Page 78 of Even Exchange

My eyes fall past her to Noah. His expression is furious as he blows his coach whistle, the little train one dangling from the same cord. Each time I notice it, the smallest of smiles creeps onto my face, and I push my way through the workout, trying to keep the little food I did eat down.

“Something funny?” Cami snaps.

Her venomous tone has me stopping in place. “What’s your”—I pant—“problem today?”

“Maybe if you spent a little less time being a fuck buddy the past few months and more time doing your suggested workouts, you wouldn’t be hyperventilating so hard.”

“What the hell”—I place my hands on my hips, trying to catch my breath—“are you talking about?”

“She’s hisgirlfriend,” Andi corrects.

Cami scoffs. “Noah doesn’t dogirlfriends. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re anything more than a summer fling. As if he’d?—”

“Cami,” Noah’s deep voice warns, cutting her off, and her head snaps in his direction. The boys are walking off the field, no doubt heading to the cafeteria for lunch. The other cheer teams are doing the same.

“Noah, I—” she sputters.

“You done with practice?” he asks, unamused, eyes containing a look of annoyance I’ve never seen.

Cami shifts on her heels. “Yes.”

His gaze flicks to me. “Ready for lunch, babe?”

She waves me off, signaling I can leave. I rush to gather my things and head to Noah.

“You okay?” he asks in my ear, throwing an arm around me. He said he doesn’t mind the sweat, so I force myself to relax despite my instincts to shrug him off.

“I don’t know what her problem is.” A heavy exhale escapes me.

“We hooked up my sophomore year.”

My muscles tighten. I’m not used to him talking about other girls.

“Great,” I grumble. “So your ex is my cheer captain? That would’ve been useful information before this moment.”

“Sleeping with someone once hardly makes them an ex,” he says, and a burning sensation settles in my stomach.

“Then I don’t know what the big deal is.”

He shrugs. “She wanted to hook up again, but I denied her.”

“Of course she did,” I grumble, wishing I could throw a hand over my mouth and put the words back in.

“Don’t worry. None of my other ex-hookups are here.”

“Other?!” I balk, the burning sensation crawling throughout my body. “In the duration of our friendship, you’ve never mentioned a single girl, and suddenly you havemultipleex-fuck buddies?”

Noah laughs, removing his arm, and threads our fingers together. “I’m not celibate,tesoro,” he says, and my cheeks flush at what I assume is an Italian pet name. “I just don’t bang and boast like most guys do.”

I hum, readjusting my grip in his large palm. “Interesting revelation.”

“Sorry to give you the bad news about my virginity,” he says, with a teasing shrug.

“Who will I give as an offering to the football gods now?”

“That’s okay,” he says. “I can’t very well be a present to myself.”

“Oh my god,” I groan as we arrive at the cafeteria with a line out the door.

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