95

Kassie

Bluetooth Speaker Connections

When we made it into the actual playoffs, the entire campus was washed in dark blue jerseys. I literally couldn't walk anywhere without seeing a Four-A-Cross hat or a Marrs Manwhore hoodie or one of those huge Roman helmets that people converted into beer guzzlers. And for the first time in my life, I was actually excited too.

"So, what you're saying is that I can't go to the ceremony?" Zariah took a long look between June and I, her eyebrows raised.

"You have to be football-affiliated," June pointed out.

"Just ask Adam to be your date." I nudged her shoulder. "You can come party with us. Every time they run one of these events, it's open bar."

The ceremony at the end of the semester was in the first week of December and we were all expected to show up, dressed to the nines. The Birchwood Bowl wasn't until January so it was the nice send-off before Christmas break.

Zariah looked rueful and pushed open the door to Roman Forest. "I wish hockey had stuff like that."

"They'd have to actually win games for that to happen, Z."

At the other side, June burst into giggles but Zariah gave me an unamused look. Reluctantly, she conceded with a shrug. "Okay. Look. You're not wrong …"

"Kassie Ragar?"

I grimaced before I even saw who it was but my shoulders relaxed when I recognized the desk assistant, who started piling packages on the counter. He held them out and the postal addresses confirmed they were for me.

Packages that clearly looked like they were tampered with.

"Uh…okay?" I picked up the first box. "What is this?"

"Oh my god, it's the makeup." Zariah laughed and held up one of the boxes, showing off a brand new bottle of the exact makeup that had shocked Ryan with its expiration date.

"You needed all of this?" June asked, mystified.

I popped open one of the boxes with a pair of scissors and pulled out a bottle of shimmering body oil, four bottles altogether. And another one. And another one underneath the packaging. I couldn't keep in the laughter. "Uh…you know what? The thought was there!"

"Kass, do you need five bottles of body oil?"

"Seven," I corrected her, shaking the box. With a grin at the girls, I shook it again. "Does he really think I'm going to use this all up before it expires?"

June hummed under her breath. "I don't think Ryan's ever thought about makeup for more than five seconds."

"He needs to get refunds for this." But I shook one of the boxes, peering in at the different types of lipstick he'd just added to the cart on a whim. When was I able to convince Ryan to get a refund on anything? "Or….we could dump it out upstairs and then just divide it up."

"It's like Christmas," June breathed out and stacked more of the boxes on top of each other.

Zariah beamed. "He's my favorite brother-in-law."

We were almost to the elevator, trying to figure out what was in the rest of the boxes, when the desk assistant's voice called me back. " Ma'am? Aren't you forgetting something?"

Slowly, I turned back. "Are there more boxes?"

"One more."

I motioned for the girls to wait by the elevator while I walked back to the desk. I could've sworn I got all of the makeup boxes but there were two soft green boxes, tied with bows on top of each other. I picked them up but they didn't feel like any of the others.

"What is that?" Zariah asked the moment I walked closer.

"I know what that is." June raised her eyebrows. "That's a dress box."

"Dress box?" I blinked at her but I couldn't open it, not with the fifty other boxes in my arms. We had to wait until the damn rickety elevator came to our floor and even then, Zariah had to shuffle out the key before we could see what it was.

Right when I put the dress box on the counter though, I knew what it was.

"Oh my god…" I whispered, stepping up to it while the girls stacked the makeup boxes, like we were working on shipping orders. Both of them corralled next to me to check it out and I tugged on the bows.

"You can open it faster," Zariah urged me.

A laugh burst out of me, more breathless than anything, and I carefully lifted up the top of the lower box. The girls tittered and grabbed for the dress but I focused on the other box, tugging at the box until only a soft green clasp box met me.

I know this box .

The bracelets glistened into the kitchen light that Ryan fixed and I stared down at them, dumbfounded.

"Goddamn, Kass," Zariah breathed out and held up the dress.

June took her place behind me and cooed, looking down at the bracelets with me. God, they were so beautiful. And so perfect. And Ryan had literally taken the time to find the exact ones I wanted.

"He's so dumb." I sniffled. "These could've been stolen. Our mail system here sucks."

"That's the kind of shit you wear around in case anyone needs a ransom," Zariah pointed out.

"They're so gorgeous," June whispered.

We'd just come from class and stopped by to grab an RA banner. I knew Ryan had back-to-back classes and meetings today but I needed to talk to him. He had to know how much this meant to me.

"Crack open the makeup," I threw over my shoulder, hurrying off to the bedroom. "I'll be right back!"

I fished my phone out of my pocket and paced across the bedroom floor. There was evidence of him everywhere . The Marrs pillow on my bed, the Romans jackets in the corner, all the sketches of him, tacked up on the cork boards, my smile was so wide, it hurt, and I flopped back in the bed.

The phone rang twice before he picked up.

"Hey," I said with my tongue sticking out, just happy . "I got my packages and guess how shocked I was to see the bracelets in there?" I took a deep breath, resisting the blush that threatened to cross my face. He loved hearing me talk like this. And I loved making him happy. "I know exactly why you bought those bracelets. I know you want to bend me over and tie my hands behind my back so you can see the bracelets while you fuck me senseless." I took a deep breath and dropped my voice. "I'm wet just thinking about it."

There was a pause over the phone and I hesitated.

"Hey, art girl," Ryan said. His voice had a weird feedback to it over the phone. "I—uh—I don't know how I did this but I accidentally connected my phone to the speaker."

I pushed up from the bed and stared ahead. " What? "

"I don't know how I did it but my phone's connected to a bluetooth speaker."

" What? " My mouth fell open. The blush came anyway. "Are—are you with anywhere?"

"I'm with my team of lawyers."

"Ryan. Did they hear what I said?"

There was an audible pause over the phone before a range of awkward voices joined in.

"Hello, Ms. Ragar."

"Wonderful to—ah—hear from you, Ms. Ragar."

"Ms. Ragar, uh—" A woman cleared her throat. "We practice the utmost discretion in terms of Mr. Cross's privacy."

The blush burned so hot, I could've acted as a lighthouse. "Jesus Christ, Ryan. Why did you answer?! "

He sounded actually offended about the question. "I always answer your calls."

"Oh my god." I shoved myself out of the bed and the embarrassment overwhelmed me. "Do not answer next time when you're—oh my god this could've happened at literally any time. You're getting a technology class for Christmas! Jesus Christ!" I yanked away the phone and almost ended the call before I pulled it back again. "You are so goddamn lucky I love you."

"I love you too. And—" Ryan dropped his voice. "We can talk about the bracelet possibilities later—"

I hung up the phone.