Page 67 of Burnout
No kidding.
Colter
She’s protective and hits hard. I suggest staying on her good side.
Too late for that.
Colter
I gotta go before she takes my phone again, but just so you know Quinn is staying at my place all night. Have fun.
I don’t text Avery first, which is likely a mistake. Who just shows up at a girl’s place uninvited? I guess the answer to that is me. I do.
I was able to get the dorm name and room number from Quinn after I promised I’d let her punch me in the nuts if Avery wasn’t glad to see me. That’s how confident I am. She was jealous, not because she cares if I hook up with other people—I already told her I’m not a relationship guy. No, she wasn’t feeling territorial. She was feeling hurt. Despite her playing it cool when I asked if she wanted to leave with me earlier, she was hoping we’d hook up again tonight. Me fucking too.
I knock on the door and then tap my thumb against my thigh. The hall is mostly quiet. I passed a few open doors with people hanging out inside, but mostly it looks like people are gone. Or asleep. I check the time. Fuck. Maybe she’s already in bed. I knock louder. With every second that passes I’m more certain she’s not going to answer.
I’m reaching in to get my phone so I can text her, while continuing to knock, when I hear her on the other side of the door. “Geez. I’m coming. One second.”
My hand is still raised, poised to knock, as the door opens.
“Knox?” She stands there, staring at me, clearly surprised to see me. But my throat goes dry as the desert as I take her in.
Tiny pink shorts, white tank top, and about four inches of skin in between. Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail and her feet are bare. Damn. Every time I see her in different situations, I think she can’t get any hotter. And somehow, I’m always wrong.
“What are you doing here?” she asks.
“Can I come in?”
“Did your other plans for the night fall through?” she asks as she steps back and opens the door wider. “How did you know where I live?”
I ignore the first question.
“Quinn,” I say, walking in and glancing around at the space. It’s my first time setting foot in a dorm room. It’s bigger than I imagined, but otherwise basically how I’ve seen them portrayed in movies and shows. “I piggybacked in behind some guys coming back from a party.”
There’s a couch, chair, and TV in this room and then two doors off either side that I assume lead to their bedrooms. One is closed and the other is open with the light on.
“Okay, but why?”
I pick up a three-ring binder with her name on it from a small table. “What’s your major?”
“I’m still undecided,” she says, growing more irritated. She takes it from me and sets it on top of a backpack resting on the floor. “Knox, why are you here?”
“I wanted to see you.” I pause at a picture frame sitting on top of the entertainment center and glance at a photo of Avery and Quinn. They’re both in their Valley U team leotards and smiling at the camera.
“I was just about to get in bed.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “Shouldn’t you be at Colter’s party or maybe hooking up with the bartender or some other girl?”
There it is. That little jab of jealousy I was waiting for.
“I didn’t hook up with Erika.”
“Who?” she asks, but she knows who I mean. Her face flushes.
“The bartender.”
“Oh,” she says flippantly.
“It’s her first week working there. Or bartending anywhere for that matter. First weekend nights can be tough.”
