Page 1 of Best Friends

Prologue

Several years ago…

Sipping a beer, Jesse scanned the party from his spot along one wall. He didn’t see anyone he knew from the raucous crowd, but then his first semester of college had only begun a few weeks before. He lifted the beer to his lips and took a tiny sip, just enough so he felt like he fit in.

Fit into what, he wasn’t sure. The kegger was something out of a movie—the type of party he didn’t think really happened in real life. Beer flowed like water. Liquor was readily available. There were bare-breasted sorority girls riding on the shoulders of huge frat boys in the middle of the common area. They were playing some tweaked version of beer pong, it appeared. Some were dancing to the DJ’s rave music, others were making out on the couches. Outside in the pool, there was skinny dipping and more dancing around the edge.

Everyone seemed to be having a blast. Everyone, except him.

“Hey, I brought you another.”

Jesse eyed the two red plastic cups in Hayden’s hands. His roommate glanced down at the near full cup still in Jesse’s hand.

“I’m good,” Jesse said before taking another miniscule sip.

Hayden shrugged, took a gulp from one of the cups, and then leaned on the wall beside Jesse.

“Good party,” Hayden said.

“Yeah,” Jesse fibbed.

They stood there awkwardly for a few more minutes. Jesse was attempting to look as cool as possible… when he noticed someone staring.

Then he realized she wasn’t staring at him… but at Hayden.

The girl started moving through the crowd and stopped before them both, a broad smile on her face. “What are you two doing holding up the wall over here?”

It was apparent she wasn’t a freshman. Her sorority sweater pretty much gave it away, but the womanly curves helped. Jesse couldn’t drag his stare away from that tight sweater, no matter how much of a gentleman he was trying to be.

“Someone has to hold it up,” Hayden drawled before smiling at her.

She grinned back, a twinkle in her eyes. “So strong,” she said before rubbing a hand along his bicep.

He flexed for her, and she cooed.

Jesse looked between them, rolling his eyes over the sappiness of the conversation and also jealous of that something that Hayden seemed to have. They’d only been roommates for a couple of weeks, but this wasn’t the first time a woman had approached him, openly flirting. No girl had ever come on to him. Ever. Not that he was bad looking or anything. He’d dated all around and had a ton of friends. But here, he just hadn’t found his footing yet.

Hayden didn’t have that same problem.

“Wanna dance?” she asked Hayden.

Hayden glanced at Jesse and back to her. “You gotta friend? Jesse here could use a dance, too.”

The girl looked at Jesse and tilted her head. “I didn’t see you standing there, cutie.” And so began Jesse’s realization he had a superpower—he was invisible when Hayden was beside him.

“I really don’t need to dance,” Jesse murmured. He didn’t need a pity partner.

“I might have a friend for you,” the girl said.

Jesse began to shake his head but then saw the look Hayden gave him.

He sighed. “Okay.”

Hayden chugged one of the beers in his hand and slid the two cups together. “Well okay then.”

“Mandy,” she said, batting her eyelashes at Hayden.

“Friends call me Hay.” Hayden turned to Jesse. “This is my roommate, Jesse.”

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