He holds up a hand to shield his eyes from the light when he gets to the top. 揥hoa.?
揝orry.?I set it to the side, and he walks hunched over to me.
He sits so that we抮e side by side. 揌ey.?
揌ey,?I reply, feeling a little awkward. 揅ongrats.?
The team won both of their games this week.
揟hanks.?He leans back and adjusts his hat, so it faces forward. 揥hat抳e you been up to this week??
揘ot a lot. Classes and helping Violet plan for the ball.?
揙h right, the Wallflower Ball. When is it??
揟he fourteenth.?
揗ight need you to send me a pic or two in that sexy, yellow dress.?
It抯 on the tip of my tongue to ask him to be my date, but in what world does Jordan agree to go to a Wallflower Ball? He抯 anything but a wallflower. And if he says no, I fear it抣l be the end of us right now. So I just say, 揑 can probably arrange that.?
He bends forward and kisses me, scratching and tickling me with his scruff. It抯 grown since he抯 been gone, and it抯 a good look on him.
揑 like.?I run my hand over his cheek.
揧eah??He grins. 揑 figured you would prefer clean cut.?
揑t suits you.?
He picks up my sketchbook near his feet and tips it toward the light.
揇on抰 look. It isn抰 finished.?I try to grab it, but he holds it out of my reach. 揑s this me??
I climb into his lap and tug at his arm until he lowers it and lets me snatch it back. 揧ou weren抰 supposed to see that.?
His deep laughter isn抰 taunting, but I抦 horrified anyway. When I抳e closed it and placed it under the blanket, I finally face him again. 揥e抮e working on facial features in class, and I needed the extra practice.?
Those are both true, but I easily could have picked someone else to draw and now wish I had.
揑抦 flattered,?he says. 揇id you do that from memory??
揧es. You have a very memorable face.?
He traces a finger down the side of my face. 揥ell, from what I was able to see before you attacked me, it seemed pretty good.?
揑 can抰 get your mouth right.?
揙h yeah??He brings his lips to mine. 揗aybe you need to better inspect it.?
I do, kissing him like I抳e wanted to all week. He slides his hands under my shirt.
It抯 movement next door that interrupts us as his thumbs glide over my nipples. The guys at The White House are outside, and their laughter draws Jordan抯 attention.
揙h, wow. You have a perfect view into their back yard.?
揧eah,?I say like I haven抰 spent many nights up here watching the parties next door.
揅an they see us??
揑 don抰 think so.?
He glances around at the floor around us. 揑 wish I had something to toss at Gavin抯 head.?
揕et抯 not give him any reason to come over and set off Violet.?
揟hose two really don抰 get along, huh??
I shake my head. 揅an抰 really blame her. He pretended to like her and hooked up with her roommate.?
揋avin??He jabs a thumb toward where his buddy stands. 揟hat doesn抰 sound like him.?
I shrug.
He kisses me again, and I forget the reason he came over was to study until the light in Violet抯 room flips on.
揑 need to finish my sketch,?I say.
揗hmm.?He kisses down my neck and onto my collarbone.
揊inals are next week.?
With a playful groan, he pulls back and gets his book from his backpack.
揧ou抮e cute when you pout,?I tell him.
揇on抰 compliment me now, sweet Daisy, or I抣l be tempted to toss our books over the fence and kiss you until you forget about school.?
I almost do it. It抯 only because I know he needs to study that I don抰。
The rest of the week and into the weekend, Jordan and I text but aren抰 able to hang out. He invites me to a party on Saturday, but Violet has planned an early birthday party for Dahlia, who turns twenty over the break.
We抮e at one of her teammate抯 apartment. The living room is filled with people. Some I know, more I don抰。 Dahlia refuses the Happy Birthday sash but has on a light-up shot glass necklace that flashes as Jane pours more champagne into it. She bought two bottles of Dom, one that was double the price because the outside was covered in rhinestones.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. Jordan抯 name flashes on the screen three times. He texts every thought in a different message, whereas I usually fit what would be several messages into one long one that he probably doesn抰 read all the way through.
I move off to the side of the room to read his messages. Pick the suit, the first one says with a picture of three cards facing down. I scroll to the next one. Wanna fuck the dealer? And last, P.S. I抦 the dealer.
My heart flutters in my chest. Hearts.
A minute later, another picture arrives. The queen of clubs. Uh-oh. Only two chances left.
He follows that up quickly with, Value?
Eight, I guess.
Wrong again, sweet Daisy. The picture shows a ten of hearts.
Last shot, he texts. And, Higher or lower?
Lower.
Final answer?
I picture him at the party, sitting at a table, probably carrying on a conversation with his friends while texting me.
Statistically, the odds are in my favor.
He sends the picture of the jack of diamonds first, then a selfie of him flipping off the camera. I stare at it for a long time. His giant smirk aimed at me, eyes twinkling, backward hat, and scruff still going strong.
Looks like it抯 Fuck Daisy instead. ;） I take a picture of me holding up my drink. I chug for three seconds and then send another text, I think I抎 rather us both be f抏d.
21
JORDAN
I fell asleep texting Daisy. I invited her over, but it抯 probably better she didn抰 make it because I抦 not sure I could have made good on the sexy things I was texting her all night. Though I happily would have tried.
And I absolutely cannot have sex with her until I talk to Liam and tell him what抯 going on with Daisy and me. It抯 been weighing on me all week.
Liam抯 in the living room, picking up when I come out of my room.
揌ey.?I glance around the small space. It抯 become a bit of a disaster area with all the practices, games, studying, and partying. 揧ou got a minute??
揌ave you seen my phone charger??He lifts a blanket from the couch.
揘o, but I have an extra you can use.?I run into my room to get it and bring it back.
揟hanks.?He sits on the couch and plugs it into the nearest outlet. 揑 must have left it at the hotel.?
揑抦 usually the one leaving shit behind,?I say as I grab a Powerade and have a seat with him. I have no idea how to broach the subject of Daisy, and my palms are sweaty. If Liam says he still likes her, I can抰 see her anymore （which will fucking suck）。 But it doesn抰 take back what I抳e already done. He might hate me for that.
He lets out a long breath and sinks into the cushion. 揗an, I have never looked forward to winter break more than this year.?
We only get a week because of games and practice, but most of the guys are excited about some time off to visit family and let their bodies rest.
揧eah,?I say, but I don抰 really mean it.
Going home and this time of year specifically remind me of Mark. It was an awful December night over break my freshman year that he died. Try as I might, I can抰 seem to feel the same excitement over visiting family and friends for the holidays anymore.
Friends from high school will be partying, and my family has big get-togethers. It抯 basically going to be a week of nonstop partying.
I抣l attend all of it, putting on a happy face and trying to enjoy it like I know Mark would have. He was the life of the party, always smiling and having a good time. I swore after he died that I抎 aim to live my life the same way, and in general, I抳e made good on that; but I know that week I抦 home, I抣l be faking it and counting down the days to return to Valley.