─── • ───

ready so fast in my life.

Lucy and Iya had to borrow clothes since we couldn't make it back to their sorority house in time to change. All dolled up and waiting for the guys, we clinked our shot glasses and dumped the cool alcohol into our mouths.

My leg vibrated, and I looked down to see a message from Jayce saying he was here.

"Ready?" I asked the girls, and they nodded, finishing their drinks. I locked up our apartment and hurried downstairs to where a black car waited in front of our building.

The windows of the car were cracked, and music spilled into the empty parking lot. The volume was a dead giveaway that it was our ride.

"Hop in the back!" Jayce shouted over the bass instead of turning it down.

We obliged, climbing in. The smell of body wash and cologne instantly burned my nostrils. I could tell they just showered from their wet hair. My eyes landed on the passenger seat and my heart flopped when I saw Brant, not Elijah. I thought their cars were broken?

"Jayce, Brant." I gathered their attention. "This is Iya and Lucy."

"Nice to meet you, ladies."

Thankfully, my friends played it cool, even though I knew they were freaking out. I've kept my encounters with the team private, mostly, and finally spilled my guts as we were getting ready, promising the girls I had only just met them and wasn't keeping a month-old secret. They seemed wary, like they didn't believe me. They thought I had been in cahoots with the team longer than I'd let on, even though I've been trying to avoid them and doing a piss-poor job.

Recalling the conversation about Elijah being the chauffeur for his roommates, I said, "I see you got your car working! Thanks for picking us up."

"Nah, it's still at the shop. This is Elijah's car and you're welcome."

"Oh." I was thankful they couldn't hear the disappointment in my voice over the music. That explained the cleanliness, but also rattled my brain. I wondered why he wasn't driving his car, assuming he knew I was coming since he was the only person I mentioned a baseball party to.

Why was I upset he didn't pick me up?

Stop.

We weaved through campus, which glowed from street lamps, highlighting the desolate sidewalks. Some lone students walked on foot toward Frat Row. Memories of freshman year flooded my mind of us boycotting coats even though it was cold, then stumbling back to the dorms, drunk off our asses, and freezing—somehow making it home safe.

I smiled, though a bittersweet feeling lingered.

So much has changed since then. Now our senior year was approaching rapidly and I barely had my career or post-graduation plans sorted out. I knew the risk of having an art degree, but I wanted to be happy, not wither away in an office chair.

We turned down a street that was clean and quiet compared to the fraternity houses, and Jayce pulled into a white paneled house's driveway, tucked at the back of a cul de sac. Iya, Lucy, and I looked at each other with wrinkled foreheads because it was dark and looked like nobody was home.

"Are we getting kidnapped?" Iya whispered, and I laughed.

Jayce and Brant turned around to face us. "This is your first baseball rodeo, right?"

"Yes," we said, almost in unison. Their faces brightened as if they were about to commit a glorious crime. I shifted my weight, waiting.

"Three rules. One, no social media posts about where you are. If we get caught throwing bangers, we get our asses handed back to us by our coach. Two, do not go into the front yard unless you are leaving. Three, have a great fucking time."

They reached out to fist bump us and cheers ebbed through the car, then we climbed out and followed them through the fence gate.

Faint R&B music mixed with conversation filled my ears, and I observed the dense group of students littering the backyard holding various forms of alcohol. Some perched by the fire pit, others stood at the pong table or sat under the patio awning decorated with string lights. Regardless of the number of guests, it was awfully discreet for a party.

They weren't kidding when they said they didn't want to be caught.

Feeling slightly buzzed from my two shots earlier, I scanned the yard for Elijah. He must be here somewhere. He lived here after all. But all I saw were members of the baseball team, exclusive plus ones (or more like plus fives), and other student-athletes, which caught me by surprise.

Yeah, the baseball players were muscular, but they were scrawny compared to the football team. There some stood, towering between five foot eleven and six foot six. Their shoulders spanned the width of my body (if you were to lay my body horizontal). Okay, I was exaggerating, but they were big.

