave us the room with the double bed."

"Don't sound so happy about it, Romero," Faust said, squeezing his friend's shoulder. "Just keep it down, okay?"

My neck flushed with heat. "Shut up."

Faust chuckled and passed us to retrieve his own room key.

"Do you think he'll be okay? Rooming with JJ, I mean?" I asked Nico quietly with a frown.

He grabbed the handles of our suitcases in his hands. "He'll be fine. We're all good at pretending, anyway."

We were.

"He might even get the chance to check his shoulder," Nico added.

I pursed my lips. "Yeah, okay."

"C'mon." Nico tipped his head towards the door of the lodge. "I can't wait to get you all to myself."

*

A mushroom lamp was the only source of light in the room, and the cold, night air crept up against my skin. The room was small—an oak dresser stood near the bathroom door, an empty bookshelf and an old television set filled the space beside the promised double bed, and curtains the shade of washed-out yellow draped the open windows.

I took my phone inside my bag and quickly texted my parents about our whereabouts. Nico locked the door behind him and reached me in three strides, and one hand brushed my hair away from my shoulder, exposing my neck, and the other slid down my hip. "I still owe you."