The Junior (College Years 3)

“Wait, are you not getting any on the regular?” Hayden frowns, confused. “Like…sex? Is that what you’re talking about?”

“Yep.”

“And you’re not…having it?”

I slowly shake my head. “Nope.”

“I thought you and Caleb were…” She gestures with her fingers, forming a circle with her index finger and thumb and inserting her other index finger into the circle.

I roll my eyes and gently slap her hands apart. “Nope. Definitely not with Caleb.”

“We all think you’re doing it,” she admits, her expression solemn. “Some are even taking bets on when it’s going to implode between the two of you.”

My mouth drops open. Well, that’s kind of rude. “They’re taking bets?”

Her expression changes. As if she just realized maybe she shouldn’t have said that. Yeah, Hayden. You probably shouldn’t have. “Just as a joke.”

“Who’s in on this joke?” If she says Caleb, I’m going to s

cream.

“Eli. Tony. Diego.” She winces. “I might’ve placed a bet too.”

“Hayden,” I chastise and I see the remorse on her face. “And what do you mean, implode?”

“He drives you crazy. We’re all aware of this. But we also all thought you two were secretly doing it, so we started making bets on how long this could last before everything blows up between you two,” she explains.

“Like break up?”

“Yeah. But I guess we were wrong.” She frowns. “You’re not having sex with Caleb. Which is like…so wild to me.”

“You sound disappointed.”

“I kind of am. I didn’t mind the idea of the two of you…together. I’ve barely seen you lately. Figured you were spending all of your time with Caleb,” she says.

“I’ve been working,” I say weakly, though she is right. I do spend a lot of time with Caleb.

My gaze returns to him standing mere feet away from me, still chatting with his friends, smiling. Laughing. Looking happy. Sexy. He lifts his head, as if he can sense I’m watching him, and next thing I know his gaze meets mine and he aims that smile right at me, slow and easy.

I look away quickly, my heart racing. Shit.

Shit.

“Working and spending time with Caleb,” Hayden says, as if she’s got me all figured out. “It’s weird, how you guys are friends. Tony says Caleb isn’t going out as much anymore.”

“He doesn’t have the time.”

“He’s not getting with other women much either,” Hayden adds. “Not like he used to. And he always used to.”

I have nothing to say to that.

“How about you?” Hayden asks me when I still haven’t said anything. “Met anybody new out on the lake?”

I slowly shake my head. “Nope.”

“Not even a cute tourist to hook up with?”

I don’t answer her, my gaze finding Caleb again, like I can’t help myself. He’s already watching me, and he doesn’t look away. He lets himself get caught. He even toasts me with the beer in his hand and I realize I don’t have a drink. I’m stone-cold sober.