Snowed In

“Me?”

“And Jeremy. And Boone.”

“So it’s all of us?”

She nodded and bit her lip. It made her look vulnerable yet sexy at the same time.

“Did we do something?”

“No no, nothing like that,” she said quickly. “Actually, you’ve done everything. I mean, you’ve all been so nice to me. You’ve taken care of me. You’ve shown me affection, and attention, and—”

“So what’s the problem?”

She hesitated again, and I could see her turning red. For some reason she was embarrassed, and I had no idea why.

“Just look at you,” she said.

Now it was my turn to be confused. “Me? What about me?”

Morgan traced one hand slowly along my body, starting up at my shoulder and ending at my abdomen. I twitched a little, pushing further into her. The feeling was exquisite.

“You’re gorgeous,” she said. “So is Jeremy. So is Boone. The three of you could have any girl on campus! Any girl you wanted, any time you wanted her...”

“That’s not true,” I protested.

“Oh it’s definitely true,” she countered sternly. “Don’t deny it. Don’t even try telling me I’m remotely wrong.”

I sighed, relenting somewhat. There was some validity to what she was saying. I’d never had a problem scoring with women — not even a little bit — and the painful truth, though I’d never admit it to him, was that Jeremy was even more successful than me. He was historically big on the fraternity scene, attracting sorority girls in droves, most of them hellbent on using him to boost their own popularity.

Not that Jeremy ever complained, mind you.

As for Boone, she was right about him too. All Boone had to do was take his shirt off and he’d be beating the girls away with a stick. I guess that’s why I hated him so much at first. Hated him before really getting to know him…

“So what if we’re good-looking?” I finally conceded. “Big deal.”

“It is a big deal. It’s a big deal because…” She struggled some more. “Because…”

“Spit it out.”

“Well you all told me I could choose. Only I can’t choose, because I want you all.”

She must’ve seen my expression change as she uttered the words. My eyes went wide. Frankly, it was the last thing I expected.

“Yet at the same time, I know you guys only want me because I’m the only woman here. I’m the one girl who’s accessible. You’ve convinced yourself you’re into me, because right now there’s no alternative.”

“That’s absolute bullshit!”

“Is it? How soon after we get out of here do you all go back to your own lives? Go back to all your other women?

I shook my head. “I have no women. I haven’t had a girlfriend since—”

“I’m talking about the hundreds of women around campus. Shit, at our school there must be thousands of them. The second we get home…” she made a motion with one arm. “All this ends for me. I go back to being invisible. I go back to being the nerdy girl not pretty enough to be recognized. Not popular enough to—

I kissed her hard and hungrily, smashing my face into hers. I was angry. Furious that she could even think this way! Even so, I was trying to understand. Attempting to see this whole thing from her perspective. And when I looked at it like that…

“I guess I can understand your insecurity,” I said, breaking the kiss. “But you’re beautiful, Morgan. Actually, you’re gorgeous.”

She was. That part I didn’t get at all.