by Kaylee Ryan
“She’s sitting on your lap, dude,” Dustin says, with a look of disbelief on his face. “Tell me you see that.”
“How many times do we have to tell you that we’re just friends?” Cooper groans.
Just friends. “Come on, guys, catch up,” I tease.
“I’ve never known you to hook up with anyone,” Levi challenges.
“My sex life isn’t your concern.”
“What about you, Reese? It’s not just Cooper here that’s been sitting the bench when it comes to the opposite sex,” Dustin calls me out.
“My sex life isn’t your concern,” I repeat Cooper’s response.
“Denial,” Levi coughs into his hand.
“Just because you’re not as cool as us, doesn’t mean you have to hate,” I sass.
“I’m the king of cool,” Levi fires back.
“Well, king of cool, why don’t you order us some pizza since we’re staying in?”
“Yeah,” everyone agrees.
“Cough up some cash.” He holds out his hand, and we all pass him some money. Tessa and I both work part-time at the local coffee shop, and Cooper and the guys, well, I’m not sure where the guys get their money. I know that Cooper worked and saved up, plus his parents—like mine—send us a monthly stipend from our college funds. It’s none of my business, so I never asked. It’s not like they’re rolling in cash. I just assume they have the same set up that Coop, Tessa, and I do.
Cooper and I both got scholarships so that extra money our parents saved is now spending money. And my apartment, splitting that cost with Tessa, equals out to be the same as my room and board at CU, so it’s a win-win situation for me and my parents.
It’s still hard for me to believe that my first year of college is almost over. It flew by, but I admit it’s been fun. Tessa and I have become close, and the guys on the team have become more than just Cooper’s friends. They’re my friends too.
The rest of the night we just hang out watching movies and eating pizza. Tessa and I ran to the store and got some brownie mix to make, and the guys devoured them before they were even cooled. We expected it because they always do, so we cut us both a small piece before we told them they were ready. All in all, a great night with great friends.
Chapter 5
Cooper
College: Sophomore Year
“I’m back, bitches!” Trey yells as he exits the back door of the house.
It’s the weekend before classes start, and this is my new home. I’ll be living in the house, also known as the football house, with four of my teammates. I didn’t mind dorm life, but the freedom of living here is already proving to be better.
My current situation wouldn’t be possible in the dorms. We’ve got a fire going in the fire pit, and everyone is gathered around drinking beer. Yes, we’re underage, but we’re drinking responsibly. This is college, after all.
Nixon is cuddled up with Tessa in his lap. Those two are going strong. I wasn’t sure it would last when Reese first suggested fixing them up, but it turns out my best friend has a knack at matchmaking. Speaking of my best friend, she’s sitting next to me in her lawn chair. She’s wearing one of my CU hoodies that swallows her. It’s a good thing since she’s using it as a blanket to also cover her bare legs. She’s a tiny thing. At least a foot shorter than my six four. Her blonde hair is pulled up messily on top of her head, and her face is void of makeup. Not that she needs any. Reese is naturally beautiful. She’s the girl next door, the one that you take home to introduce to your parents.
Last year was a struggle for me as I had to learn to share her with my teammates. They’re my friends too, but Reese, she’s my best friend. There isn’t anything that I wouldn’t do for her. She hit it off with everyone she met, not that I’m surprised. My teammates all adore her, and they’ve all kind of taken her under their wing.
Speaking of my teammates. Levi, Dustin, and Hank are all sitting around the fire too. Dustin has a girl sitting on his lap. I don’t know her name, and I don’t care to. She eyed me up and down as soon as she walked through the door earlier tonight. No thanks. Anyone who is here with someone else and gives me that vibe, I’m out. He can have her.
