“That’s your de—dad’s room. You know how much it meant to him that you live there. That you share that experience.”
Jack sucked in sharply, body instinctively begging to curl up as he fought for breath. He grabbed his ring. “Don’t make this harder than it already is. I won’t let my friends hate their college years because of this stupid bet.”
Marcus hauled him into a firm hug. “Shit, Jack. Breathe. Just breathe. We’ll get through this. We can easily score you another date for the night.”
Jack thumped his head on Marcus’s shoulder. “That’s what’s making this so hard. I don’t want to take anyone else. I want Ed.”
Marcus rubbed his back. “I know, but it’s just one night. Ed will understand.”
Jack pulled back, shaking his head. “It feels wrong.”
“Something has to give. I guess you have to decide what—but you know, if you leave, I’m coming with you.”
Marcus started to run again, and Jack lagged behind. His brother meant to be supportive, to make this easier, but promising to leave if he lost the bet weighted Jack. This meant something to Marcus’s… their dad too. Where he and Sean began their friendship.
It really looked like the only option was taking someone else.
“Catch up, Jack,” Marcus called, “and I’ll cheer you up.”
“How do you plan on doing that?” Jack asked as he leveled up.
“Today is the day I walk into the café, and when Nessa asks me what I want, I’ll tell her I want her to come to the formal with me.”
That did bring a grin to his face. “You make it sound so easy.”
“Fuck off.” Marcus laughed, then yanked the back of his T-shirt, slowing Jack down. “Seth has it good.”
“What do you mean? Wait. Shit, she didn’t.”
“She did. She right out asked him to ask her. Did it with a promising wink too.”
Jack veered off their normal path, and Marcus chased after him. He practically sprinted all the way to her sorority.
“Brittany!” he yelled under an oak in the front garden.
Windows opened and girls giggled, and a line of whispering later, Brittany burst out the front door. She saw him and folded her arms, daring him to come to her. Oh, she knew what this was about.
Marcus finally caught up to him, bowling into his side. “Dude, you were on fire on that last stretch.”
“I’ll show you fire,” he muttered and charged up to the porch. “I told you he’s not a conquest!”
“Hello to you to, Jack. Nice to see you.”
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Whoa there. Kill the caveman act.” Brittany stepped into his space and prodded his chest. “You don’t get to come here and be mad at me.”
“Seth’s a nice guy. Not—”
“I know. Know how I know? Because I’ve been seeing him almost every day the last few weeks. Something you might know if you jumped out of your Ed bubble and read my texts.”
Jack frowned. Shit, Brit had sent him a few texts that he’d breezed over, but then he’d thought they’d just catch up at the lacrosse game, which they did, but…. He hadn’t really asked her how things were with her.
He had been in an Ed bubble.
He stopped glaring and stepped back, swearing under his tongue. He ran a hand through his hair and looked toward a shrugging Marcus. “Damn, Brit. I’ve had my head up my ass a bit.”
She bit her lip. “Hanging out with Seth, I understand how that can happen.”
Jack studied his friend. God, how could he have missed how upbeat and happy she was? “You look good.”
“If that’s your way of apologizing, apology accepted.” She laughed and punched him lightly in the shoulder, and then her face pinched. “Ugh. Sweaty.”
He laughed and backed off the porch toward Marcus. “You and me, dinner, tonight at the Olive Garden? Please?”
She hummed as if considering it.
Marcus snickered, and Jack threw an arm around his neck and drew him into a hold a little tighter than comfortable.
Brittany laughed. “Only if you’re paying.”
He paid.
He felt particularly happy about doing it too. Not only did he totally owe Brittany, but halfway through dinner, Ed had texted.
Jack had checked the message while Brittany went to the bathroom, and the relief that had slammed into him had been momentous. He’d even kissed his phone.
Ed: Big day. Would like to tell you about it.
Ed: Are you free tomorrow night?
Jack: Where do you want to meet?
Ed: How about I pick you up?
Jack lightly elbowed Brit in the side as he walked her from the Jeep to her sorority, capping a banter-filled evening at Olive Garden. “We good again?”
She hummed and twisted her face like she was going to say no. But the quick peek out the corner of her eye gave her away. She elbowed him back. “You’re all right, Murphy.”
He grinned and bounced up to her front door. Brit let herself in and turned to Jack on the threshold. “Just don’t piss me off again. Seth—”
“Seth would be lucky to have you, but you know why I worry.”
She nudged him toward a bench. “I know you blame yourself about Harper, but I keep telling you, it’s not your fault.”
He knew that, but it didn’t change things. He should have seen through the facade Harper put up.
“I can see the little wheels spinning from the hamsters running on those treadmills in your head.” She tapped his temple. “All you did was say you thought he was a nice guy. And when he was with me, he was nice. He treated me very well.”
“I should have known he was a player.”
She patted his arm when he stumbled. “We’ve been over this. If you had known and let me date him anyway, I’d say you were to blame, but you told me as soon as you knew. What happened is all on him.”
They’d had almost this exact conversation several times, and although Jack knew she was right, he couldn’t totally accept it. “If it means anything, I don’t think Seth is anything like Harper.”
Brittany snorted. “Ain’t that the truth.”
“What’s that mean?”
“Let’s just say, in that department, Seth is more like you and Harper is more like… a hamster.”
“Brittany!”
“I’m just saying. Harper might have money and whatnot, but down there? He’s no titan.” She tried to look innocent.
“A fact you no doubt spread around campus.” And Jack, having told Brittany Harper was a cheat, bore the brunt of his displaced anger toward her.
“No, never said a word.” Brittany’s lips squeezed tight and her gaze seemed distant. “I’d have to admit we got that close. I tell everyone I have no idea.”
“And they believe you?”
“Jack, please. I just look at them and say, ‘I’m not a slut like my cousin Melissa. Why do you think he slept with that ho?’ Don’t know if they believe me, but it does have an air of truth to it.” She shrugged. “But he’s pissed off enough other girls that the word is out there.”