Midnight Muse

“Yeah? You’re both friends with him, so I thought I would be nice and invite him along,” I explain, and they almost swoon.

Woah. These quickly changing moods are throwing me through a loop.

“That is so sweet,” Rory coos and Quinn laughs. “I’m going to text Ace right now and tell him how sweet you’re turning out to be under all of those black clothes.”

I frown, glancing at Quinn, who hasn’t said anything yet. To be honest, her silence is making me a little nervous, so I lean down to ask her, “Is that okay?”

“Yes, of course,” she answers quickly, “I just wasn’t expecting you to do that.”

I look both ways before crossing the road, swinging my hand in hers, trailing Rory as we go.

“I know that there’s no man on campus you love more than me, so I’m pretty confident that we can have Reid around without it being an issue,” I muse, and she shakes her head, laughing along.

This is what I needed after being left alone with my worries all day. My girl and a little laughter.

“I do love you, Knox.”

“I love you too, Princess.”

“Awe, you two are so freaking cute!” Rory exclaims. I hadn’t realized that she turned around and is now walking backwards, her phone propped up in her hands to take pictures of Quinn and I. “Say cheese!”

“So, what’s this all about?” Slate asks, loading another slice of pizza onto his plate.

Okay, when I said dinner, I didn’t mean that I was going to make something. No, that’s saved for Quinnie and the occasional guy’s night when we feel like something more than wings or ‘za.

Tonight, I’m too nervy to cook, but I did pay for the pizza, so same thing.

“What do you mean? Why does me buying pizza for everyone mean that somethings up?” I question, ignoring the look Quinn shoots me. Fuck, I’m too nervous. I’ve barely even eaten a slice, and at this rate, Slate’s going to demolish the rest of them before I can even manage one.

I’m not even sure I’d be able to pick up my slice anyway with how badly my hands are shaking. I’ve stuffed them under my legs for now, and Quinn’s not the only one who’s noticed.

“Because you were adamant about all of us showing up,” Ace adds, talking around his own food-filled mouth. Rory scolds him and it normally would make me laugh but tonight I’m too on edge. “Some of us had plans tonight.”

Slate scoffs. “Yeah, a fuck-fest on the girls’ couch doesn’t count as plans, Acey boy.”

He’s still been acting strange lately, but in better spirits since the night we all spent at the bar. I’m not sure what’s up with him and I haven’t gotten the chance to catch him alone to ask. When I try, it’s like he’s avoiding me, taking phone calls or telling me he’s on his way out to meet someone.

It’s more than frustrating at this point, and it wounds me. And now I know what it’s like when my roommates have to put up with me.

Looks like I might have some more apologizing to do in the near future.

Quinn sets her hand on my leg where I haven’t stopped bouncing it beneath the table, trying—and failing—to dispel my nerves. I look over at her and my worries seem to fade with the soft smile she’s giving me, her wide hazel eyes encouraging me to say my piece.

I take a deep breath, opening my mouth to speak, when Ace cuts me off, firing a glare at Slate. Rory’s head is in her hands but I can feel the heat of her embarrassment all the way across the table. No one is ever going to let them live the couch-fucking incident down, even if Quinn and I also spent some naked one-on-one time on my couch, without all of the hubbub of someone walking in on us.

We’re sneakier, and I prefer to keep it that way.

“At least I have a girl to fuck on the couch.”

Slate goes still in his chair for a split second that only I catch because my attention is on him. Before I can delve into his reaction, he’s stuffing his face with more pizza and shooting back. “I could have three girls here in ten minutes for a fuck-fest on the couch if I wanted.”

“Please,” Quinn interrupts, silencing the table with her stern voice. It makes my spine tighten and my cock twitch at the authoritative tone. I kind of want her to use that in the bedroom sometime. I can imagine her telling me how to move my tongue while she’s sitting on my face. “I think Knox was trying to tell us all something, and I’m trying to eat, Slate.”

“Ace started it,” Slate mumbles, which is certainly not true.

“Anyway,” Quinn says, making stern eye contact with both of my roommates so that they know she means business. I don’t know why this is turning me on so much, watching her come into herself since rediscovering her passion for drawing again, but goddamn it’s so fucking hot. “Knox, if you’ll please.”

“Thanks, Princess,” I say, smiling at her softly. She squeezes my leg and that’s all it takes for me to untuck mine from beneath my thigh and clasp my fingers with hers. I’m definitely feeling like I need her support right now, especially with the way that everyone else is staring at me.