Sebastian Osborne clears his thick throat, speaking up, humor infusing his deep voice. “Coach, come on, isn’t there something we can do so we’re not fucking up the rest of our season? Some of us depend on the scholarship money.”
One of those someones being him.
Coach studies his cuticles. “You boys should have thought of that when you left Rabideaux stranded in the parking lot last night.”
Osborne isn’t giving up. “Isn’t there something we can do? There has to be.”
“Funny you should ask. As a matter of fact, there is.” He motions for Roger Danvers, our conditioning coach, to join him in front. Danvers ambles forward with a scowl, tossing a pair of keys at Coach, who holds them up, jingles them. “See these keys? These are your ticket to freedom.”
Confused glances around the room.
“Danvers is going to list off our suspects. Those people are going to take Rabideaux and these goddamn keys and head up to my lake house for a little team bonding, and I don’t want to see any of your fucking faces back in this room until you figure this shit out. The next little asshole to pull a prank gets suspended from the team, and expelled from school.” His beady eyes scan the room. “Are we clear?”
A collective nods waves through the group.
“I didn’t hear you: are we clear?”
“Yes.”
“Not one goddamn prank or I will make sure your time at Iowa is over.”
Silence.
“Gunderson. Johnson. Ryder. Tennyson…” Coach rattles off the ten names he suspects of guilt. “That’s it. Now get the fuck out. You have one hour to hightail it out of here and get your asses to the cottage before I have them in a sling.” He raises his voice a notch, pointing to the team captains. “Zeke and Oz? Congratulations, you’re playing chaperone. My office, now.”
Well shit.
Laurel
The last person I expect to bump into at the campus coffee shop is Rex Gunderson, the wrestling team’s manager and Rhett’s roommate. He spots Alex and me in a corner booth, smiles wide, ambles over when I catch his eye.
“Mind if I sit for a second?” He takes the seat next to Alex without waiting for a reply.
“Uh, sure.” My cousin rolls her eyes. “Be my guest.”
“Thanks.” He wastes no time eyeing up my blueberry muffin. “Mind if I…”
No manners, I swear. “Yes, I kind of mind.”
Rhett’s roommate ignores me, splits the top off my muffin, breaks in it half, and shoves my fluffy, berry-filled pastry down his gullet. Swallows. Eats the other half. “You talk to Rhett yet?”
“Not today.” I swear this guy always has an agenda. “Why?”
“Just wondering.”
When he moves for the bottom half of my muffin, I slap his hand away, irritated.
“Not to be rude, but want to tell us what you want?” Leave it to Alexandra to cut to the chase. For once, I’m grateful for her rude demeanor. “We were in the middle of a conversation.”
This doesn’t seem to faze Rex Gunderson. “So we had an emergency team meeting this morning. I don’t know if Rabideaux told you about it, but since I walked in and here you were, I might as well give you the good news.”
“What news? Is he getting an award for something?”
“Uh, no. A few members of the team are being sent on a retreat this weekend.”
My brows rise. “Oh?”
“It’s at a cabin in Big Bear. Hour from here, know where that is? Google it.”
I peel the paper liner off my muffin. “Uh huh.”
“You wanna come?”
I raise my eyebrows again. “Me?”
“Yeah. All the girlfriends are going along. I figured Rhett would want you along too, but he’s such a damn pussy.”
“You really think he’d want me to go?” It’s still early in the day; surely he’ll mention it if he wants me there.
“Of course. You’re hot.” I do a mental hair flip. “Plus, don’t you think he’d feel like an asshole if he was the only guy there without his girlfriend?”
That’s the second time Rex has used the word girlfriend, and I wonder if he’s daring me to contradict him.
I don’t.
“I don’t know Rex, I think that’s something he should ask me himself.”
He laughs. “We both know he doesn’t have the guts.”
True. Rhett is a tad insecure about our budding relationship; the last thing he’d want is to leave himself open to rejection.
Still. “Are you sure it would be okay? Other girls are coming?”
“Oh yeah, I’m totally sure. You can even ride with me and surprise him when you get there. He will piss himself.”
I nibble my lip. “I know, but I really don’t want to have any secrets from him.” Not after lying to him in the past. “You understand that, right?”
“I get that, and I respect that.” When he goes to pat me on the hand, I pull it away. “But! Don’t you think surprising him will be way more fun?”
He has a point: surprising Rhett at the wrestling retreat would be fun. Spending the night with him in a secluded cabin in the woods? With possible naked body parts? Yes please. Who knows what would happen between us in that kind of secluded setting…
Although, the thought of keeping the secret from him already plants a small seed of guilt inside my belly, given the rocky way we started our relationship. Lie after lie.
Would not telling him be a betrayal?
Rex stands, grabbing the last bite of muffin off my plate. “Just think about it. Take my number and text me if you change your mind.”
He rattles off his cell, and I program it into mine—just in case.
“Okay, I will. Thanks.”
Alexandra leans forward when he finally struts off. “Dude, you totally have to go.”
“I know, and I’m going to, I just can’t decide if I should do it without telling him. I don’t want to freak him out or add more pressure. Those guys are such assholes.”
“Maybe he’ll tell you about it later. It’s only like, one o’clock.”
“Maybe.”
“Do you trust his roommate?”
“I don’t know—Rhett doesn’t trust him, so no, not really.”
Alex takes a bite of celery stick, crunching as she chews. “Know what I think? I think you’re being paranoid.”
“About what?”
“About what would happen if you went. He’s not going to be mad, Laurel. He’s a guy, and guys think with their dicks.”
Shrug. “Maybe.”
But maybe not.
“You always overthink everything. Seriously, what’s the worst thing that could happen if you go? You finally get laid? The other girlfriends are going—do you really want him to leave him there stag? Some of those WAGS are bitches.”
“I do not overthink everything. I’m using my common sense and trusting my better judgment instead of being impulsive.”
“But think about it this way: this is your chance to get him alone in the middle of nowhere. You’ll probably be sharing a room.” My cousin’s black eyebrows wiggle. “Or you can sneak away for some alone time, maybe go skinny-dipping.”
“Are you out of your mind? It’s cold out.”
“True, and there is that problem of shrinkage.” Alex dangles a limp straw wrapper over her tea mug. “I know you want to go. Stop pretending you’re not going to.”
She’s right.
I do want to go.
If Rhett is going to be stuck in a cabin with all those dicks for the weekend, he needs a friend, an ally.
And that person is me.
Rhett: We had a meeting this morning. Just wanted to let you know I won’t be around this weekend, you know, in case you wanted to hang out.
Me: What’s going on?
Rhett: Coach is making us do a team retreat at some cottage in the woods? Won’t be back until Sunday but I’ll have my phone.
Me: I’ll miss you. Have fun…
Rhett
The sound of tires gradually moving over solid ground fills the air, my roommate’s black car slowly creeping up the wide, rocky driveway in the woods.