Page 18 of Trick or Treat Nurse at My Feet
"It's the psycho killer aesthetic," I explain, suddenly self-conscious about my exposed chest.
Gavin snorts. "Right, that's definitely the reason." He turns to Ethan with a sly grin. "Nothing to do with showing off those abs, I'm sure."
"Ignore him," I tell Ethan, playing it cool on the outside while my heart does backflips when he steals another glance at my chest. "Gavin thinks everyone's as shameless as he is."
"I'm just saying," Gavin continues, abandoning the accent, "our boy Ty here is usually Mr. Button-Up-To-The-Collar. This is practically indecent exposure for him."
Ethan laughs, a genuine sound that makes something warm settle in my stomach. "Well, it's working for the scares, so good call."
I can't remember the last time I felt this weird mix of embarrassment and... something else. Something electric. Having finally met Ethan, and in a way that didn't give me time to get nervous, I'm pretty excited. I've been waiting for this moment, but now that it's finally here, I'm stumbling again.
Chapter 5
How to Make Friends and Influence Frat Boys
ETHAN
We walk up the campus path towards their frat house when the carnival closes. The crowd thins as people peel off, heading to different parties. Tyler walks beside me, close enough that our shoulders occasionally brush, sending little electric shocks up my arm each time.
What the actual hell am I doing?Following a group of frat bros to their house after the disaster that was Ryan?
The nervous gay student part of my brain is methodically listing all the ways this could go wrong: isolation with unknown males, alcohol consumption in unfamiliar territory, decreased inhibitions in a potentially hostile environment. This could be a textbook high-risk scenario.
But something about Tyler makes the warning bells quiet down. Maybe it's how he stuck up for me against Ryan, or how he howled during our ridiculous chase. Or perhaps it's the look in his eyes when he catches me staring at his chest, interested but not predatory.
Walking slightly behind the group, I'm still trying to process everything that's happened in the last hour. Tyler slows his pace deliberately until he's beside me again.
"You okay?" he asks, his voice low and warm.
"Yeah," I say, offering a small smile while glancing over my shoulder for like the hundredth time. "Just making sure my ex doesn't decide to come back for round two."
The tall frat guy, Cameron, I think his name is, turns around, walking backward with surprising coordination. "Ex-boyfriend drama? Man, that sucks. What happened back there anyway?"
Tensing, unsure how much I want to share with a group of guys I just met. I'm used to keeping my personal life locked down tight around straight guys, especially frat guys. But before I can decide what to say, the giant blonde one, Gavin, jumps in.
"Some asshole tried to fuck around with our new friend at the haunted house," Gavin explains, his massive arm landing across my shoulders with unexpected gentleness. "Total dick move."
To my surprise, Cameron nods with what looks like genuine sympathy. "What a loser. Well, you're rolling with us now, nurse hottie. We'll show you how real men treat their dates."
"Yeah, we don't do that bullshit at DPO," adds another guy whose name I think is Taj.
"This is not a date," I clarify quickly, feeling heat rush to my face. I glance at Tyler before looking away, suddenly very interested in the sidewalk. The last thing I need is for him to think I'm assuming things.
"Whatever you want to call it," Ian laughs. "Consider yourself rescued."
I'm not used to this, being defended by a group of guys who look like they walked straight out of an Abercrombie catalogue. It's... nice. Different.I sneak another look at Tyler, who's watching me with an expression I can't quite read.
The big werewolf-lumberjack guy, Gavin, leads our group, gesturing wildly as he describes his favourite scare moments from the night. Several other frat brothers have joined us on the walk back: the vampire who reminds me of every linebacker I've ever seen, the zombie with surprisingly articulate speech for someone covered in fake gore, and the guy in the banana costume who seems to be the group's designated comic relief.
"So, Nurse Hottie," says the vampire, Kai, stepping up beside me. "First time visiting Delta Psi Omega?"
"First time visiting any frat," I say, deciding not to count the disaster at Epsilon Beta Mu freshman year. "And it's Ethan."
"Not according to your scrubs," he grins, nodding at my costume.
My face heats. "My friend Sylas has a warped sense of humour."
"Your friend sounds awesome," says Banana Guy with genuine enthusiasm. "Do all nursing students have glitter privileges, or is that just you?"
