17. Chapter 17

Me: Good luck! I'll be cheering you on from home.

Crew: Don't get too crazy with the girls.

Crew: Or if you do, send pics ??

Me: ??

Me: I think I'm going to take a nap before they come.

Crew: Sleep in my bed so my sheets smell like you when I get home.

Me: And what do I smell like?

Crew: Sweet, seductive, warm, and, best of all, like mine.

Me: *image of me lying in Crew's bed. His navy sheets draped over my bare chest, showcasing the swells of my breasts.*

Crew: For fuck's sake. Now I have to adjust my dick in the dining room.

Crew: But you look good in my sheets, Rebel.

Me: ??

A n hour later, I'm woken by the sound of my phone's alarm going off. Tonight the guys have an away game, so instead of being home alone with the shadows and insecurities, I decided to text the girls for an impromptu girls' night in. I'm proud of myself for going outside of my shell and initiating a night in with girlfriends. When I asked if they'd be interested, the girls were enthusiastic about the idea.

Tonight, the group chat is leaving the chat.

The girls are coming over around five for dinner before kickoff at seven-thirty. Glancing at my phone, I resist the urge to text Crew. After our flirty conversation this afternoon, he's all I can think about. Not only am I the girl who doesn't want to be a distraction before a game, but I don't want to risk getting caught since he's around the team. Earlier, when I sent him another photo, I made sure my face wasn't visible. I've never been one to send nudes or sexy pictures to a guy, but there's something about Crew Riggsby that makes me want to live life on the edge.

Maybe it's the thrill of getting caught? Whatever it is, I'm here for this new, bolder Bret.

Tossing my hair into a claw clip, I flip on the handle to start the shower. I then press play on a playlist on my phone, which connects to the tiny Bluetooth speaker sitting on a shelf in the bathroom I share with Crew .

I try to keep the bathroom as clean as possible, even though I'm a total hot mess. I'm the type of girl who keeps her makeup in her bag, but the bag hangs out on the sink, and my skincare products sit next to the sink because what's the point of always putting everything away when I use it every day? Crew, on the other hand, is the organized to my chaotic life. Every one of his products has a place in the bathroom, and if I didn't see him come in and out of this room, I'd think he'd never used it. But I'm trying to be better.

While I wait for the water to warm, I stare at my reflection in the mirror. There's a glow around my face that wasn't there before. Slowly, my light is starting to come back into my eyes. Is this what happiness feels like? It's been so long since I was actually happy, not the fake kind, but the real kind. The kind that makes food taste better and colors shine brighter.

My phone has been radio silence from he-who-shall-not-be-named for weeks. A part of me is waiting for the other shoe to drop while the other part of me is hoping that this is what life is going to be like from now on. Maybe he finally got bored with the chase and the threats now that I'm states away. And he has no idea where I am.

Steam fogs the window, and I take that as my cue to get in the shower. Stepping inside, I let the hot water melt my skin away as I pour body wash onto my loofa and lather the sudsy liquid. Scrubbing my skin, I let my mind drift back to sitting on the dock in Silo Bay. Something about that place called to my soul. There was such a sense of community between the volunteers who welcomed us to Sunset Shores and the people who created signs along the road for Crew's homecoming. It's the type of place you read about or watch in movies. Small towns in the Midwest have magic to them, and this place has sucked me into its orbit.

I could see myself living there .

A ding sounds through the speaker, interrupting my thoughts. Turning off the nozzle, I step out of the shower and wrap my body in a fluffy navy towel. One thing Crew and I seem to share is our love for the color navy.

There's a text waiting from in the ‘Bestie Babes' group chat.

Chloe: We're here, girl!

Me: Coming!

Glancing at the clock, I realize I was in the shower for way too long. Leaving the bathroom, I jog across the floor and unlock the door.

"Damn, now that's my kind of greeting," Brynn jokes as she takes in my towel-covered body.

Holding the door open wider, I gesture for Brynn, Chloe, and Macy to come in. "Sorry, I lost track of time."

"We're a little early," Chloe says, slipping out of her sneakers and placing them beneath the entryway table.

I follow the girls into the apartment after I lock the door behind us. "Oh, I invited our friend Savannah. I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind," I say, shaking my head. "I met her at the party last weekend."

Chloe places bags down on the dining table while Macy pulls out a chair. Brynn takes the opportunity to peruse the apartment, poking her head into the guys' rooms. "I'm going to throw on some clothes." I gesture over my shoulder. "You guys make yourselves at home."

"Be careful what you wish for. I told her to make herself comfortable in my dorm one day, and the next thing I knew we were moving in together," Macy jokes.

