The Perfect First (Fulton U, #1)(71)

“Maybe she wants you to do it again.” Reece chuckled and his arms tightened around me.

Nix pulled his phone out of his pocket and wandered off.

I wrapped my hands around Reece’s arm and buried my face in his shoulder. “So you did have something up your sleeve.” Grinning, I pulled him down for a kiss.

He slipped his hand along the back of my neck. “I’ve got to have some secrets.”

“Enough sucking face, you two. You’re first up.” Berk waved us over.

Someone cranked up the music and everyone dug into the pizzas in the kitchen. A pizza party birthday complete with kids’ party games, a delicious cake, and the guy who’d stolen my heart—there hadn’t been a better night ever.

Berk chucked a fork at Nix, who looked up from his phone. “Get off your phone, man. You’ve been glued to that thing since you walked in. You didn’t even have any cake.”

I cut a piece of cake for Nix, who kept his eye trained on his phone like it might make a break for the door. Walking over to him, I stood in front of him.

His head popped up and I sat beside him, giving him the plate and the fork.

He took the plate from my hand and shoveled a chunk of the cake into his mouth with his eyes still trained on his phone screen.

“Is everything okay?”

His head snapped up and he stared at me. “It’s fine. I’m waiting for someone to respond, and I don’t want to miss the message.”

“Is it someone you’re seeing?” I tilted my head and stared at his hands.

He squeezed his thighs just above his knees and one leg bounced up and down. The phone rocked from side to side.

“No, but I’m not her type.”

“Does she have a pulse?”

He barked out a laugh and looked at me. Some of the tension in him relaxed.

Nix was crazy handsome in the stereotypical college movie star kind of way. The rest of the guys were more thrown together, Reece included, while Nix was put together. Still, I smelled the hallmarks of the pressure a person is under when they feel they always need to look a certain way. I ran my hand along the herringbone braid draped over my shoulder.

“Last I checked, yes, she does have a pulse.” He slipped his phone into his pocket. “And she hates my guts.”

“Get your ass in here—it’s me and LJ against you and Berk for beer pong.” Reece waved him into the dining-room-turned-tournament-zone.

Nix shoved off the couch and walked over to them. “You know he loses on purpose just to drink more.”

“I play better when I’m buzzed.” Berk downed his cup.

“If they weren’t so hot and lovable, they’d be annoyingly obnoxious.” Marisa leaned against the wall beside the couch, shaking the ice in her cup.

“You think LJ’s hot?” I didn’t even try to beat down my creeping smile.

Her eyes got wide and she sputtered. “What? N-No, not him. I meant the other guys.” She upended her cup, gulping down the contents.

The crowd of people watching the game cheered, and the satisfying thunk of the ball hitting the side of the cup made its way into the living room.

“I mean, I’ve known him since first grade. He tried to steal my scissors from my table, and I may have stabbed him with them to teach him a lesson. He’s still got that scar. We’ve been best friends since.” She shrugged.

“And you followed him to college.”

“What? No, I’m only here because of a financial aid situation and this place always finds a way to FU.” She shook imaginary pompoms in her hands. “Do you want another drink? Let me get us another drink.” Without waiting for a response from me, she plucked my cup from my hand and rushed into the kitchen.

Other people at the party kept wishing me a happy birthday, and I felt the tiniest bit bad for Reece lying to them. But, with the laughter, music, and dancing all around me, the people hanging out and having fun, I didn’t think they minded another reason to have a party.

Marisa walked back from the kitchen, balancing two cups and two plates piled high with even more cake. My stomach was near to bursting, but I wasn’t going to turn her down.

“Seph, I’ve got to have you over to my place. You can meet my roommate, Liv. She’s awesome. Maybe I can cook you dinner.”

“NO!” The shout came from all the guys in the dining room and Marisa jumped, nearly spilling the drinks and the cake. All four rushed to the doorway, shaking their heads and slicing their fingers in front of their throats.

Marisa turned around and they all stared up at the ceiling, whistling before wandering back to their game. She sat beside me and handed over my drink and a plate. Reece caught my eye and mouthed, Don’t do it.

I laughed into my cup and winced at the straight vodka with a splash of cranberry juice.

“How’s the drink? I hope it’s strong enough.”

“It’s totally fine.” My words came out half wheeze and half cough. Reece made another shot and looked over at me. He winked and my stomach flipped. There were five months left until he left or I left or both. How would I get through the day when I knew a man who lit my soul on fire was out there in the world and I’d left him behind? How would I pick up the pieces of my broken heart when he left me?





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