I lie on my bed that weekend, watching Scott paint my room with the right color. He's almost done, and has covered the ugly navy with minimal complaint.

He doesn't have a shirt on, declaring he didn't want to ruin one of his favorite shirts, so he painted the room in those low slung jeans of his. His back ripples with muscles as he runs the roller over the walls.

Scott has a sexy back, I decide. I've never paid much attention to backs before, but maybe I should start.

He covers the last bit of navy, and drops the roller in the tray.

"You wanna grab some food? My treat." I know it won't make up for or pay for him painting my room twice in one week, but I want to show him my appreciation in some way.

As fun as it would be to paint each other's naked bodies with the leftover blue, I don't think it would be a good idea.

He smiles at me over his shoulder. "Sure, love. Let me just clean up first." His eyes match the new wall color perfectly. Shit.

Dizzy from the paint fumes, I nod and escape to the fresh air of my living room. I grab my purse and shove my feet in a pair of flip-flops. I'm dressed like I was actually going to help paint, but more for moral support than any desire to help. Scott's good at this sort of thing. I am…not so much.

Scott comes in smelling like my soap, but his hands still have blue marks on them.

"You look a little like you fingered a Smurf."

He scowls at me. "Is that the thanks I get?"

I flutter my lashes at him. "Oh, don't be grumpy. You know I'm just playing and I am very grateful. You are the best best friend a girl could ask for."

His scowl melts away into a half annoyed smirk. 'That's right. And you better never forget it."

"Never," I vow.

He slings an arm over my shoulders as we head out to my car. It feels nice, being cuddled up into him. And we had fun while he slaved over my room. It was like everything was back to normal.

We sing along to the radio as we drive the few blocks to our brunch place. The hostess greets us by name and takes us to that same private booth.

"We've become regulars. They know us," I whisper.

My words are proved even more true when the waiter comes over and asks, "Your usuals?"

We nod, a little sheepishly, laughing when the waiter smiles and heads away to put in our orders.

"If we end up close to each other once we graduate, we should keep up our brunch tradition. And if we end up far, we need to at least meet for brunch once a month." I'm starting to grow maudlin, thinking about the next chapter racing towards us on swift feet.

Scott snorts. "Oh, we'll end up close together. We've gone through our whole lives together. No reason to stop now."

His words warm me. I want nothing more than to have my best friend beside me as I embark on the next stage of life. "I'm glad."

"You think you could get rid of me so easily?" He nudges me with his shoulder.

I consider bringing up the weirdness between us, but I don't want to mess up a good thing. "Of course not. But I don't want you to sacrifice your future for me."

"Who says it would be for you? I don't want to start our boring adult lives without you."

I smile up at him. "Me either."

Scott drops a kiss on the top of my head when I look down at the table that suddenly has food all over it. That was fast. Did they know we were coming and already have it started? Are we that predictable?

We start in on the food, making goofy plans for the future.

Suddenly, Scott turns the conversation to my night with Derek. "So, was the football god any good?"

I frown, confused and surprised. I'd already told him most of what happened. I hadn't gone into quite as gory detail as before. The fact that we both know Derek made it a little weird. And I hadn't told Scott about Derek's dad. It wasn't my secret to tell even though I knew Scott would never tell anyone.

I swallow my mouthful of food and clear my throat. "Uh,,,yeah. He was pretty good. Definitely better than Adam."

Scott scoffs. "Based on what you told me, a dead person would be better than Adam."

I laugh. "Fair enough."

"Did he make you come?" Scott asks.

Red sweeps across my cheeks. "Um, yeah."

"How many times?"

"I guess, uh...four?" How many had Scott given me? Or the Professor or stranger? I've lost count.

Scott hasn't. "That's all? Everyone else gave you way more."

I have a strange need to defend Derek. No, he hadn't been quite as skilled as the others on my list or Scott, but he wasn't shitty in the sack. "Well, we were sort of in public, not in a bed or private office."

"Not that public. It was nighttime, you were in a car with tinted windows and then the woods. It's not like what we did here."

My cheeks heat up with flags of red. "No, but it still wasn't private. Dude, why are you asking me all this? I already told you what happened."

Scott savagely stabs a sausage link with his fork. "Not as much as you have before. I was wondering if there was a reason."

I shake my head, reaching for my mimosa. "No, I just thought it was weird. I mean, you know Derek. It just makes it kind of awkward."

"It's not like he and I were friends or hung out. It was just weird. You went into extreme detail with the others, but with him you just gave me the basics. He finger fucked you, you exchanged oral, and then you went out to the woods and fucked."

His voice was a little too loud. "Shhhh. Fuck, Scott. What the hell?"

"Sorry. I just thought maybe you were hoping for something more with him. I don't want you to get hurt again."

I'm not sure I believe him. If I didn't know any better, I'd think he is jealous. "He and I both made it clear we have no interest in a relationship right now. It was just a fun night. We both got to fulfill some teenaged fantasies."

Scott rolls his eyes. "Of course he had a thing for you, Amanda. Everyone did. Hell, everyone still does."

"What are you talking about?" I scowl at him as my food turns to stone in my stomach. How do we keep ending up back here?

He points at me with his fork. "Do you have any idea how beautiful and sexy you are? I've watched tons of guys fall over themselves for you. I've also had tons of guys try to buddy up with me, thinking it'll help them get to you."

I can't believe my eyes don't actually fall from my head and land in my napkin covered lap. "I had no idea."

Scott shrugs. "You were in love with Adam. You didn't notice anyone other than Derek."

"Derek was just a schoolgirl crush. Everybody crushes on the football captain. It's almost required." Is that what this is about? Every guy wants to know how they compare to the guy the girls all swoon over.

Right?

"I know. I just thought maybe the experience lived up to the fantasy. This one was as dangerous as the stranger. Just for your heart this time. I can't watch you go through that again." He stares down at his plate, scowling at it like it has personally offended him in some way.

I put my hand over his clenched fist. "You're not going to. After everything was over, I realized this whole thing? It may seem stupid, but it's been putting me back together after everything with Adam happened. It's not like I'm heartbroken and want him back. I'm more pissed at my own judgment. And I have no plans to get back into a relationship, especially with someone as wrong for me as Derek. But I started to feel like it was actually possible again. Not because of him or a relationship with him, but it's given me hope again. I'm starting to feel like myself again."

"Why didn't you tell me you were feeling that way?" He releases his hold on his fork and turns his palm up to intertwine our fingers.

"Because I didn't completely realize I was. I've been full throttle on this list without really understanding why. And granted any other sort of list would probably work just as well, but I'm having fun with this one. I want a life with no regrets."

"And you're sure this won't end up in regret?" he asks.

I shoot him a small smile. "Well, no, but I know it would if I quit out of fear or worry."

"I get it, love. I'll try to stop being such a worrywart." He sighs.

I tighten my hold on his fingers. "I'm glad you're looking out for me. You always have."

"I always will." His eyes are more serious than I've ever seen.

"I know."

Yeah, he was just worried about me and probably needed a slight ego stroke. I decide to give it to him.

I lean over and whisper, "He's the smallest out of everyone I've been with other than Adam. And so far, you've been the biggest, overall."

He grins down at me and I roll my eyes. Men.