"Ha. Ha. You're so funny." Brynn rolls her eyes. The three of them have such a fluid relationship with their playful banter and inside jokes. I'm really thankful that they decided to take me under their wing. Leaving the room, I dig through my clothes until I pull out an oversized CTU football hoodie and athletic shorts. The girls are all in comfortable CTU clothes, which is perfect for our night in to watch the game.

Back in the living room, bowls are spread across the table. Glancing inside, I find tortilla chips and taco dip, sliced vegetables and veggie dip, and a white mixture that reminds me of the icing from Dunkaroos with bear-shaped crackers next to it.

"Holy shit, this spread looks amazing. You did not have to do all this."

Chloe turns her head from where she's sitting on the couch. "It was seriously no big deal."

"And the guys told us to not let you cook so…" Brynn's words trail off as she shrugs.

Chloe tosses a pillow at Brynn. "Don't be rude to our host."

"Oh please." Brynn adjusts the pillow onto her lap. "Bret's one of us, which means she's fully subject to all of the asshole comments."

My heart warms at her compliment of being part of them. "I mean, I was going to order a bunch of appetizers when I ordered wings." Moving around the girls, I find an open spot on the couch to settle down on. Placing my legs underneath my body, the cushions mold around my bent knees as I relax into the nook between the backrest and armrest.

"Let me call Steve at The Eagles Nest. He'll make sure to bump our order so we get it before the game. I assume you want it delivered?"

I shrug. "It doesn't matter to me."

"Make sure you get garlic parm for me, please," Macy requests.

Chloe glances up from where she's typing away on her phone. "I want to try their luau barbeque. "

"What's that?" I ask.

"It's a new sauce. I guess it's like a barbecue sauce with hints of pineapple."

I scrunch my nose. "I'll pass on that."

"Oh my gosh, please tell me you're a pineapple girl."

"Like by itself. Not on pizza or in cottage cheese like my mom." I shiver at the thought.

Chloe gasps, clutching her heart. "Pineapple goes on pizza, and that's a hill I'll die on."

A giggle breaks free as I watch her dramatics. "Okay, okay. Do they have a buffalo ranch?" Brynn nods. "Perfect. I'll take that."

"Ohemgee, it's like I'm ordering for the guys with all the wings to satisfy everyone's sauce craving." I watch as she types a hundred miles an hour on her phone before smiling. "Food is ordered. Steve said he'll have his delivery driver bring it to us when it's ready."

A natural silence falls over the room as we all cozy up on the oversized couch. ESPN plays on the TV with an afternoon football game. I like that there isn't an awkward need for conversation. Glancing around the three girls, I can't help but smile at how different we all are. I love how not one of us decided to dress up for tonight's game. Each one of us are in our own comfortable style. Chloe's wearing a powder blue matching loungewear set. Brynn's outfit is an oversized jersey with Quinton's number on the back with a pair of navy bike shorts peeking out underneath. Then there's Macy. She's the craziest out of all of us. I mean, who wears jeans to lounge around in? Crazy people, that's who. She has a cropped, uniquely designed CTU hoodie on, and I'm assuming it's one that she designed herself.

I've heard a lot about her one-of-a-kind designs where she mixes and matches fabrics to create custom tops. Photos of her designs are shared on many fashion social media accounts. The girl is talented . I already have a design in mind whenever Crew and I take our relationship public.

"Anyone want a drink?" I stand from my spot and move around the table.

"What are our options?" Brynn asks.

Macy scoffs. "As if you didn't pack tequila."

"Actually, I didn't." Brynn sticks her tongue out at Macy, who laughs.

"I think we have a bottle of tequila in the freezer. JP has some kind of whiskey, and we have plenty of beer, seltzers, Coke, and water."

A knock at the door interrupts our conversation. "Let me grab that."

The girls discuss which drinks we are drinking tonight while I go to answer the door. The drink dilemma is crucial. It could be a shots kind of night, a margarita on the rocks kind of night, or a chill canned alcoholic beverage kind of night.

Unlocking the door, I twist the handle, fully expecting the delivery driver to be here with the wings. Instead, a petite girl with light brown and blonde balayage hair stares back at me. "Savannah!"

"Hey, girl!" She steps inside the door and wraps her arms around my shoulders for a quick hug. "Thanks for having me over tonight."

"Oh my gosh, of course. I'm glad you could come. I didn't have your number, or I would've invited you myself."

As I shut and lock the door behind us, we step farther into the room. "We'll change that tonight."

With a smile, we walk into the living room as shouts of greeting fill the air. Brynn jumps up from her seat. "Okay, now that you're here, let's take a selfie before we get the night started. "

We giggle as we settle around the couch, finding our positions for the perfect selfie. Brynn is in the middle with her arm in the air, the front camera of her phone facing us.

