The following Friday, my afternoon class is canceled (thank you, Professor Winko!), so I was able to catch an earlier bus than expected.

Jesse attends Briar University, a private university with a long history of winning basketball titles. I don’t know much about their academic program, but then again, I suspect Jesse doesn’t either; he went there for one reason and one reason only…to play basketball.

Briar is only ninety-miles from my campus, but the bus ride is slow and takes well over four hours because of the many stops on its route. This is the first time I’m making the journey, and I suspect it may be the last; the bus is cramped and smells like dirty feet.

Because Jesse lives in an all-guys dorm, there is a strict no-overnight policy in place regarding members of the opposite sex (I checked the website, twice). He has assured me that no one cares and/or enforces said policy. Still, when I arrive, I curl my long ponytail underneath my hat to draw less attention to myself. The oversized, baggy sweatshirt doesn’t hurt, either.

I find his dorm, Nickeleroo Hall, rather easily. The campus is littered with “You are Here Maps,” not to mention, Jesse texted me explicit directions yesterday since he’s well aware of my penchant for getting lost.

As I approach the dorm, there are two guys scanning their ID badges at the entrance, and I jog to sneak in behind them before the door slams closed. Double-checking Jesse’s text, I find the south elevator and make my way to the seventh floor.

I knock twice before a tall, muscled, bald guy answers the door. My eyes drop to my phone and I double check the number: 713. According to Jesse’s text, I’m in the right place, but I distinctly remember Jesse saying his roommate is blond. Which begs the question—

“Can I help you?” The guy interrupts my thoughts.

“Hi.” I clear my throat and extend my free hand. “I’m Riley.” When he doesn’t immediately respond, I clarify. “I’m here to see Jesse.”

He glances at my hand one more time but doesn’t take it. Instead, he opens the door wider and calls over his shoulder, “Yo, Sam Adams, your friend is here.”

Sam Adams? I scrunch my nose. What the…?

As I enter, another door on the far end of the room opens, and Jesse emerges, a huge smile lighting his face. “Riley.”

He drops the hand towel onto the desk and rushes toward me, sweeping me into his arms. He sighs into my neck and squeezes a little tighter before releasing me.

Once I’m back on my feet he says, “You’re early.”

I nod. “Yep, my afternoon class was canceled, so I was able to get an earlier bus.”

“I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve missed you.” His voice is uncharacteristically tight, and I think I catch a deeper meaning to his words.

“Me, too,” I agree.

A throat clearing breaks the moment and we pull apart.

Jesse steps back a few more paces so the three of us form a perfect triangle. “Riley, this is Lucas. Lucas, Riley.”

Lucas’ eyes drift between Jesse and me as though trying to figure out our relationship, but by this point, I’m used to the funny looks and misassumptions. Chill out, dude. We’re just friends. Finally he says, “Nice to meet you.”

“You, too.” I nod.

Lucas’ eyes bore into Jesse’s, and there’s a noticeable shift in energy because the vibe in the room no longer feels welcoming or laid back. Deciding to give them a moment to diffuse whatever has blossomed between them, I ask, “Mind if I use the bathroom?”

“Sure.” Jesse leads me to the door where he just came from. “It’s a quad,” he explains, “so make sure to lock both doors.”

“Okay,” I agree and close the door behind me.

I pee and wash my hands, then decide to check my hair and makeup in the mirror to kill some more time. The walls are paper-thin, though, and I can hear every tense word of the boys’ conversation.

“Dude, you didn’t tell me Ryan was a girl.” Lucas sounds pissed.

Oh, shit. He told Lucas my name was Ryan? Did he want Lucas to think I was a guy? Wtf?

“What does it matter?” Jesse fires back.

Lucas snorts. “I planned on staying here this weekend. I’m not about to relocate so you can fuck your girlfriend.”

My mouth hangs open, and despite myself, my skin heats at his words. Me. Jesse. Fucking. Why does that thought cause something deep within my belly to flutter?

“It’s not like that,” Jesse replies. “Riley and I are friends.”

