by Tijan
Instant friends.
The other girl was her roommate, and she had sleek, reddish hair, blue eyes, and a ton of freckles. Hers was one of the most arresting faces I’d ever seen. Her name was Angeline.
“We heard the music and guessed you might be our kind of girls.” Veronica sat on my bed, since it was nearest.
“You want drinks?” Jade asked.
Veronica boomed, “Hell yes.”
Angeline cringed, but then shrugged. “College.”
“That’s right, girl.” Jade pointed over her shoulder since she was at the fridge already. “We’re in college, and classes don’t start till Monday.”
After Veronica got her drink, Angeline went back to their room to get herself a wine cooler. “I heard some girls in the hallway talking about a party on frat row,” she reported when she returned. “You guys want to go?”
Jade’s eyebrows went up. “A frat party? Our first night here?”
Veronica thrust her drink in the air. “HELL YEAH, BITCHES!”
Angeline giggled.
We’d learn soon enough that that’s what Angeline did. She sipped on her wine cooler and giggled, a lot.
Veronica boomed and said bitches a lot. I kinda loved it.
Jade was clearly our leader.
After another drink for each of us (and a new wine cooler for Angeline), we got ready to go. Jade went and found the girls who’d been talking about the party, and they included us in their group. We walked from campus to a street down on Cain’s frat row.
The whole block was packed, and it wasn’t just one party. There were a few of them going.
A part of me was like, What am I doing? I should go back to the room and call Blaise. I should tell him I’m here. But the other part of me was like, This is college. I should embrace this, and hell yeah to me for not just eavesdropping on a party for once.
I was a mixed bag this evening.
I should’ve brought a wine cooler of my own. Though Jade had us covered. She had the serious party/tomboy look going, including a backpack full of drinks, and she was pulling it off glamorously. No joke. She didn’t care how she looked, but she still looked good—tight tank top, tight shorts, sneakers, and a backpack.
I followed along toward the back of the group, because five more girls had attached to us when they learned we were all from the same dorm. Was this normal? I had no clue. But it was the first weekend, so the normal social rules might not apply.
We went past the first party to a bigger party.
I eyed a few of the guys on the front lawn because they looked so much like Zeke, they could’ve been twins. I mean, the faces were different, but the douchebag, bully/joker, preppy partier vibe was the same. They were throwing beanbags at a piece of wood with holes in the middle of it, and they were doing pretty well. They kept yelling, “Hole in one!” Then they’d cheer with their fists in the air and salute each other, downing an entire red cup of beer. Or I assumed it was beer. They’d done this three times by the time we got to their sidewalk.
Then I caught the end of what a girl in front of me was saying, “...he, like, moved from New York to California or something? I don’t know, but Columbia was supposed to have him on their team. Something happened, and we got him on ours. He’s a big deal, I’m telling you.”
“How do you know this?” another girl asked.
“My brother’s a junior on the soccer team. He swears he’s never seen a player like this in person. This guy should’ve already been in Europe playing for one of their clubs.”
“Why isn’t he?”
The original girl shrugged. “I don’t know. My brother said something like his dad was the biggest douche ever not to let him go over there.”
“What’s his name?”
I knew. My stomach was tight, but also blooming in pride.
“Blaise something. He’s fucking gorgeous too.” She looked up at the party. “Keep an eye out. My brother said the soccer team likes to party with these guys. That’s how I knew about the party in the first place.”
Blaise could be here.
Blaise could be here!
I wasn’t nervous.
No. That was ridiculous.
For real, it was seriously ridiculous.
But… I did have a bad case of déjà vu. Blaise was already the popular guy.
I was once again on the outskirts.
All I needed were some woods and to get caught spying on a girl going down on him, and I’d be back in my social loner hell.
The butterflies and knots were all in a flurry inside me. They were spring-boarding off my intestines.
No.
Blaise got serious this month.
Therapy. Soccer. He’d said that’s all he would do, and he was honest. He was always bluntly honest.