"Squish tighter." And we do until our faces nearly smash each other, laughter pouring out of us. Brynn must like where we are positioned. "On the count of three, everyone yell ‘Brynn is pregnant.' One." Click.

Our jaws drop as we realize what she just said. Screams fill the air as we all squeeze the platinum blonde in front of us. Chloe and Macy start crying, tears pouring down their faces as Savannah and I smile brightly at our friends.

"You bitch, I can't believe you've been keeping this a secret!" Chloe cries.

Brynn slips out from under our arms and slides her jersey up over her hips. A tiny bump shows on flawless skin. "I'm due in January."

"Wait." Macy's eyes widen. "That means you're—"

"Twenty-one weeks," Brynn interrupts. "This has been the hardest secret I've ever had to keep from you guys."

"Wow, B. There's a little jelly bean in your belly." Chloe reaches out and rubs Brynn's tiny bump. The smile on her face is contagious as she radiates a beautiful glow.

"I had no idea you and Q wanted kids so quick," Savannah adds from her spot on the couch.

Brynn lets out a nervous laugh. "Funny story. Remember when I got sick last spring after the NFL draft? Well, turns out the antibiotics messed with my birth control, which I should have known, but…" She shrugs. "Anyway, we were quite shocked when I missed my period."

"Oh my gosh, that's like my biggest fear," Savannah muses, and Chloe hits her with a pillow. Sav's eyes widen and bounce up to Brynn's. "Shit, I'm sorry. "

"No, girl. Don't be sorry. Believe me, we have been in shock and denial for weeks. Now that we're well out of the first trimester, we're over the moon to start our family."

"I'm super happy for you." I stand and give my newfound friend a big hug.

"Thanks, Bret." Brynn hugs me back before looking at Macy. "And this is why I won't be having tequila."

Macy chuckles as she settles back into her spot on the couch. "Looks like it's a seltzer kind of night."

"I'll take a beer if you have one," Sav says, and I nod.

"Do the guys know?" Curiosity piqued my interest, so I know if I must keep it a secret.

Brynn shakes her head. "Q is going to call them up tomorrow. I told him I had to tell my girls first because even though I'm a married woman now, it's still chicks before dicks."

We all laugh as I head to the kitchen to grab drinks. Turns out it's going to be a canned alcoholic beverage—and water—kind of night.

"Get him! Get him!" Brynn roars at the TV from where she's leaning on her elbows. CTU is down by three in the fourth quarter. Our wings are long gone, and the snacks have been moved from the dining table to the coffee table.

Tonight is exactly what I've needed. The girls have filled me in on all of the campus gossip, the best places to eat and get coffee, a local florist who has the best floral arrangements, a hidden gem boutique with the cutest clothes, and everything in between .

When I left Arizona, I only had Olivia. Making friends is challenging, especially when you have the suitcase-sized baggage that I have, but the girls have reassured me that we all have our own shit. No matter what I'm going through, they will always have my back, and whenever I'm ready to talk about it, they will be there for me.

"Oh my gosh," Sav shouts, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I watch as Grant breaks a tackle and runs toward the end zone. He scores, which puts us up by three with three minutes left. Our kicker comes out onto the field to attempt the extra point. Hands clasped under my chin, I mumble a silent prayer. The ball is snapped, the kick is up, and it's good. I jump on my feet and raise my arms.

"Damn, girl, it's like you're out there playing." Brynn flips her hair over her shoulder as she adjusts her position.

"Listen, I live with three of those men, and I don't need them all grumpy when they come home."

"Finally going to take advantage of your situation and have yourself a little reverse harem action?" Chloe waggles her eyebrows as three other heads whip in my direction.

"First of all, no. Second, my brother almost killed me after that comment at dinner, and last," I say, ticking each point off on my fingers. "Crew caught me reading that book you lent me."

Chloe erupts in a full-fledged cackle as she grasps her stomach. "Please tell me it was a sex scene."

"Girl, it was right when the main character finally gave in to letting both guys in her bed. So yeah, I was pretty riled up when he and Tyler came home."

"Should've taken advantage of the situation." Brynn smirks. "The hormones have me riled up all the time. Long-distance phone sex just isn't the same. "

More laughs and giggles sound. It's been the constant soundtrack of our night. Leaning back in my seat, I bounce my knee as I watch the clock tick down until the clock finally hits zero. The Eagles scraped that win out by the skin of their teeth.

"Okay, movie time!"

Reaching for blankets and pillows, the five of us snuggle together on the huge sectional couch and watch a movie until we all eventually drift off to sleep.