“What smells so damn good?” Levi asks, entering the kitchen. Dustin, Hank, and Trey all trail in behind him.
“Reese made white chicken chili,” Tessa explains.
“Fuck me. A smoke show, and she cooks?” Levi drops to his knees. “Marry me.” He bats his eyelashes dramatically, making Reese laugh as she pushes on his chest to shove him away.
“Get out of here with that nonsense. We both know you can’t handle me,” she quips.
“Oh, sweetheart, care to wager on that?” he asks her.
My hands are balled into fists at my sides. I don’t understand their relationship. They hit it off the first time they met freshman year, and since then, they’re this teasing easygoing duo. Hell, she sends him messages that are full-on innuendo before each game. I get messages too, but mine are from my Reese—the sweet, loving cheerleader she’s always been with me. I love that Reese, but part of me is jealous that I don’t get the flirty Reese either. At least not when she’s sober.
“You can’t afford me,” she teases.
Nixon catches my gaze. I can read the question in his eyes. You good? I nod at him, a subtle nod that he returns. “What are you jokers getting into tonight?” Nixon asks them. In this moment, I’ve never been more grateful for my best friend. He’s changing the subject, knowing that my nod was a lie. I’m not okay. I hate seeing the two of them like this. I just wish I knew why.
“Nothing. Everyone is cramming for finals or packing their shit to move back home for the summer.”
“That’s what we did,” Reese says. “Well, but not to move home. We’re staying here. Did you decide what you’re doing?” she asks Levi.
“Yeah, I’m going to go visit the folks, and will probably come back here.”
“What about you three?” she asks the rest of my housemates.
“Going home,” they all reply.
“So it’s really going to be the four of us all summer?” She looks at me, then over to Nixon and Tessa.
“Oh, the secrets we’ll keep,” Tessa quips.
“Nope. No secrets. We get all the details.” Levi points at Reese. “I’m calling you daily. I want the juicy bits.” He stops and seems to think about it, then turns to Tessa. “On second thought, I’ll be calling you daily for the real juicy bits,” he tells her, making us all laugh.
“Not happening. What happens in the house, stays in the house,” Reese jokes.
“I live here,” Levi reminds her.
“Yeah, but if you’re not here to witness it, it’s your loss. This summer stays between the four of us and these walls.” She grins at him.
“Whatever,” Trey pipes up. “They’re all just boring married folk anyway. We’re not missing anything.”
Reese rolls her beautiful green eyes, and the smile pulling at her lips is one that can brighten the darkest of days. “You want some chili or not?”
“Want,” Levi, Trey, Hank, and Dustin all reply at the same time.
“It’s on the stove.”
The four of them rush off like toddlers being bribed with ice cream. “You’d think it’s been days since they’ve eaten,” I say, watching them leave.
“Like you can talk.” Reese pokes her finger into my ribs, and I retaliate by pulling her into my lap and tickling her until she’s screaming that she’s going to piss her pants. I let her go, and she rolls off my lap and darts down the hall to the bathroom. I don’t realize that I’m staring after her until I see a hand waving in front of my face. Blinking, I look up to find Nixon standing in front of me. I glance around and see that Tessa is no longer in the room with us.
“What’s up?”
“You went from looking like you could murder our roommates to all googly-eyed.” Nixon smirks.
“Whatever.” I avert my gaze to hide the truth.
“You’re a shit actor, Reeves.”
“Who’s acting?” Levi asks, sitting next to me on the couch, with a huge bowl of chili.
“Do we own bowls that big?” I question him. Partly because it’s a huge fucking bowl, and the other part to sway the conversation.
“I think it’s Reese’s or maybe Tessa’s. I know they use it when they cook.” He takes a huge bite. “Who’s acting?” he asks again. So much for swaying the conversation.
“Reeves here. He needs to work on his acting skills.” Nixon not so helpfully points out.
“You changing majors?” Levi asks. There’s a twinkle in his eye that tells me he knows better.
“Nix is just being an ass.”
“Au contraire, my friend. I’m being anything but. How am I an asshole for speaking the truth?” Nixon raises his eyebrows in question.
Before I can answer, the girls walk back in the room, Tessa following Reese. They’ve both changed their clothes.
“We’re tired,” Tessa says, looking at Nixon. “I just wanted to say goodnight.”
He rises from his seat, and on autopilot, I do the same. “I’ll come with you.” He wraps his arms around her waist and leads her back upstairs to his room. He doesn’t say goodnight to any of us. His only focus is Tessa. As it should be. I exhale a sigh of relief that our earlier conversation has been squashed.