Page 25 of Shut Up and Score
I raise an eyebrow. “You bribing me into friendship now?”
“Obviously. It’s how I got Ty and Will.”
“Lies,” Ty says. “You guilt-tripped me with a video of a baby goat wearing pajamas.”
“And it worked,” Luke says proudly.
I scan the menu. “Guess I’ll do the mango-pineapple thing.”
“Bold,” Will says. “That one comes with brain freeze and instant sugar regret.”
“Sounds like my type,” I mutter.
Lukechokes, nearly drops his cup.
Will stares at me like he’s trying to decide if I’m joking. Then he grins. “Okay, you might actually survive hanging out with us.”
Ty points at Luke. “You’ve corrupted another one. Great.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Luke says, already sipping his neon-pink monstrosity. “Micah, do not let them scare you off. These two are the worst but, like, in a charming, emotionally stunted straight guy way.”
We take our drinks to the low wall just outside the rec center, sprawling out. The sun is still high—bright and unforgiving—casting short shadows and making the pavement hot enough to fry your motivation. The breeze cuts through the heat just enough to keep it bearable, and the thrum of campus is alive in the background—students shouting across the quad, a distant whistle from a rec league game, someone blasting music from a dorm window like it’s a public service.
“So,” Luke says, stretching out his legs. “We gonna talk about it or pretend none of that locker room stuff happened?”
I blink. “You mean Colton in the shower?”
He shrugs. “Just saying—if you everdowant to talk, I get it. If not, we can also just play dumb and scream at each other over blue shells.”
I stare at the smoothie melting in my cup, something tight unwinding in my chest. “I’m good with playing dumb.”
“Perfect,” Luke says cheerfully. “It’s my strongest skill set.”
Will wipes smoothie from his lip. “Second only to losing at Mario Kart.”
“Iwillend you,” Luke threatens.
“I’d pay to see that,” I say, and it comes out before I can stop it. Casual. And it feels like I’ve always been here.
They laugh. Not at me, just with me.
And maybe I don’t say much else, but I sit there with my too-sweet smoothie and watch the shadows from the trees play across the pavement, and for the first time in too damn long, I don’t feel like running.
SEVEN
COLTON
Jasmine’s roomsmells like expensive perfume and rose-scented candles. Everything soft. Curated. Perfect.
Just like her.
She smiles at me from her place on the bed, curled up in her pastel sheets, a fantasy any guy should want. I tell myself that all the time. She’s perfect. Sweet, caring, into charity and shit. Everything I should choose.
“You okay?” she asks, fingers trailing lightly along my arm. “You’ve been quiet all day.”
“I’m fine,” I say automatically, leaning down to kiss her. Her lips are warm, practiced, and eager.
She shifts, tugging me closer, her hands already slipping under my shirt. Removing it with practiced ease, before her fingers go to my shorts.