My dating life in college has been dull. Sure, I’ve dated here and there, group things, but nothing that sticks. Not to sound conceited, but I’ve made a name for myself here at CU on the field. As a sophomore, there are already rumors that I could go to the big leagues. Me, Cooper Reeves, playing for the professional football league. I can remember Reese and me sitting outside on her back deck or mine, and we would talk about life and what we wanted. I always dreamed of playing professionally. What kid didn’t? I just never thought that would be me. I’ve busted my ass to get where I am, and I don’t need the distraction of a girlfriend, and even if I wanted one, how would I know they were with me for me? I’ll stick to Reese being my plus one when I need it. We have fun no matter where we are.
“We’re going to state again this year,” Hank says, plopping down on the grass.
“That’s the plan,” Nixon agrees with him.
“What’s going on here? Is this everyone?” Hank asks. His eyes scan each of us and then the yard.
“Just us. We told you, man, we’re laying low this year,” Levi explains.
“Why in the hell do you want to do that?”
“Two of our five roommates are married off, and this guy—” Trey points over to Levi. “—he’s all about keeping his nose clean,” Trey says.
“When Coach tells you scouts are watching, you take the shit to heart,” Levi counters. “That’s my end game. I don’t want to be stuck behind a desk the rest of my life. I want to play football.”
“And I’m not married off,” I grumble. I do not want to go over this shit all over again this year. Reese and I are close, inseparable even, but we’re not together. Why can they not get that through their thick skulls?
“I can’t even get her to let me move in.” Nixon pouts.
“What? You don’t want to live here?” Trey actually sounds offended.
“Wake up in a house smelling like sweaty balls or wake up with my girl? No contest, my man, no contest.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Trey grumbles.
“Can we at least make this night more interesting? You all are sitting around like you’re retired,” Hank jests.
“What do you have in mind?” Reese asks him.
“How about some truth or dare?” Hank rubs his hands together in childish glee.
“Sure. I’m in,” Reese agrees easily.
“Me too,” Tessa says.
“Why not?” I say, tossing my agreement out there. We played this once last year, and there were more dares than truths. We ended it after Samson, a senior who has now graduated, took the dare to drink a gallon of milk in an hour and keep it down. He failed, and he was up all-night puking. I was never so glad to escape to my dorm room.
“I’ll go first,” Hank says. His eyes skim over each of us, looking for his first victim. “Levi.”
“Dare,” Levi answers immediately.
“I dare you to drink an entire jar of pickle juice.”
“Do we even have pickles?” Nixon asks.
Hank shrugs. “Don’t know, but if not, I’ll think of something else.”
“I got you,” Trey says, jogging off to the house to see if we do, in fact, have a jar of pickles. “Score!” he yells a few minutes later, stepping out onto the back deck and holding a jar of pickles in the air.
“Are they cold?” Levi asks.
“Yep.”
“Are they expired?” Reese laughs.
“Does juice expire?” Trey asks, squinting to look at the jar by the light of the fire.
“The contents in the juice does. Let me see.” Reese holds her hand out, and he gives her the jar. She examines, turning it in her hands. “You’re good. They don’t expire until December.”
“Bottoms up!” Hank cheers.
Levi reaches over and takes the jar from Reese, twi
sts off the lid, and kills it. He downs the jar without stopping. When it’s empty, he wipes his mouth on his arm, twists the lid back on it, and places it on the ground next to him. “Let’s see.” His eyes scan us until he stops on Tessa and Nixon. “Tessa. Truth or dare?”
“Hmm, let’s go with dare.”
“Babe, you sure about that?” Nixon asks.
She shrugs. “Can’t be that bad.”
“Tessa, I dare you to… kiss Reese.”
“What kind of kiss are we talking? Tongue?” Tessa inquires easily.
“N-No.” He chokes with laughter. “Just a kiss. A peck on the lips.”
“Reese?”
“Don’t keep a girl waiting,” Reese quips, making us all laugh.
Tessa stands from her seat on Nixon’s lap and saunters over to Reese. She exaggerates the sway of her hips and flips her dark hair over her shoulder. “Ready, gorgeous?” she asks in a low, deep voice that’s not even remotely sexy. Reese stands from her chair and clasps her hands behind her back. Leaning forward, sticking out her ass, she puckers her lips and closes her eyes.