Guests pulled Jayce and Brant in for a handshake and typical bro-hug, congratulating them on their big win. I watched like an outsider.

This was surreal. All those semesters wondering what it would be like going to a baseball party, I didn't expect this. This was oddly calm, like a massive hangout, and honestly much preferred over an ear-piercing basement party.

Once they were done talking, I leaned over. "I forgot to tell you, that was a great game."

Jayce's eyes lit up. "Well, thanks. You didn't peg me as a baseball fan."

"She wanted to watch Elijah," Lucy slurred.

The mentioning of his name made me shift my eyes around the room. "And you, Brant and Aiden, of course. The entire team. Woo! Go Trumbullen Lions!" I added and pumped my fists in the air.

He didn't seem phased by Lucy's comment or mine. Soon enough, he embraced another friend as I turned to my own, narrowing my eyes. Lucy batted her lashes, tilting her head down like a puppy dog, which made her black bob sway. "What?" Her voice was sweet.

"No wing-woman action tonight, okay?" She tilted her head further. "I'm serious. Just have fun." She threw her hands up in defense.

As much as I loved her, I did not need her hooking me up with any players.

After what felt like an eternity of greeting people, we reached the patio and Jayce paused before opening the back door. Vibration tickled my feet, and I noted muffled singing coming from somewhere I couldn't see.

"Since it's your first baseball party, you have to be initiated," he said.

People wooed around him and my skin grew hot.

"I'm not being hazed," I asserted.

Brant and Jayce cackled. "We aren't going to haze you, artsy. We aren't frat guys. You just have to take a shot...or don't." He shrugged. "We'd never force you to drink, but you may get booed." He pointed to the surrounding crowd.

I trusted them—for the most part—but drinking out of any open container was a raging red flag for me. It wasn't until they pried open a cooler and I saw hundreds of sealed, mini-tequila bottles that I relaxed.

Lucy was the first to take one, followed by Iya, then me. To my surprise, Jayce and Brant took two.

The already drunk partiers watched as we twisted the lid and clinked our glasses together, finishing the content. It was bigger than a normal shot glass, and my entire body shivered when I pulled the empty bottle away from my lips.

"Hell yeah!" Brant cheered and offered another, which I slipped into my pocket for later. If they were supplying free booze, I wouldn't pass up the offer. Jayce held open the door and ushered us inside the house.

"Holy shit, do you feel that?" Iya asked.

"Is that below us?"

"That, my friends, is the actual party," Jayce grinned and opened the first door in the hallway. Raging music emanated up the steep stairs, strobe lights flickered, and the smell of sweat and a concoction of perfumes were strong. I swallowed, but Lucy and Iya looked like kids finding a stash of old Halloween candy—exhilarated.

It seemed I spoke too soon about basement parties.

"Want me to take you guys down?" Brant offered.

"Please," Lucy said, swiftly.

"You guys go. I'll meet you down there. I need to find a bathroom first."

They nodded and followed Brant down into the snake pit.

Jayce stayed back with me. "I can show you to the bathroom."

He was being awfully kind, which I didn't expect. I recalled Elijah's words about him being a flirt. Yet, all of his actions tonight weren't flirtatious, they were friendly. I didn't feel hit on by Jayce Larson.

We walked past the living room where more guests played pong. Hanging over the windows were blackout curtains preventing anybody from seeing inside the house. My eyes bounced from face to face, looking for Elijah, but I still couldn't find him.

"So you, Aiden, Brant, and Elijah live here?" I asked.

"Yep." He stopped and motioned to the bathroom at the end of the hall by the staircase leading upstairs. "We usually aren't the ones throwing, but the other guys wanted a fire tonight and we're the only house with a fire-pit big enough to fit everyone."

"Ahhh, makes sense."

I didn't need to pee, and I'd rather not break the seal this early, or I wouldn't be able to stop going to the bathroom. I wanted to look around for Elijah without it being obvious I was searching. The only place I haven't been to was the basement. I guess that's where I was headed next.

I pulled the extra bottle of vodka out of my pocket and gulped it down.