Lucas snorts again, I guess in disbelief, but then his tone changes. “Is she single?”

Jesse’s response is quick. “I think so, why?”

“She’s hot.”

“Don’t even fucking think about it,” Jesse’s voice warns.

Lucas chuckles and then clicks his tongue. “‘Just friends’, my ass.”

Having heard enough, I plaster a big smile on my face, emerge from the bathroom, and arrange my features to neutral. “So, what are we doing this weekend?” I glance from Jesse to Lucas in an attempt to show him that he’s included in whatever Jesse and I have planned. We are just friends. We’re not together. We most definitely are not fucking.

“Nothing’s really going on tonight. Thought we could order a pizza and watch a movie?”

Lucas doesn’t hide his eye roll, and although he mutters under his breath, I hear the words clearly. “Netflix and chill. Friends, riiiight.”

Jesse either doesn’t hear him or chooses to ignore him. He continues on, “There’s a party at Epsilon Phi tomorrow night. Couple of friends are going, if you want to check it out.”

I sit on the edge of the bed. “Sounds good.”

My gaze shifts to Lucas, who’s stuffing a pair of sweatpants in a duffle bag with more force than necessary.

I turn back to Jesse and mouth, “Where’s he going?” but he just shrugs.

After a minute, Lucas swings the strap over his shoulder and narrows his gaze at Jesse. “I’m out.”

Jesse tips his chin in agreement, but I can’t stand to be the reason why he and his roommate are fighting, so I stop Lucas with a hand on his shoulder. “Wait.”

Lucas glances at where my fingers rest on his bicep, then to Jesse, then back to me. “Yeah?”

“Stay.” I pull my hand away. “We’re just gonna watch a movie and eat pizza.”

“Yeah?” Lucas leaves his gaze pinned on Jesse, even though he addresses me. “That right?”

“Yeah.” I shrug. “We’re just friends.”

Lucas’ grin is devilish. “In that case, I’ll take pepperoni.”

* * *

Despite Lucas’ frosty welcome, he’s actually pretty chill. As the night wore on, he told me a few interesting stories about Jesse—much to Jesse’s displeasure. I especially liked learning that more than half of the freshmen class refers to Jesse as Sam Adams because he dressed up as the historical figure for the Theta Kappa Halloween party. According to Lucas, he even carried a six-pack of Sam Adams beer to complete the look.

Laughing, I turn to Jesse. “You never told me that.”

He shrugs and dips his head.

“I’d have loved to have seen that.” I shake my head and ask Lucas, “Please tell me you took pictures.”

“Nah.” He shakes his head. “Although Lily might have some.”

My nose scrunches. “Who’s Lily?”

“No one,” Jesse answers quickly, but Lucas whistles.

“No one? She’d punch you in the junk if she heard you say that.”

“Lily and I aren’t together.” Jesse defends himself.

“Jes.” I roll my shoulders. “I know you hook up. I think it’s kinda cute that you have a girlfriend.”

“Yeah, Jes.” Lucas’ voice takes on a mocking tone. “Besides, you and Riley are just friends, right?”

Jesse’s eyes bore into Lucas’, and for a moment they just stare at one another. When it’s clear neither one is going to back down, I say, “I’m super tired. It’s been a long day.”

“Yeah.” Jesse turns to me. “You okay with sharing the bed?”

My eyes drift over the narrow twin bed. There’s no way we’d be able to both fit without touching…in all kinds of inappropriate places.

Sensing my hesitation, he offers. “I could sleep on the floor.”

From near his desk, Lucas snorts, and I hear him mumble. “Gross.”

“No, no.” My hand reaches for Jesse to stop him from moving. “It’s fine. We can share. I mean, it’s no different than when we were younger, right?”

Jesse pauses for a moment, a heaviness settles over him, or maybe it’s resignation, but then he finally says, “Right.”

Twenty minutes later, after we’ve both washed and dressed for bed, Jesse pulls up the comforter, tucks it around us, and easy as one-two-three, I find myself back in Jesse Collins’ bed. And I have to admit, it’s a pretty damn good place to be.