We’re guys, so we all watch with rapt attention, regardless of the spectacle they're making out of it as Tessa’s lips press against Reese’s. It’s hot as fuck. It happens fast, and when they pull apart, Reese plops down in her chair, tilting her head back and resting her arm across her forehead.
“I’ll never wash these lips again,” she says dramatically.
Tessa cackles with laughter as she makes her way back to Nixon, where he opens his arms for her, and she once again settles on his lap. “Now, who’s my next victim.” She taps her index finger to her lips as she ponders who to call on. “Cooper.”
“Truth.”
“Oh, our boy’s feeling like sharing tonight,” Trey comments.
“Truth. Okay. Do you masturbate?” Tessa asks with glee.
“Yep,” I answer automatically. “There is no shame in a little self-love.”
Everyone cracks up at my answer, but I’m being real. A man has needs.
“You’re up,” Hank reminds me.
“Dustin.”
“I’m going dare.”
“I dare you to… eat a raw egg.”
“Do we have eggs?” Nixon asks.
“Dude? You do live here,” Trey reminds him. Nixon shrugs, not the least bit upset that he has no idea what food we have in our kitchen.
“You have eggs,” Reese tells him. “We used them for the cookies Tessa and I made yesterday.”
“Cookies? What cookies?” Hank asks.
“You missed out,” Reese tells him. “They were gone in no time. I think they lasted maybe ten minutes, and it was a double batch.”
“Damn it,” Hank mutters under his breath.
“You need me to go get the egg for you?” I ask Dustin.
“Nah. Hop up.” He taps the girl sitting on his lap on the leg, and she whines but stands. He stands too and heads toward the house.
“Dustin, where are you going?” she calls after him.
“He’s just going to the house to get an egg,” Reese explains politely.
The girl pulls her eyes from Dustin’s retreating form and glares at Reese. “Did I ask you?”
Reese raises her hands in the air. “Hey, I was just trying to help.”
“Right.” The girl laughs humorlessly. “You can’t even nail down your own man.” She points at me. “Don’t you be worrying about mine.”
“Leave.” My tone is ice cold. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let her talk to Reese that way. Not in my house.
“Excuse me? You can’t just tell me to leave. I’m here with Dustin.”
“Not anymore,” Dustin says, stopping to stand behind her, holding a carton of eggs in his hands. “You heard the man, leave.”
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?”
“Do I look like I’m kidding?” Dustin counters.
“Dustin.” The girl stomps her foot.
“Leave.” Dustin’s voice is composed yet just as cold as mine.
“Guys, it’s fine.” Reese tries to reason with us.
“It’s not fine,” Dustin says before I have the chance to. “You see, Reese is one of us. We’re tight. You disrespect her, you disrespect all of us. That goes for Tessa too,” Dustin says calmly. “I have zero fucks to give about you being sorry. You’ve been asked to leave.”
“Whatever. What a fucking joke.” She grabs her purse that’s almost bigger than she is from the ground and storms off, disappearing around the side of the house.
“Dude, maybe you should go check your truck, make sure she doesn’t fuck with it?” Trey says.
“Nah, she’s not got it in her to be like that.” Dustin takes his chair and opens the carton of eggs.
“I’m so embarrassed.” Reese, with her knees to her chest in the chair next to me, buries her face.
Reaching over, I place my hand on her shoulder. “Hey, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“She was a clinger anyway.” Dustin shrugs. “Now, Reese, are you going to watch this epic event that’s about to happen?” She slowly lifts her head and looks at Dustin. “You know you want to see this.” He grabs an egg from the carton and knocks it on the arm of his chair to crack it open. “Bottoms up.” He tilts his head back and opens the egg, letting it drop into his mouth. He swallows and reaches for his beer. “That’s how it’s done,” he says after taking a big swig. “My turn.” He grins wickedly. “Reese.”
“Oh, God.” She half laughs, half moans. “Truth.”
“All right.” Dustin nods. “Let’s see. Give me a minute here.” He looks off into the distance, lost in thought. “I got it. How old were you when you lost your virginity?” he asks just as I am taking a drink of my beer, and I start to cough.