He’d told me he loved me, and the therapy was for a reason. Because he loved me. Because he didn’t want to be a risk for me.
He did that for me.
I did not need to be nervous or scared.
This was not high school.
He had changed. I had changed.
We were good. We would be good, and besides—
I’d been so busy giving myself a pep talk that I’d missed how we’d walked past the guys on the front lawn. We’d gone up the front stairs and were now inside the house, the music almost deafening, and Jade took her leadership point again.
The bigger group of girls was breaking up, but Jade rounded the four of us back together.
She tightened her hold on her backpack straps and leaned in. “Okay. Here’s the deal. This is not my first rodeo. I’m sure it’s not yours either, and my brother’s warned me about these parties. They can get rowdy and crazy, and we can’t be dumb bitches. That’s why I brought our drinks with us. This isn’t always going to happen. I heard they usually charge, and you have to buy a cup, but whatever. We’re in the door, so if someone starts being an asshole, just go ask for an empty cup. Say your friend is a moron, and her beer is going to spill, and you want to save the beer. They’ll give it to you. So, can we figure out the rules, and yes, we should’ve had this meeting before we left, but we didn’t.”
“Rules?” Angeline looked ready to faint. “What do you mean rules?”
“Rules for us. Like, we never leave someone behind. We keep an eye on our buddy. Like that. What do you think?”
“I like those rules.” Veronica bobbed her head. “Let’s go.”
“No.” Jade caught her hand, wheeling her back. She glared at her. “I’m asking what the rules are.”
Veronica frowned. “My personal rule is to find a guy, climb on him, and stay there all night. If he becomes my boyfriend, that’s cool. If he’s my tree stump for a night, I’m okay with that too.”
Angeline started giggling. Again.
Jade gave her a dark look. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. I don’t get roofied. I don’t drink shit other guys give me, and I’m a black belt in karate. Guys here aren’t scared of me yet. I gotta strike while the iron is hot, because they’ll learn real fast. You know what I’m saying?” She held her hand out. “Give me one of the bottles, and I’m good for the night. I’ll see all you bitches at home.”
Jade glowered, but pulled out the bottles. Veronica took the whiskey. I was kinda envious, looking at Veronica in a whole new light. I think my appreciation morphed into a girl crush. She marched off, her head high and her shoulders rolled back. The confidence alone was inspiring.
Angeline continued giggling.
Jade met my gaze. “We’re on babysitting duty, I think.”
I opened my mouth. Should I say anything?
Then a pair of arms wrapped around me. I started to scream as I was lifted off my feet, but then I heard the voice boom (we had another boomer) and instantly relaxed.
“THERE’S MY GIRL! HELL YEAH! FALLEN CREST IN THE HOUSE!”
It was Zeke.
And the butterflies took steroids, along with the knots, because I knew who else I was about to
see.
Zeke lowered me, and I turned.
He wrapped his arms around me again, and I got a good hug instead. “Man. Hey. I was with your fan club last night. Shit got weird. Did Blaise tell you?”
“I—” choked. I choked. He doesn’t know?
Jade and Angeline watched me intently.
“Hi, Zeke.” I tried not to look, but I couldn’t help myself.
Zeke chuckled, throwing his arm around my shoulders. He turned to my friends. “Hey. I’m Zeke. Who are you hot things?”
Jade’s mouth snapped shut and she beamed, raising her chin in a flirty way. “Hi. I’m Aspen’s roommate, Jade.”
“Jade. Hmmm. I likey.” He looked at Angeline. “Who are you?”
Angeline flushed all over and gripped her wine cooler with both hands. She used both hands to take a drink from it too. Then when she was done, she giggled.
Jade shook her head. “That’s Angeline. She’s one of our floormates. Her roommate is around here too.”
“Floormates.” Zeke clasped me tighter. “That’s right. You’re doing the dorm thing. Have you checked out Blaise’s apartment yet? It’s almost right next to the soccer complex. Our boy’s got it going this year.”
