Page 14 of Faking the Play

“Um, how did I end up in here?” I asked, still trying to orient myself. “Last thing I remember, I was on the couch.”

“We figured you’d be more comfortable in a bed, so I brought you in here,” he said, a pleased sparkle in his eyes. “I was gonna sleep on the couch, but you asked me not to leave.”

If it’d been anyone other than one of these three guys, I would’ve said they were lying, but despite my tragically bad taste in men, I trusted them.

And with that thought, the memory of my slightly hysterical verbal vomiting of information and self-doubt came rushing back, and my face flooded with heat.

“I am so sorry about everything I said yesterday,” I started to apologize.

Ethan shook his head, sitting up and looking down at me with a stern expression I’d never seen him wear before. “You have nothing to apologize for. You’ve had a shitty past couple days, and we’re your friends. That’s all there is to it.”

The moment stretched out between us, but before it could get awkward, someone knocked on the door.

“Hey, we’ve got doughnuts and coffee out here for anyone who wants it,” Logan called through the door.

“We didn’t know when your classes were today,” Ethan explained as he climbed out of bed.

My heart did a little dance at the sight of that athletic body clad in only a pair of shorts, and I pressed my thighs together. Fortunately, Ethan didn’t seem to notice as he headed for his bathroom.

“I’ll be out in a second,” he said. “If you want, you’re welcome to grab something from my closet to wear. We’re not exactly the same size, but I’m closer than the other two.”

Since the first of my two classes today didn’t start until ten thirty, I was more than happy to take them up on their offers of clothes and breakfast. Ten minutes later, we were all at their kitchen table with steaming mugs of coffee in front of us, eyeing the box of doughnuts in the middle of the table.

Logan broke the silence. “Are bear claws still your favorite?”

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach at yet another thing the guys had remembered about me. It didn’t change the years we’d spent apart, but it did make me feel like maybe they hadn’t been as unaffected by my absence as I’d always thought.

“They are.”

I smiled as Ryan and Logan reached for the box at the same time. They exchanged quick looks with one of those silences that friends had when they could communicate without talking. I used to be able to do that with them, and I felt a glimmer of hope that I would have that again.

Logan handed me a bear claw on a paper plate, and Ryan passed me a napkin. To my right, Ethan rolled his eyes and grinned. With that ice broken, we made small talk about our classes, both the ones we’d had yesterday and the ones on our schedules for today. By the time we finished eating, something in the air shifted. It felt more serious, but not in a bad way. More like the three of them had something to tell me that they weren’t sure I wanted to hear.

“So, last night, after you fell asleep, the three of us got to talking about what you said.” Logan took point, just like he always had.

“I was upset,” I said quickly. “I’m calmer today.”

“You didn’t say anything wrong.” Ryan’s voice was quiet, but firm. “Listen.”

I nodded and motioned for Logan to continue.

“We can’t fix everything, but we think there’s something we can do to help with your reputation.”

I didn’t see how that was possible, but I didn’t argue with him. I appreciated that they even wanted to try.

“You need people to believe the truth, to believe you,” he continued, “and the best way to do that is to have people who already believe you supporting you. So the three of us are going to show just how much we believe in you by dating you.”

I blinked and shook my head, sure I’d misheard him. “What?”

“We’re each going to take you on a couple very public dates, to show everyone that we don’t think for a minute you slept with your professor.”

“And since we’re some of the biggest stars on campus, we can boost your credibility,” Ethan chimed in. “Everyone knows that the three of us aren’t hurting for dates, so if we’re competing for your attention…”

“You must be the most desirable person around,” Logan finished. He dropped a wink that sent a shiver down my spine.

“And we’re going to help you with the whole awkward and weird thing,” Ethan added.

I raised an eyebrow and he flushed. “Sorry. I meant what you said yesterday about how it’s hard for you to date, and you called yourself awkward and weird. I’m not calling you that, for the record—”

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