“Because I know how much you love the big hoops,” Nico teases.
“Aww, you’re the worst.” But I can’t stop grinning because this gift means Nico was thinking of me when he was out with his friends, enough to stick a dollar bill into some kiddie machine so he could get me these silly earrings.
“I love them,” I say, and then dramatically fling my arms around him and kiss his cheek.
“Also, they’re plastic,” he says helpfully. “So if they do get caught on anything, they’ll probably break apart before your earlobe gets ripped off.”
This boy knows me well.
He pulls away from the curb and it takes literally a minute to drive three parking lots over to the one behind Carver Hall. I have a meal plan since I technically live on campus, but Nico doesn’t, so he has to pay for his breakfast. He gets French toast, and I fill my plate with bacon, eggs and toast from the buffet. Then we find a cozy table in the back of the chalet-style dining hall. The room has an impossibly high ceiling, oak paneled walls, and round mahogany tables scattered throughout.
Ten minutes into breakfast, I finally raise the subject. “Hey, so I wanted to ask you something.”
“Hmmm?” He takes a bite of French toast.
“It’s just…and honestly, I am not accusing you of anything, so please don’t take it wrong way.”
That gets Nico’s attention. His fork snaps down on his tray. “Accusing me? What’s going on?”
“Um, well. Someone mentioned something to me and I wanted to discuss it with you.”
“Discuss what?”
Shit, what am I doing? Do I really want to discuss this in public? What if it goes horribly wrong?
But I already boarded the train and now I’ve gotta ride it all the way to crazy town. “Somebody saw you at the Alpha Delta party last weekend. With a girl.”
“Somebody saw me with a girl… Can we be a little more specific?”
“They saw you coming out of an upstairs bedroom with her, and you may or may not have been zipping up your pants.”
His dark eyes flash angrily. “Who said this exactly?”
“That’s not important.”
“Like fuck it isn’t. I want to know who’s spreading lies about me.”
I study his expression. He seems genuinely upset, and his denial didn’t ring false to me. Yet for some reason I don’t want to throw Hunter under the bus, so I lie about my source. “It was a random girl at the party who told one of my sorority sisters, who told me. How I found out isn’t important. I just wanted to be sure…you’re saying you didn’t do anything?”
“Of course not.”
I hear nothing but sincerity in his voice. “Were you at the party, though?”
“Yeah, I went with Steve and Rodrigo and a couple other guys from work. I told you I was chilling with them that night.”
“Right, but you didn’t tell me you were going to a frat party down the street from me.”
“I said the boys and I were hanging out, and we were. We went to a few different places,” Nico says irritably. “Eventually we wound up there, but it was late and I didn’t see the point in calling you. I had a few drinks, joked around with the guys, and the only chick I spent any time with was Roddy’s sister Carla—that’s probably who they saw me with. I took her up to use the bathroom. The line for the other bathroom was ridiculous, so we snuck upstairs.”
This all sounds plausible. I’ve been in the Alpha Delta house before, and I’ve seen how popular that lone downstairs bathroom is.
“Carla did her business, I did my business, and then we left the room. I don’t remember zipping my fly.” His jaw tightens. “But if I did, it’s probably because I forgot to zip it up after taking a piss.”
He doesn’t sound defensive. He’s defending himself, yes, but I’m not getting any sense that he’s trying to convince me of something.
“Whoever told you this crap obviously read something more into the situation.”
“That’s what I figured. I only brought it up because…” I shrug. “Well, because it’s good to always be open and honest with each other.”
“I agree.” His body language is still a tad stiff as he picks up his fork and resumes eating. “But I don’t like the idea of people talking trash about me.”
“There was no trash talking involved,” I promise. “Just one friend watching out for another friend.”
“One friend trying to stir up shit, more like it. Which chick said this to you?”
“I told you, I don’t know the girl at the party.”
“But which one of the Thetas said it?”
“It doesn’t matter. She brought it to my attention because we look out for each other, but for what it’s worth she also didn’t think there was anything to the story,” I lie.
Nico looks pleased. “Good. And I’m glad you don’t believe that bullshit, either.” He reaches across the table for my hand, interlacing our fingers. “You know I would never do that to you.”