“What are you—” Jade’s eyes bounced from Zeke to me. “How do you know Aspen, and where are you staying?”
His grin turned proud. “We went to the same school, and I just got clearance. I’m here, like, here here. I’m rushing. My pops was a legacy, so they just moved me right in already.”
Angeline’s eyes got wider as Zeke spoke. Then she looked at me. “So cool,” she said, just before she drank the rest of her drink.
Jade had another ready to go before she could resort back to her default setting. Her laughter had been funny at first, then endearing. Now it was getting annoying.
Zeke grinned. “She’s funny. She could be a drinking game. Everyone do a shot when the girl starts giggling.”
That made Angeline snort into her wine cooler.
He turned to me. “So, we’re outside. Your boy’s in a mood, and I’m thinking it’s because he needs to get laid. What do you say? Come put him out of his misery?”
I closed my eyes. “Zeke.”
“Come on. I’m pushing your buttons. He told me the whole deal, but you’re here. He’s here. It’s time, little Monson.”
Jade and Angeline (now recovered from her snorting/giggling spell) were following all this with extra interest.
Zeke didn’t wait for a response. He led the way.
We fell in line, but it took a while. Zeke kept stopping to bump fists with guys, talk to people, get hugs from girls. It was like Fallen Crest. He was already the big man here. During one of those pauses, Jade leaned close to me. “You have a boyfriend?” She cursed. “Usually that’s the first thing girls ask each other. I’m kicking myself now. The first thing I asked was whiskey or rum?”
I laughed. “I love that you asked me that.” I took a breath, because she was giving me a pointed look. “And the answer is complicated.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Seriously, I want to hear all about this.”
Angeline pushed in from the other side. “I think Veronica is outside. I can hear her.”
We stepped onto the porch, and Veronica yelled, “Bitches!”
A guy yelled back, “Shut her up, Korchack.”
Zeke glanced over his shoulder and winked at me.
“Zeke, don’t make a big deal—”
Too late.
He hollered over Veronica, “Found someone for you, Blaisey boy.”
Then he stepped aside, and there was Blaise, standing in a group of guys, his arms over his chest as they talked. He’d been mid-conversation when Zeke spoke up. He turned and looked right at me. His eyes widened, he stopped talking, and a second later he was coming for me.
The hunger, the desperation, the yearning—I could see all of that on his face, and I told my butterflies and knots to take a hike.
The next second, Blaise had me in the air, and he was walking backwards, taking me far away from everyone else. I could hear Zeke laughing behind us.
“I’ll watch your girls for you, little Monson.”
Blaise’s mouth was on mine, and I ceased thinking.
Home. Home. Home.
I was home. I wanted to go to his home. Blaise was my home.
I chanted that in my head and wound my arms around his neck. People tried to say things to him, pat him on the arm. I could feel them, but Blaise ignored everyone. His mouth was on mine and then his hands were on my ass, urging my legs up. I wrapped them around his waist, and he dug in his pockets.
There was a smattering of laughter on the front lawn, and Blaise lifted his free hand. The laughter stopped, but one guy yelled after us, “Have fun, soccer star.”
“Who’s that?” I heard a girl ask.
When we reached Blaise’s Wagon, he groaned, lowering me to my feet. “Holy fuck.” He pressed me against the door. “Can we just—can we go to my place? I need to be inside you now, and we can do the talk afterward?”
I was shocked he was asking. “Hell yes.”
He peeled himself away from me and opened my door. He helped me in, darted to his side, and we drove a few blocks to an apartment building. He had underground parking. Nice.
Then we were in the elevator, and Blaise had me pressed against the wall, his mouth on mine. I stopped paying attention to our surroundings.
He picked me up and a little while later, he dropped me on a bed and climbed on top of me.
Blaise whisked my jeans off, grabbed my underwear, and they vanished. Then he slid inside. We were like animals. Too long, way too fucking long. He went in hard and fast, and then slowed, panting in my ear. “Holy—I can’t—”
He was trying for control.
