Page 93

A boat. On the lake. Almost an hour from campus—and Jordan.

Not that I’ve heard a peep out of him since last night. And I’ll be damned if I text him first. I didn’t do anything wrong, and I have my dignity to think of after all.

“Kennedy!” Elijah calls my name from across the dock.

I wave my whole arm over my head as he jogs toward me.

“Are you ready?” He nods toward the boat.

A nervous laugh breaks free. “As I’ll ever be. I’ve never sailed before. Will I need to batten down the hatches and hoist sails and all that?”

Elijah laughs, and I smile. A month ago, the deep throaty sound would’ve made me swoon. I may not think of him as a romantic partner anymore, but I can’t deny his charm.

“Did you want to help batten down hatches and hoist sails?”

My nose wrinkles as I contemplate the possibilities.

“Relax.” Elijah brushes a curl out of my face, but another icy gust sends it right back where it was. “I’m teasing. Trust me, I’ve got everything covered.”

That’s what I’m afraid of.

“Come on.” He takes my hand and helps me onto the boat. “I’d really like to cast off before the lake gets crowded.”

“Crowded?” I glance out at the light waves rolling across the water. As far as I can tell, we’re the only ones here. “You know something I don’t?”

Elijah shrugs. “We’re a little early?”

As in a few months early if I had to guess. “You sure you know what you’re doing?”

“Of course.”

A blue nylon backpack sails past my ear and lands on the deck with a thud.

Elijah grips my arms to keep me from falling while Trey—the third wheel in our awkward little threesome—follows the path of his bag, making the boat pitch side to side as his feet land on the polished wood.

Elijah shoves Trey, making him stumble. “Dude, you couldn’t have waited until I had her settled?”

“Nah, man. Can’t let you get the jump on me.” Trey regains his footing and winks. “Besides, I knew you had her. She didn’t fall in, did she?”

“No thanks to you,” Elijah grumbles.

“Quit whining and get this show on the road!” Trey sits and drags his backpack onto his lap. “Pull up anchor, push off, all that Titanic speak.”

I level a glare at Trey. “Can we not reference the Titanic right before sailing into the frozen lake?”

He snickers as he paws through his bag. “Lake Lanier is hardly the North Atlantic.”

“Whatever.” I exhale through my nose, breathing through the rising anxiety yet again. “Let’s go. I have to meet Caleb and David at six thirty.”

My expression must betray me because Elijah frowns, cocking his head to the side. “Where—”

A long, defeated sigh rolls out of me. “Don’t ask.” I hold up a hand, struggling to keep my balance on the swaying craft. “I’m still trying to figure out how to disqualify both of them so I don’t have to go.”

Nearly eight hours later, I stumble through the front door, completely drained and desperate for a long hot shower . . . and sleep. Instead, I barely get the door shut behind me before two of my Delta Sig sisters drag me through the house to the blue velvet sectional for one of our weekly “nachos and gossip” sessions.

As if she knows I’m a flight risk, Lola shoves me into the corner seat, and then she and Nicole flank me, preventing my escape.

“Why does this feel like an intervention?” I ask.