Page 24 of Overeager
Noah rolled his eyes, even though the gesture was lost on Spencer considering their position. “I made you breakfast just this morning.”
“Right, right.” Spencer only sounded half convinced, but that was his nature. For all that he could be careless, he also needed a good amount of reassurance from his friends. And sometimes extra reassurance about how much reassurance he needed.
It could be a lot for some people, but Noah didn’t mind. Neither did Chase. Everyone had their hang-ups; Spencer’s were just a little more out in the open than some. “I’m not avoiding you, Spence. I swear.”
He could feel Spencer’s grin against his shoulder. “So we’re going out Friday, then?”
“Can’t. I’m working.” Noah had taken on a job as a barback at a spot Spencer had set him up at. It wasn’t as close to campus as he would have liked, but he supposed that was one of the perks of having a car. “Why aren’t you?” he asked. Spencer usually bartended weekends.
“Deb doesn’t give me the good shifts anymore.”
“That’s because you let her blow you and never called her back outside of work,” Chase pointed out wisely.
“Doesn’t sound like me.” Spencer rolled off Noah and started burrowing under his covers. “So no go for Friday. That’s chill. We’ll get Ash to be your replacement.”
Ash was Noah’s next youngest brother, and he was attending the same college as them. Noah liked to tell people Ash had followed him here, but really he’d come to stay glued to his childhood bestie.
“You know that would mean Ryder coming with,” Noah warned, flipping onto his back and grabbing his laptop again.
Spencer gave an exaggerated shudder. He’d always been intimidated by Ash’s unapproachable shadow. Noah got it, but he couldn’t quite relate. The guy was practically family at this point, after so many years of following Ash around, and vice versa.
“All right, never mind. We’ll do without the Teller family representation for one night.” Spencer wrestled Noah’s laptop out of his hands, setting it on top of the covers in front of them. “Movie?”
“Sure. Not like I was doing my homework or anything.”
Spencer waved a hand. “Good, good. Chase, you gonna make popcorn?”
Noah considered giving Spencer another decking with a pillow, but really, he was done studying anyway. He wriggled down next to Spencer instead, grinning at their beta roommate. “Yeah, Chase. You gonna make popcorn?”
“I hate you both.” But Chase stood anyway, making his way to the kitchen.
Noah laughed, settling in for a night of stupid movies and snacks. Tomorrow he’d start plotting again, trying to figure out how to get Eli alone. Noah had already discounted office hours—he had a feeling campus wasn’t the place to thaw Eli’s defenses.Noah just had to figure out where to make his move. And hewouldmake his move.
He wasn’t letting his omega get away again.
7
Eli
“Was I too harsh, Deadly?”
Eli punctuated the question with a broad gesture that had his wine sloshing almost out of his glass. That was less due to any wildness on his part and more due to his glass still being completely full—Eli hadn’t taken so much as a sip yet.
Mostly because he wasn’t really sure he should be drinking at all in his current state of mind, but pouring himself a glass in celebration of the week’s end had seemed the thing to do at the time.
It was possible his head wasn’t on quite straight these days. Or that his brain had vacated the premises.
He’d gotten through the week though. He’d taught his classes, met with his TAs, and attended all his committee meetings, right on time. He’d been a good,professionalprofessor.
Noah hadn’t shown up to his office hours even once.
Which wasgood, Eli reminded himself. That wasexactlyhow it should be. With a little distance and time, they could forget the night at the cabin had ever happened.
Except Eli couldn’t stop thinking about it.
It was so stupid. He’d beenmarried, for fuck’s sake. If anything should have been taking up space in his head, it was that. Not someone who’d been in his life for a single night and one awkward run-in afterward.
But still.
