Page 72 of Chase Lovett Wants Me

Tally comes over to my dorm, too, and Essie does all of our makeup.

“Can I just say how much I love that you two found each other on a campus of twenty-five thousand students,” Essie says as she expertly gives me the cat eyes I always fail at.

“Right? It’s so cool! Like what were the chances?” Tally uses my curling wand on her ponytail.

“I love that our worlds are converging like this and that we all get to hang out together,” Rix says with a bright smile. Her phone buzzes and she digs it out of her pocket. “Tristan is asking for an ETA. Apparently, they’re at the rink already.”

“Of course they are.” Essie nudges me out of the chair and beckons Tally over. “Girl, your eyes are unreal.” She trades out the black liner for dark blue.

“Should I tell him we’ll be there in twenty?” Rix asks.

“If we leave in the next ten, we should be there in twenty.” Tally tips her head back and looks at the ceiling while Essie rims her eyes.

“Is the boyfriend coming tonight?” Rix asks Tally.

“He’s got a thing,” she replies. “Besides, my dad is superintense about boyfriends so it’s better that I keep him out of things tonight.”

Essie and Rix exchange a look. I say nothing.

Even with my limited knowledge, I know the boyfriend is kind of a dud.

“You know, Brody is a nice guy,” Rix says.

Tally shoots her a look. “I’m aware. I see him all the time in the café. Brody is super hung up on a girl he went to high school with.”

“Wait. What? How do you know this?” Rix asks.

“Because we met her before at the hockey game. Enid—remember the girl in the bathroom who wants to sit with us?”

“Of course! I haven’t seen her around since then.” What a wildly small world.

“Anyway, I overheard her talking to one of the other girls who works at the café. Apparently, she went to the same high school as Brody and she had a crush on him and something happened, but I have no idea what. Anyway, Brody always comes in with Gage and Mac. Gage and Mac always get in line, but Brody mobile orders and does the same hood thing you always do.” Tally points at me. “I think it’s because he’s trying to hide the fact that he’s staring at Enid with utter longing. So I know Brody is nice, but dude is pining hard. Plus, I’m not into guys my own age.”

“You’re dating a sophomore,” Rix points out.

“Yeah, but he took a gap year, so he’s at least a couple of years older.”

“Okay, your eyes are ready for the world.” Essie surveys her handiwork.

“Should we head to the arena?” Tally asks.

“Selfie first!” Rix hops up and we all crowd around her phone.

She takes a photo, tags us all withgame ready!, and posts it to her social media.

Normally, I’d be nervous, but with Tally, Essie, and Rix flanking me, I feel pretty damn invincible. And like I belong.

CHAPTER 27

CHASE

My stomach is staging a revolt. I’m halfway dressed for the game and super fucking thankful that I haven’t put on my skates yet, because the way I have to sprint to the bathroom to toss my cookies would have been impossible if I were wearing blades.

“You okay, man?” Brody asks when I return a minute later, embarrassed and a little shaky.

I take a swig of vitamin water and pop a mint. “Just something I ate.”

But I ate the same things he did this morning, so that’s definitely not it. We’re playing one of the best teams in the university league tonight. Last year they handed Tilton their asses in the playoffs, so it’s a big-ass game tonight.

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