Hell to the no, no, no.
I grabbed his ass and pulled him into me. “Harder.”
I moved my hips, slamming back against him, and that’s all the response he needed. Blaise took me, pumping furiously. I came, and then he flipped me over and pounded me from a different angle, his hand bringing me to another orgasm right before he came inside of me.
Birth control is my friend. Thank you, reproductive prevention plans.
Yes, that was my thought. I couldn’t move. I could only pant, gulping for air, sprawled out, and then he fell next to me.
His hand swept down my back, cupping my ass, and he moaned. “I have seriously missed you.”
All those nerves and fear? Stupid.
I turned my head, but the muscles in my back weren’t strong enough. I could only see him from one of my eyes. “Therapy was good?”
He swallowed, nodding. “Real good. I got the green light. I’m still a dick, but I’m not going to hurt anyone.”
“You feel better?”
His face softened. “Yeah. I feel better. I did the work for you, but it was for me too. I’m good. I really am.” He bent over, giving me a tender kiss.
That was enough for me. I mustered my strength and climbed over him.
He rolled to his back, his hands finding my hips, and looked up at me.
His grin was fully satiated, but I worked him hard again and lowered my hips. Once he was inside, I leaned back.
“We’re good, then?” I heaved the words out as I rolled my hips forward and back, riding him.
He growled low in his throat. “Yes. We are good. I’m good. Are you good?”
Oh yeah. I was good.
I picked up the pace, and his hand moved between my legs. I was really good after that.
We didn’t have any more of a talk that night. We went from his bed to the shower. Then he made food for us, and we went to his kitchen counter. He introduced me to his balcony. He was on the highest floor, and we kept everything dark behind us so we could see the party lights from frat row. I knew exactly which house was Zeke’s.
After that, I made some phone calls, because that was one thing my roommate and I had remembered to do—exchang
e numbers. Jade wanted to murder Angeline, and Veronica had moved to Zeke’s lap. I envisioned drama already, but then an hour later, Jade reported that they were all in the dorm and safe. I was supposed to check in in the morning, and she demanded a roommate breakfast. She also wanted to meet the boyfriend, her last text a tease as Blaise carried me back to his bed. He laid me down, disappearing into the bathroom.
Jade: Complicated, my ass. That hottie is yours and yours alone from what everyone is saying. Girls are seriously jealous of you. HAVE FUN! Talk tomorrow. I want to meet him.
Then my phone beeped again.
Unknown number: This is Angeline!!! We had so much fun. Your friend Zeke is cute and he rejected Veronica. She’s already cyberstalking him. See you tomorrow!! Your boyfriend is really cute.
Unknown number: Veronica here. Girl. You have explaining to do. Tomorrow. Breakfast. You bring the coffees. Also, that Zeke guy is an asshole. I have to have sex with him.
I laughed, showing Blaise the texts when he came back in, wearing nothing. Which was the best ever.
He grinned, then took the phone as he slid into bed beside me.
He sent them all a group text.
Aspen: This is the boyfriend. Stop texting my woman. I got her for the night. Phone is off.
And he tossed it aside and claimed me, pulling me over him.
That’s when I remembered. “My brother’s in town. He wants to do brunch.”
Blaise groaned, his hand smoothing down my back. “I have a feeling college is going to be interesting.”
I smiled.
I had a feeling college was going to be perfect.
Epilogue
BLAISE
“Dude! No!” Zeke doubled over just as I killed him for the last time.
He tore off his headset and threw it at me. Catching it, I laughed, pulling my own off and setting both on the floor. The headsets weren’t cheap. I scowled. “Sore loser, asswipe.”
“Shut up.” He got up, stalking to my kitchen. I heard the fridge open and he called out, “Why don’t you keep any beer? That’s like against the sacraments or something.”
I laughed, getting up and heading to grab some water. “Sacraments? We’re in college, not a religion.”
