blows across the deck, ruffling the neckline of my dress. The motion pulls Eric’s eyes to my bust, and he blinks.
He looks back up at me. “Ah, sorry, what was I saying?”
I smack him on the arm and he rubs it like it hurt when I know it didn’t.
“Ow, babe. My eyeballs just went there, sorry. I’m a man, but you’re with Z and I respect that, so I won’t do it again. Plus, I’m thinking you’re going to be like the sister I never had, right? I hope so?” He grins.
I shake my head, laughing. I can’t even be mad at the babe because with Eric, it’s just a regular word.
“Anyway, the secret I was going to tell you is Z doesn’t like parties that much either. I don’t even think he likes all these people here at the house, but it’s my birthday.”
He must see the surprise on my face.
“He goes to the Kappa parties because they’ve hosted the hockey team for decades, and it’s kind of cool since we can’t pledge a real fraternity. Z knows he’s the star of this team, and after a big win, there’s always a party at the Kappa house, and you can bet your ass he’ll be there. He’s got a streak of devotion a mile long in him.” He takes a drink from his beer, his gaze searching mine. “Also, if you have any questions, I’m here to help. I’m your relationship guru when it comes to Z.”
I chew on my lips. “Has he ever had a serious girlfriend?”
“A high school sweetheart. I never met her.” He shakes his head, his face solemn. “She died in a car wreck right before he graduated from prep school…” He stops talking and sighs. “Willow was her name, but he doesn’t talk about her.”
My heart drops and I scramble to reinvent him in my head, picturing him with a girlfriend and then losing her. I think about his comments during class, about darkness and being lonely. “Is that why he doesn’t get serious with girls?”
He flashes me a bright smile. “Maybe he hasn’t met the right one?”
I blush.
He snorts. “Did you know he adopted a cat but pretends he doesn’t really care? I mean, she sleeps in his bed with him. You should hear him talk to her in the morning when he thinks I’m asleep. Dude is whipped by a cat.” He laughs.
I nod absently, my mind still on the girlfriend. I’m dying to ask more specific questions, but it feels like an intrusion.
I should just ask Z.
“You say you need a minute and here you are with Eric,” comes a husky voice, and we both turn to see him standing there. I freeze, wondering how much of our conversation he heard.
Eric holds his hands up and takes a step away from me. “Just being friendly is all.”
Z’s face is hard, and his gaze goes from me to Eric.
Some girl calls out Eric’s name, and he flashes an I’m sorry look at me before heading off. “Babe!” he says to the girl, giving her a twirl, and she ruffles his hair.
I look back at Z, and he’s never taken his eyes off me.
“He flirts with everyone,” he says. “Don’t think you’re special.”
I frown. “We were talking about you.”
“Did you learn anything interesting?”
“No.”
“Maybe if you’d stick around long enough to talk to me, you might learn something.”
“Lola isn’t my cup of tea, and you seemed to have it under control.”
He studies my face. “I never slept with her, in case you were wondering.”
“I wasn’t. This whole thing between us is pretend.”
“Right,” he says with a frown. He holds up his black varsity jacket. It’s black with gold sleeves and has the Hawthorn Lions crest on the back. “I thought you might be cold so I brought you this. You seem to like coats.”
I stare at it.
“Put it on. It’s cold out here. Please.” That last bit is added after a beat.
“You like telling me what to do, don’t you?”
“Are you saying you don’t like it? Because, well, I know how to read you, and you do like it, Miss Ryan.”
He gives me a heavy-lidded look as I take a step toward him and he envelopes me in the jacket. The sleeves go past my fingertips, the length reaching the hem of my dress. I let out a shiver as I huddle inside it.
“Still cold?” he asks, his voice low, his gaze intent.
I shake my head and let out a breath. “Yes, but I—I