Their apartment was empty. I wasn’t to be deterred. I called Savannah. “Hey, Savvy, it’s me, hi.” I narrowed my eyes at the two guys in front of me. “I need you to return QB10 to the apartment.”
“Why?” Savannah asked.
“Because I had a chat with your dad this afternoon, and I want to tell everyone together what he told me.”
“My dad spoke to you about this? Really?”
I felt slightly guilty for leading her on. “He did.”
“We’ll be right over.”
I got off the call, and Noah looked at me with reproach. “That wasn’t fair to her.”
I knew that.
I nodded. “I did talk to him about it, he just didn’t tell me much,” I confessed. “But I made progress.”
“You spoke to the dean about what is happening here?” Dustin asked me with surprise. “Was that wise? What did he say?”
“Yes, yes, and you can wait until they’re here.”
Noah mumbled that he was going to his room to change. I leaned against the kitchen counter as I waited. Dustin was on his phone.
“You told the head cheerleader she was a skanky ho?” he asked me, surprised.
“Did I?”
He showed me his phone.
“Yeah, that was her.”
Dustin shook his head. “You’re going to cause me more trouble than I need, Peterson.”
“You should be more discerning with your taste.”
“Snob.”
“Manwhore.”
“Bitch.”
I grinned. “Don’t ever forget it.”
He laughed and stepped into my space.
“What are you doing?” I asked nervously, looking past him to Noah’s closed door.
“Practicing.”
He kissed me deep and slow. His mouth moved over mine with no urgency, his hand cupped my face, the other rested on my hip, no wandering, just holding me where he needed me. My toes curled in my boots as I kissed him back. I don’t know how long he kissed me for, but I suspected that when Dante cleared his throat behind us, it wasn’t the first time they’d tried to get our attention.
Dustin stepped back. “Hey,” he greeted them, kissing me one final time before turning to them. “You got here quick.”
“Did we?” Dante drawled, shaking his head as he walked past. “You two know no one can see you in here, you don’t have to pretend.”
Neither of us answered.
I wasn’t sure I’d ever been pretending.