Page 85 of The Wrong Quarterback

Jace shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. It just was annoying freshman year that I never could find you guys when I needed you. So I bought tracking discs for yourfriendship braceletsand gave them to you…it’s very useful.”

There was a lot to unpack with all of that.

“Well, why the fuck didn’t you find me sooner?” I griped.

Jace snorted. “When I was eighteen, I was obviously not shelling out for high-tech machinery.” He raised an eyebrow at me like I should know that…even though the thought that my man bun best friend had been actively stalking Matty and I for the past three years had never even come up as a possibility in my mind before.

Although now that I was thinking of it…Jace had always just popped up. I’d assumed it was some sort of super power he had that he always was able to find us.

I was going to have to reevaluate my life after this.

“Anyways. It was just telling us your general location, but not the exact building. We’ve been searching warehouses all evening, trying to figure out if you’d been kidnapped or something.” He nodded to himself as we continued to drive. “I’m definitely going to upgrade now.”

I didn’t have the energy to address that revelation. Matty was also being surprisingly silent about this. But I guess Jace had all day to beat Matty into submission. He was very good at that.

“We’ll discuss this tomorrow,” I finally said tiredly, and Jace started whistling, like he wasn’t worried about that at all.

“I did come up with a really good one today,” Jace commented, as we turned at a stop sign, and I finally began recognizing where we were. “All the driving around frantically because we thought you died was really good for my creativity.”

Matty snorted in the back, and I could only imagine the day that he’d had.

“Hit me with it,” I told Jace, needing something to distract me from the fact that I had a thrumming need to be with Casey that was only getting worse.

“What does a robot do after a one-night stand?” he asked.

I tried to think of something, but my brain had no interest in performing.

“I have literally no idea.”

“He nuts and bolts,” replied Jace proudly.

I huffed out a laugh. “Good one,” I told him, and Jace preened.

Matty clapped me on the shoulder. “Really glad you didn’t die, QB.”

I nodded, feeling oddly…choked up at the moment.

“Me too.”

The dorm was silent. I strode through, barely glancing at the girl at the front desk who gave a half-hearted protest as I passed. No one was going to stop me from seeing my girl.

I took the stairs two at a time, reaching Casey’s floor, and her door at the end of the hall. I knocked, not caring about the hour, my pulse steady and determined. A moment later, Nat’s sleepy face appeared in the doorway, her eyes barely open as she blinked at me in confusion. She started to say something, but I pushed past her gently, my gaze already fixed on Casey.

She was curled up in bed, hair splayed across the pillow, her brow creased, lips pressed together, like something was haunting her even in sleep.

Without a word, I walked over, pulling off my shirt before I eased myself onto the bed. Gently, I slipped my arm around her, brushing a kiss against her hair, breathing her in. “I’m here, baby,” I whispered, my voice soft, the words more for myself than for her.

She shifted, her face relaxing, and I held her close, feeling the stress of the day lift. Nat’s bed creaked as she climbed back in, but it barely registered. All I could feel was Casey beside me, her breathing slow and steady, and then I closed my eyes, letting sleep finally pull me under.

I was back where I belonged, at last.

CHAPTER 21

CASEY

Iwoke, and the first thing I felt was warmth—solid, steady, comforting warmth. I blinked, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep, but there he was, a shirtless Parker, tangled up with me in my tiny dorm bed, his arm wrapped around me like he’d been here all night. I took a moment to drink him in, the soft light filtering through the window casting shadows over his face. He looked like an angel right now, a perfect being that had somehow fallen out of heaven and ended up here…with me. Parker’s face was relaxed and peaceful, like he’d finally found a place he could rest.

I glanced over at Nat’s bed and saw she’s already gone, and then my gaze was right back on Parker’s beautiful face.

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