And he’s pissed.
His brows shoot up as he takes in the people in his room. Then his eyes darken as they fall on me. I wrap my arms around myself, embarrassed to be in his space. But his gaze isn’t mad. I’d say it’s confused, but even then, I don’t know if that’s the word to use. He looks down my body and then back up before settling on my face. It’s almost as if he doesn’t recognize me, but I know he does.
“Bro, sorry. They were hungry. I came to get snacks,” Benny says, standing up with his hands out.
Evan jerks his thumb behind himself. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
“They told me not to. They didn’t think you’d want them to.”
“I don’t give a shit if y’all have a party. I do care that I wasn’t informed.”
Good lord, his voice is sexy when he is being all authoritative.
“They didn’t want to lose your respect.”
He rolls his eyes. “Whatever. And why didn’t anyone get food?”
“Because we spent the money on beer.”
“Smart,” he says matter-of-factly, and then he sets his gaze on us. “Don’t y’all have practice tomorrow morning?”
Cameron nods. “Yes, no drinking or sex with large-dicked men.”
I cover my face, and to my delight, Evan chuckles. “Wow, so tonight is the night for small-dicked men?”
“For sure. Can’t be bowlegged for practice.”
I peek through my fingers to see him laugh. “You’ll be good here, then,” he teases, and Benny laughs.
“Unless someone can lock you in,” she says under her breath, and I snatch her by her wrist.
“We’ll leave.”
“No, we’ll snack,” Cameron says, stopping me and staring deep into my eyes. “There are snacks from nice men.”
“That sounds really bad,” I say, unable to look at Evan. “Plus, I’m sure Evan wants his room back.”
“You guys are fine. Get your snacks,” he says offhandedly, but I swear his eyes are still roaming my body.
Or maybe that’s wishful thinking.
Cameron hands me two bags of Goldfish and then leans into Benny. “Can you show me your room?”
Benny’s eyes light up, and I shake my head. “Or we should leave.”
“No, stay here. I’m gonna check out Benny’s room,” she says, slowly jerking her head toward Evan.
“But buddy system.”
She points to Evan. “He is your new buddy, and Benny is mine.”
Benny looks around. “Okay, but I’m not small.”
Cameron grins. “No problem, buddy. Come on,” she says, pulling him out of the room over my protests. I even try to follow her, but she pushes me back into the room before shutting the door.
“Wow. She’s not obvious at all, huh?” I ask, and Evan looks over his shoulder.
“What? Where did Cameron and Benny go?”
“To his room?”
“Oh. Aren’t you supposed to stay with your buddy?”
“Yeah, I can g—”
“No, just wait here for her. You’re safer with me since Benny is on the first floor,” he says, shaking his head. “I swear it’s like wrangling squirrels around here.”
I lean into the door, opening my pack of Goldfish.
He looks over at me. “You can sit wherever you want.”
I go to the chair by his desk and sit down as he throws his phone down on the bed. He looks a little nervous. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, my sister just went to the hospital. She thinks she’s in labor.”
“Oh! Do you need to go?”
“No, this is the third time she’s thought so. So we’re waiting for confirmation. When Posey, my other sister, had her baby, when she thought he was coming, he was coming. Shelli is really dramatic. It could be gas, but she’s convinced the baby is coming.”
I smile. “My sister was like Posey. When she thought she was ready, she had him. I had to fly home and still missed him being born.”
“That’s sucks. Are you close to your sister?”
“Oh yes,” I say, crossing my legs. “My sister is my world.”
“That’s nice,” Evan says, kicking off his shoes and then rubbing his head. “We had a family dinner, and I swear my family is exhausting.”
“I couldn’t imagine having such a huge family,” I say, and then I realize that makes me sound like a creeper. Especially when his eyes meet mine, his brow perked. “I saw the pictures of your family.”
“Oh yeah, and then add in my sister’s husband’s family, and it’s a lot.”
“I bet,” I say, because what else can I say. “Your family is close, though?”
“Suffocatingly close, yes,” he says, sending me a small smile. “Sorry, my head is all over the place right now. Are you having fun tonight?”
I nod. “Yeah, it’s a cool party.”
“Yeah, jackasses didn’t tell me anything. That’s fine. We’ll be up bright and early cleaning. Or they will, not me.”
“Everyone said you wouldn’t be here tonight.”
“I was supposed to stay at my mom’s, but it was a bit much, so I had to go.”
“And then to come home to this. I bet it’s annoying.”
He shrugs. “The partying doesn’t bother me. It’s the lying. Like, just be honest. I don’t care. I just want to know everyone is safe.”
“That’s fair.”