Co-Ed(35)

“No sex though, so don’t worry! Ha ha.

“Oh, and they won’t leave me alone.

“And I like one more than the others.

“But I want to keep the others around.

“But like, not in a sexual way.”

Yeah, that sounded good.

Like a totally normal conversation to have with one’s parents, right? Especially after transferring schools and already complaining to them about classes and lack of friends, not to mention the asshole ex-boyfriend.

I highly doubted they wanted me to go in this direction.

A bit severe.

I chewed my bottom lip and stared across the room at Slater’s bed. The unicorn was gone, and he’d left a note with instructions on what creams to use on my face so I didn’t “wake up looking like a zombie.”

I texted Alexa to come over for movie-night, but she wasn’t feeling well.

So that left my new friend, Skylar, the same one who had abandoned me the night I’d somehow gotten drugged. Then again, her boyfriend had shown up, and things had gotten heated, so I didn’t blame her. Plus, the music had been so loud I’d just wanted to dance and escape it all.

I shuddered. Never again, at least not with someone I barely knew from a team I’d just joined.

It was close to eight.

But I’d seen a girl my age walk into the guys’ room a half hour ago, so I wasn’t sure if we were still on.

To be safe, I poked my head out the door.

The lights were low.

I held my breath and listened. No sound of moaning.

I made my way across the room and knocked.

Leo answered on the first knock, shirtless. Big shock there. “Almost done, come on in.”

“I, uh—”

He jerked me past the doorframe and slammed the door behind him. The room was dimly lit, a few candles were scattered around the desks, and the smell of lavender filled the room.

The girl had something covering her eyes, and her head was in Knox’s lap while Finn rubbed her feet and legs.

“Now…” Finn’s deep voice filled the air. “…tell us about what you miss.”

“I miss—” Her voice cracked. “—things like this.”

“I completely understand.” Leo knelt in front of her body and caressed her lips with his fingertips. “You miss the touching, the intimate moments that you’re afraid you won’t ever get again.”

She sighed. Her lips pressed together as if she was trying to keep her cry in.

“Sometimes…” Knox’s voice made my body so aware of his presence I couldn’t drag my gaze from his even if I’d tried.

His blue eyes locked on to mine. His hair hung around his chin like some old Viking just ready to conquer and pillage every woman in his path. Because that was what Vikings did, right? His lips quirked into a tiny smile as he ran his hand through her long dark hair.

“…sometimes it’s better to understand what we miss so we can figure out what we want for our next partner. What you crave is physical attention and someone to listen to you. Those are good things to have in a healthy relationship. What’s not healthy is wishing for what could have been.”

“Yeah.” Her voice was small.

Finn stopped rubbing her feet and gently set them on the floor while Knox helped her stand.

“Rest your head against my chest,” Knox whispered, pulling her shoulders gently toward him.

She leaned her body back while Finn approached and, very gently, pressed his lips against hers. She didn’t seem to kiss him back, just let him explore.

When he was done, Leo stepped in and kissed her on the cheeks.

And then Knox turned her in his arms and kissed just below her right ear and whispered, “He’s an idiot to let you go, but you’ll be an even bigger idiot if you pine for him when you could have it all.”

He pulled the blindfold from her face. “Do you?”

“Do I what?”

“Want it all?” He tilted her chin toward him.

She nodded.

“Then take it,” he encouraged and stepped away just as Leo turned the lights on.

With tears in her eyes, she reached for Knox’s hand, squeezed it, and then gave each guy a hug, not even acknowledging that I was in the room.

When the door clicked shut behind her, the guys all gave a collective sigh, as if signaling the work day was finally over.

“Does it emotionally drain you?” I wondered out loud.

Knox was the first to answer, “Every damn time.”

“You can’t—” Finn broke off with a grimace, only to start again. “—you can’t feed someone emotionally without emptying your own tank, Shower Girl.”

I frowned and sat on the empty chair in front of one of the desks. “Then how do you fill your tank back up?”

Finn smiled shamelessly along with Leo.

Knox just scowled harder.

“Some of us get it elsewhere… from each other, friends, girlfriends, one-night stands. You can’t just get it from one place. But you do need to get it. Got it?”

I narrowed my eyes.

“Finn has one-night stands on a weekly basis,” Leo pointed out. “I tend to like the weekends better, but that’s when Finn studies. And Knox? Well, Knox hasn’t had sex in three years.”