When I finished, I followed Jayce downstairs. The second my foot reached the uneven floor, heat swarmed me like stepping into a sauna. I stopped moving, overwhelmed by the amount of dancing bodies, yet Jayce's hand tugged my arm further into the room.

The music was deafening, and the strobe lights made me slightly nauseous, but once when I saw Lucy and Iya dancing on random guys, I exhaled and joined. My friends grabbed my hands and twirled me around.

I closed my eyes to avoid the flashing, letting the music settle into my body.

If it wasn't for the booze coursing through my veins, I'd probably be outside. Three dances, I promised myself. Then I would go upstairs where I could breathe. Beads of sweat trickled down my forehead and I wiped them on my hand.

Iya dragged her hands up my torso, settling on my neck. I held her hips. We both laughed, though neither of us could hear, and swayed to the beat. The songs flowed one into the next, and eventually, I was four dances in, my body as light as a feather.

I opened my eyes and spotted a familiar head of tight curls.

My senses stirred like every nerve in my body was told to wakethehellup.

The curls disappeared when the bodies between us merged. I felt hands on my hips, yet didn't turn to look who it was. I waited for the heads to part like the red sea so I could see Elijah.

They did, and the neon lights highlighted his chiseled face.

He was watching me.

Seeing him outside of the studio felt like a sin, and so did the girl pressed against his front. He tipped his chin down, nestling his nose and lips into the tiny brunette's neck. She threw her head back, giving him full access to her collarbone.

His expression glazed over, and the sweat on his forehead glimmered.

Without breaking eye contact, he pressed a kiss to the tip of her ear, nipping at it with his teeth. My skin grew hotter—as if that were possible in this basement that rivaled the temperature of hell—I couldn't make out the emotion that surged through me.

Was it envy? Or were those my raging hormones?

My body danced on autopilot. Whoever was behind me was getting a lot of my ass pressed into their groin. I threw my hands back, gripping their neck, yet couldn't bring myself to look away from Elijah to see who I was dancing on.

My partner's hands found their way to my breasts, and I closed my eyes. What would Elijah's hand feel like on my body? My eyes sprang open from the unsolicited thought.

But I couldn't see him anymore.

Everyone meld together again, closing any line of sight I had to Elijah.

I snapped out of my daze and turned to find a handsome stranger with tousled blond hair behind me.

I couldn't make out if he was an athlete. He smiled and pulled me snugly against his body. His fingers tickled their way down my spine, grabbing a handful of my backside, and I'd be lying if I said the physical touch didn't feel good.

Did Elijah know I was coming? He didn't look surprised when he saw me, which led me to believe he knew.

Spinning back around, I waited for heads to part again and when they did, Elijah was gone and so was the girl. My body froze, my hands fell to my side like I was holding paperweights. The thought of them gone together troubled me more than it should've.

Feeling embarrassed, I had to shout "I'll be right back!" over the music. The stranger looked confused, then turned to find someone else. I tried gathering Iya and Lucy's attention, but neither heard me. Jayce was nowhere to be found. So, I got Brants instead.

"I'm going upstairs!" I told him. He nodded, and I began my ascent, wiggling through sweaty party-goers until I stood at the foot of the stairs. They seemed much steeper, with alcohol coursing vigorously through my bloodstream.

Once I got to the main floor, I inhaled the cool air and gained my balance, or else I'd roll back down and most likely crack my head open. That wouldn't be good for the baseball team's image. I was much drunker than I expected.

Tugging my phone out of my pocket, I squealed at my notification.

Thank goodness she was having a good time. But I felt vomit clawing at my throat and hurried through the living room until I spotted an archway leading into the kitchen. Phew, there wasn't anyone inside to watch me fill a solo cup with water and chug.

Reality came crashing over me as I stared into the empty space.

Of course, he'd be off screwing another girl. I glanced up at the ceiling and then pressed my palm into my eyes. These sudden thoughts of Elijah were infuriating, though they didn't surprise me. They could've been about anyone.

