Page 74 of Trust Me

“Jay’s a bit of a . . .” Linc scrunched up his nose for a second. “Tight ass.” With a laugh, he shook his head. “I’d say it’s a flute-player thing, but that feels classist.”

“I wouldn’t really know. The only music I know how to make involves splashing in the water.”

“You’re not swimming this year, huh?”

“Too busy with my program. Looks like we’re two peas in a pod.”

Linc smiled knowingly. When his gaze traveled past me, something shifted in his eyes. It wasn’t at all subtle, and I had to look over my shoulder to see what had changed.

Like a giant neon sign drawing everyone’s gaze, West Densmore strode through the living room with his entourage. When it came to quarterbacks, he was that one. People either loved or hated him, though I fell somewhere in-between. He was a particular brand of crazy that was rooted in something deep and ugly that I could clock from a mile away. And as someone with resonant trauma, I didn’t like the direction his had taken him in. I knew it was volatile, a snake lying wait in tall grass. I dreaded the uncertainty of passing by with only a futile hope that he wouldn’t be in a striking mood.

Without a word, Linc headed that way. I watched curiously, my head tilting. There was a purposeful set to his shoulders, and if the back of my neck wasn’t prickling, I would’ve continued analyzing the situation.

Turning back to Dean, I found him watching me. Usually, he didn’t hide it, but this time, he looked away.

“Want to dance?” I asked.

He snorted, shaking his head as he took a drink from his beer. It had been a joke anyway, so I tried not to be offended by the dismissal.

Dean looked at his phone with a frown. “I’m gonna find Tilian real quick. Are you good?”

I just nodded. Without saying anything else, he disappeared. Resting my hands on the counter, I looked around. I knew a lot of the people here, but it was fun to just watch them in their natural habitat. That was how I’d learned to exist in the world, back when I had nobody to teach me.