He covered for me.

Beth had volunteered first to check on me and everyone was grumbling already. They didn’t want to get sick so when we went upstairs, Tiffany and Chandra gave me a wide berth. Even though they had moved into the living room, leaving Cord, Jamie, and myself in the dining room, I caught the sidelong glances they sent my way. The glares were bordering close to a mean girl snub. I wouldn’t have been surprised if they were going to ask that I leave, but they kept quiet. However, later in the night after Hannah and Tiffany got into a yelling match, she was asked to leave. Beth went with her.

It was late in the night when the girls finally started to leave. Chandra went to her place, wherever she lived, while Tiffany and Kara both went to their boyfriends’ rooms. Drunk from wine and full from pizza, Kara whispered loudly to me that she couldn’t be seen in that state at the dorm. I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone, but I shrugged. I didn’t care. And I didn’t think RAs were supposed to always be in their rooms. They had lives too.

Derek, her boyfriend, gave me a polite nod as he ushered his girlfriend up the stairs. Jamie slapped him on the ass when they moved past, but Derek didn’t react. It must’ve been a common thing among this group of friends, so at one in the morning, I was left alone with Cord and Jamie. A box of wine had been opened and left on the table, alongside three opened boxes of pizza.

That was when Jesse returned home.

His headlights were visible as he pulled inside his own garage. Doors were heard and it wasn’t long until the basement door was shoved open and he came through.

Jamie lifted his hand in the air. “My man! Where the hell have you been all night?”

Jesse’s eyes flashed to mine, pinning me in place, but he turned to his roommate. He shrugged, grabbing a glass from the kitchen before he took a seat at the table, across from me. He said to Jamie, “Out and about.”

Jamie’s head bobbed up and down. “Cool. Get laid?”

I lowered my gaze to my book, but I felt his gaze on me, burning into the top of my head when he murmured, “You could say that.”

“You always get the best ass too,” Jamie grumbled, lifting his hand in the air. “Pound it, Hunt. You’re my hero.”

I heard the fists meeting before Jesse replied, “You’re slow in the head, Striker. What’s your deal tonight?”

Cord snickered behind his laptop. “Tiffany was here all night. Jamie’s going through withdrawals.”

“She never puts out. Is that what marriage is going to be like? Never having sex? It’s been since the end of sophomore year, five months of abstinence.”

“From her.”

“So what? The other girls are good, but Tiffany’s talented in bed. You don’t know.” A long pregnant pause. “Right? You don’t know, right?”

Cord dissolved in more laughter. “He thinks you laid his wife.”

Jesse’s tone was dry. “I’ve never touched Tiffany. You’re safe.”

“Oh good.” Jamie’s relief was strong. “Cause I know she’d do you if she could.”

“I’m not interested.”

“Yeah, but you might one day. Can you refrain on that day, please?”

Cord spoke up, “Dude, why do you care? You get laid every night Tiffany’s not around.”

“I don’t know,” he grumbled. “I don’t love them. I love her.”

“Are you asking me to stay away from your girlfriend? If this wasn’t so entertaining, I’d be pissed at the insult. I don’t touch my friends’ girls.”

“No, but friends’ sisters are another thing,” Cord piped in.

I slapped my book shut and glared at him. Fury like I hadn’t felt in a while scorched me. I wanted to lunge across the table and wrap my hands around his neck.

“Tatum,” Jesse snapped.

Jamie’s eyes went wide. His mouth formed an O as he sensed the sudden shift in the room. It’d been easygoing with undertones of tension, but that tension was loud and clear now. It rose to the top and there was no going back.

His eyes darted around the table. “What’s going on?”

“Take that back.” Jesse spoke to Cord, but his eyes caught mine. His head moved in the tiniest of shakes. He wanted me to stand down. Fuck that. My gaze was simmering at Cord, a whole host of anger rose in me, anger that probably had nothing to do with him, but I was bursting to let it out. I needed to let it out.

Jesse’s eyes narrowed. He saw I was nearing my end. “Jamie, take the girl out.”

“What? Why?”

“Because,” he clipped out, “no stranger should know this shit about me. Take her home.”

“No way. I don’t even like her.”

“Take her home!” Jesse shouted now.

Jamie’s mouth closed with a thud and he shoved back his chair. Flicking an impatient hand at me, he shot Jesse a dark look. “Come on, girl. Let’s go.”

I didn’t go. I didn’t even move.

“Hey! You!” Jamie grabbed a hold of my arm.

The contact sent me in motion. I lunged for Cord, needing to hurt someone. Before my hands touched him, I was caught in the air. Jamie wrestled me down, but I gave it my all. Kicking, hitting, punching, I didn’t care if I was hurting him. I needed to get at Cord. He had opened a can of worms that he shouldn’t have.

“Fuck, bitch.”

“Here.” Jesse’s arms slid around me. I was transferred to him and he wrapped his arms tight as he murmured for my ears only, “Stop it. Stop it, Alex. Jamie will start wondering. Calm down.”