Grayson snorted. “Get the fuck out of here. I was actually thinking it looks like you’ve been slacking in the gym, bro.”
Barbs like that only bounced off Micah, making him grin deeper. “Not a chance.”
Fynn chuckled, a deep and sexy sound.
This could go on for hours, and I suspected it to continue far into the night. “As much as I would love to stand here and listen to the three of you be utter assholes, I need to get ready.”
“I’ll see you later?” Micah asked, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck as he glanced down at me.
I nodded. “Of course. Don’t cause trouble,” I warned the three of them, which I realized was an invitation to do exactly that. Shaking my head at the twinkle in Micah’s eyes, I lifted on my toes and pressed a parting kiss to his lips.
“That’s it,” Grayson groused. “I’m banning any form of lip touching for the weekend.”
“Does that include you too?” I implored, lifting a brow at my cousin.
“No, because my lips won’t touch someone I’m related to,” he retorted.
“Do I need to remind you of that night when we were thirteen and you—”
“Get out of here, Mads. You’re eating into my guys’ night,” he snappily interrupted before I could finish bringing him down memory lane.
My lips twitched smugly. “Like I wanted to hang out with your dumb ass tonight.”
They could have their boys' night. I had my girls.
Chaos greeted me as I walked into my dorm room. When you lived with three other girls, chaos became a default state. One half of the room looked like a hurricane had attacked Kenna’s closet and deposited her clothes everywhere. And by everywhere, I meant the floor, the bed, the desk, and even the lamp had an article of clothing strung over it. But it wasn’t just her side of the room that suffered destruction. I couldn’t even see my bed.
On the other side of the room, Ainsley curled Josie’s hair, a random slew of makeup and hair tools covering Josie’s desk. BTS harmonized from someone’s iPhone, filling the space with a mixture of English and Korean lyrics. Ainsley’s newest obsession. I had to admit, despite not being into K-pop or anime, two things Ainsley loved, I didn’t hate either. I found myself weirdly sucked in.
We had plans to go out tonight and hit a few college bars, which were supposed to be fairly easy to get into even though we were underage. It was all part of the college experience, but wrangling four girls who had to share one bathroom? Far more difficult than being served beer at a college bar.
Dropping my bag on top of Kenna’s shit strewn on my bed, I stepped over a discarded bra and a pair of jeans, making my way to my closet. It wasn’t easy. “Why did you bring so much crap with you?”
“Options. I need options,” she insisted from somewhere buried in her closet. I had no idea how there were still clothes hanging in the small wardrobe.
Skimming over my selection for the night, I ran my fingers over one of my favorite tops, considering. “If I see you with a single shopping bag this semester, I’m purging your closet myself,” I informed Kenna.
A dark head popped out from behind the slim white door. “Just wait until you need to borrow something.”
“Like this?” I said, bending down and scooping up a black skirt that sat on the floor by my feet. After closer examination, I turned my lips upside. “Hey, this is mine,” I told Kenna, holding it up. “And I’m wearing it tonight,” I declared, taking it with me as I maneuvered my way to the bathroom.
“Leave the door unlocked,” Kenna called after me.
Rolling my eyes, I shut the door and turned on the shower water to warm. The steady spray hitting the tub drowned out the music from the other side of the wall. I stripped and stepped under the stream of water, letting it soak my face. I stayed in that spot, allowing my problems, worries, and insecurities to wash down the drain.
A knock broke me out of my trance seconds before Kenna said, “I need to grab the curling spray.” She was in and out without me having to say anything.
As I toweled off, feeling cleansed inside and out, I told myself that tonight was just about my friends.
No Sterling.
No boyfriends.
No drama.
Just booze, greasy foods, laughs, music, and unforgettable memories with my three best friends. This was college, and it was damn time it lived up to the hype. After this weekend, all that shit I needed to deal with and figure out would still be there.
Hair wrapped in an old T-shirt of Micah’s, I strode into the bedroom, a cloud of steam behind me, in my black skirt and lace bra. After taking a shower in a bathroom that small, it was nearly impossible to use the mirror, so the desks we were supposed to do homework on became vanities. I had a white Ikea tower of drawers that just fit under the desk filled with my hair, skin, and makeup essentials, and a mirror with lights propped up against the wall on top of the desk.