My sloppy drunkenness mixed with my lack of sexual encounters made my inner thoughts as virtuous as a sixteen-year-old boy going through puberty. Not.

I found my way to the backyard, where Jayce stood with four guys. Centered between them was a tree stump. Aiden flipped a hammer, caught it, and slammed the head directly on a nail, knocking it straight into the wood. Cheers erupted from everyone, except one player, who groaned and took a seat. They passed the hammer to their right, repeating the process.

"Oh, hey, I was wondering where you went," Jayce said when he saw me approaching, making space for me to stand.

"Hey, Sadie." Aiden's smile was big as he reached over to fist bump me.

"Hey, Aiden." I beamed back. "What is this?"

"It's Stump."

"Stump?"

"Everyone has their own nail in the log. Then when it is your turn, you flip the hammer and hit someone else's nail in. If you get the nail in without bending it, they're out of the game. But the hard part is, you have to hit the way you catch the hammer. Wanna try?"

"I'll watch first." I laughed and pulled a chair over to watch. Roughly ten minutes passed of them whacking nails with a hammer and shouting at each other. My body shook from laughing so hard. The number of nails wedged inside of the log told me they've been playing this for a while.

"You fucking cheater! I saw you move your hands," a player shouted.

"I did not! Did you see me move my hands?" Aiden asked me.

My eyes widened. "I'm sorry, I wasn't watching."

Aiden groaned like he was told he had to give up his firstborn and ran his hands down his face. "You're a terrible ref."

"I didn't even know I was reffing!" I gaped, and the girl I'd befriended chuckled.

"They make anyone who sits to watch their piddly games a ref." She pointed at Aiden. "Rocco gets a free hit now, give him the hammer."

Aiden rolled his eyes and passed the hammer to Rocco. "You're just saying that because he's your boyfriend."

To piss Aiden off further, Rocco walked over and planted a long, wet kiss on Tasha's lips, then slammed Aiden's nail clean into the stump. He simply shook his head.

"I'm going to make you do extra laps at practice for that one."

Rocco cracked his knuckles. A sly smile crept onto his face. "Can't abuse your captain's powers. Speaking of captain's, look who's finally here."

We craned our necks to see who he was talking about.

Elijah and the brunette emerged from the house, grinning. The girl ran to a group of friends tucked away by the fire and he stalked toward us, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked sober as sober can be.

I averted my eyes, fire rising in my chest, and listened to the guys congratulate and whistle at Elijah as if he scored points in a game. Truth is, he scored in bed. Just when I thought their congratulatory session was over, I looked and found him eyeing me. He didn't hesitate to look away.

He wouldn't even acknowledge me.

"You gonna play yet?" Jayce asked. "We'll start a new game."

"Sure." I stood, taking the hammer, trying to ignore the irritation building inside of me.

He placed an extra nail in for me and one for Elijah. The guys cheered me on as I flipped the hammer and slammed it over Jayce's nail. The impact rippled up my arm and throughout my body like lightning striking a tree. My annoyance fizzled, and I exhaled. The nail didn't go entirely in, but it was enough that one more blow would get Jayce out of the game.

"I'm offended you hit mine, but great swing." He shook his head in disappointment, and I made a triumphant sound.

Eventually, the hammer made its way into Elijah's possession, who stood across from me.

There was no hesitation in his flip. His arm muscles flexed. A thunderous boom rang throughout the yard as the hammer sealed Jayce's fate, knocking his nail entirely inside. Wooing ensued from the win, but I flinched when Elijah tossed the hammer on the log and walked away.

Jayce and Aiden hurried after him, calling his name as he beelined inside.

What the hell is his problem?

Everyone else was too drunk to be phased, but I was brimming with confusion.

Keeping my curiosity at bay, I played another round, even though I couldn't stop glancing at the back door. Aiden returned emotionless, but Jayce and Elijah didn't. I ventured inside to the kitchen for another glass of water.

I'd barely known Elijah for half of a month, but his demeanor seemed off. I wondered if something happened with the girl he was dancing with because every other option I conjured in my head made little sense.