“Sorry, went down the wrong pipe.”
“You okay over there, Coop?” Dustin asks with a shit-eating grin on his face.
“I’m good.” I take a drink to clear my throat and open my mouth to tell her that she doesn’t have to answer. I don’t want her to be even more embarrassed than she already is to tell them she’s still a virgin.
“Eighteen. Senior prom,” she says before I have a chance to stop her.
“What?” I turn to look at her. “You never told me that.”
She shrugs. “It was no big deal. More of a means to an end kind of thing.”
“Who?” That single word is the exact demand that it sounds like. It’s invasive, but I can’t seem to find it in me to care.
“Joey Patrick, my prom date.”
“You let her go on a date?” Hank asks, surprised.
“What do you mean by that?” Reese asks him.
“Nothing.” He holds his hands up, and I glare at him over her shoulder.
“You didn’t tell me that.”
“Fine. Cooper. Truth or dare?” Reese asks me.
I can see the challenge in my best friend’s eyes. “Truth.”
“When did you lose your virginity?”
Fuck me. I don’t want to answer this. We don’t talk about this stuff, not really, which is why I didn’t know. I’d prefer to not have the imagery of her with anyone else in my head. I can’t have her, but neither can they. I know my thought process is fucked. I’m fully aware. She’s going to hate my answer, but I give it to her anyway. “Janie.” I clear my throat. “Senior prom.” She nods like she had a good idea, but I can see the hurt in her eyes.
“You’re up,” she says, standing from her chair. “I’ll be right back. I need to use the restroom.” Her steps are hurried as she walks away, and I didn’t miss the crack in her voice.
“You fucked up,” Levi says.
“I wasn’t going to lie to her.”
“It should have been her,” Hank chimes in, ever so helpful.
“She’s my best friend.”
“Then go after her,” Tessa says, none too kindly.
“Yeah, I’m skipping my turn,” I say, standing and heading toward th
e house. I block out anything else they might say as I go in search of Reese. She’s not anywhere downstairs, and her car is still parked out front. Not that I thought she would leave. She’s smart enough not to drink and drive. Taking the steps two at a time, I check the bathroom, but she’s not there. Slowly, I push open my bedroom door to find her curled up in a ball on my bed. Her legs are hidden under my sweatshirt, as tears from her eyes coat my pillow.
My heart lurches in my chest. I hate that my actions, my truth caused her tears. Agony. That’s what I feel watching her swipe at her tears.
“Go away, Coop.”
“No.” I step into the room, close the door, and turn the lock. I don’t need anyone coming in here and making this any worse than I’ve already done on my own. I need some privacy to talk to her about this. No matter how badly I just want to ignore it and wish that we could erase the last fifteen minutes and make it disappear.
I kick off my shoes and climb into the bed beside her. “Reese,” I whisper.
“I’m fine, Cooper. Just give me a few minutes.”
“No. You’re hurting because of me, and I won’t leave you like this.”
“I was there. I knew that you took her to prom.”
“I’m sorry.” I don’t know what else to say. “It was pretty much like you and Joey.” I swallow hard, even thinking about my friend and her together causes me pain. “It was a means to an end. We were both curious and wanted to see what the hype was about. That’s it. Joey was my friend,” I say was because I’m not sure I can forgive him for this.
When she rolls over, her red-rimmed eyes find mine. “I’m sorry too. I have no right to be upset. I guess I just assumed that it didn’t happen. I mean, Janie never said a word about it. She went on her merry way, acting as if life was normal.”
“We weren’t together. She was my date, Joey was yours. It was just something that happened.”
“We all stayed at my house that night. How did I not know?”
“I could ask you the same thing.” If I would have known that she and Joey were doing… that, I would have stopped him. Stopped them. I don’t know how, but I know that the thought of her with him kills me. Not because Joey’s a bad guy. No. In fact, I suggested he ask her. I knew that he would be good to her. If I only knew then what I know now.
