Page 18 of Puck You Not

“That doesn’t look like you’re figuring out the statistics problem,” Nash said, coming back with a water.

“Thought we were taking a break to eat,” I countered, quickly shutting down my email, and in my haste, almost knocking over the water he’d just set beside me.With lightning fast reflexes, he rescued it before it splashed all over his books.

“Sorry,” I muttered.

“Hey, what’s a night without some mishap?”

“Ugh…I hate that I’m such a klutz,” I groaned.

He sank down beside me and knocked his shoulder into mine.“I love that about you.So…?”

“So…what?”I asked.

“Were you writing him?”Nash asked, nodding toward the laptop I’d just pushed aside.His lips quirked up on one side, telling me he already knew the answer.

“Um, well—” I tipped my head, giving a half shrug.

I wasn’t inviting Nash into this situation again.It was fine when Parrish and I were just writing one another, but now, after we’d collided, literally… Well, I just didn’t know that I wanted to share the details.

“I need to figure out Sheena and the whole apartment situation,” I said, diverting the topic.“She was being a complete bitch this morning, threatening to kick me out again.”

“Why?”

“Honestly…” I huffed out a frustrated breath.“She’s psycho?I don’t know.Today, she accused me of eating the last of her strawberries.”

“She does know you’re allergic to them, right?”Nash asked, his eyebrow raised, his expression clearly judging my roommate.Best bestie ever.

“I’ve told her.Whether or not she’s processed that… Who knows?I’m just trying to get through the next month and a half until graduation, then I’m getting the fuck out of her life.”

“You could stay here,” he offered.“You know you can couch surf here for the rest of the semester.Porter wouldn’t care.”

“If she keeps it up, I might have to take you up on that.Out of necessity rather than preference.She’s gotten more and more unpredictable, since she broke up with her last boyfriend.Who knows if that’s even the reason—”

I stopped as Nash’s roommate, Porter, strolled into the living room from his bedroom.Once he appeared, it didn’t matter what I was saying anyway.Nash’s attention zeroed in on him, and he tracked his roommate’s path from his bedroom to the pizza boxes on the counter.Since I’d known I’d be spending most of the evening here, I’d purposely brought a couple in case Porter was home, after all.

“Help yourself,” I called when he opened and closed both boxes to see what I’d brought.

“You guys haven’t even eaten any yet,” he said, grabbing paper plates from one of the cupboards.

“We’re about to,” Nash told him.

“One of the guys from the team is coming over in a few minutes.I should probably callJust Pizzaand order a couple more.”

Before he could pull out his phone or we could say anything, a knock rapped on the door.

“Huh, speak of the devil,” Porter chuckled as he went to answer.A few moments later, he was back with Parrish on his heels.I couldn’t believe it.I came to Nash’s place a couple times a week and I’d never run into Parrish, but today of all days…

I ran my hand over my hair, hoping my braid wasn’t ragged with escaping tendrils.

Parrish’s eyes immediately lit on me, and I dropped my arm, curling my fists in the hem of my oversize sweatshirt.I started to shrink down then realized it was too late.He’d already seen me.

“Avalon,” he exclaimed, staring at me until he shook his head as if coming back to himself.He pointed at me.“Hey!I have your phone.”

“You do?”I asked, pretending surprise.I had a bet to win, and telling him I was his pen pal wouldn’t do.Wishing I was more graceful, I clumsily unfolded from behind the coffee table where Nash and I had studied, and stood to face Parrish.I smoothed down my Rustin Loggerheads sweatshirt and forced myself not to knot my hands in the fabric again.

“Yeah,” he answered.“But I don’t have it with me.Maybe when you’re done here, we can go get it.”

“She’s done,” Nash cut in, and I swung my attention toward him, staring at him wide-eyed while silently screaming,What the fuck, Nash?

---