Chapter 1
Kelsie
“I’m back, bitches!” I announce as I enter the house and throw my hands up in the air dramatically. “And tonight I’m going to kiss me a hot guy.”
It’s my battle cry of sorts because I’m ready to dust myself off and get back on that horse. Taking my two besties by surprise, Lucy and Grace jump from their spots in the living room and squeal with excitement as they rush over to me with wide eyes and outstretched arms.
“Oh, my God, Kelsie! You’re home!” Lucy exclaims, her words somewhat muffled against the faux fur lining of the purple coat I brought home from Paris as she embraces me in a tight bear hug. It’s the only kind she can give.
Grace joins in on our reunion, but pulls back with a puzzled look across her face. “What are you doing here? I thought you wouldn’t be home until Sunday night.”
I give them both a cat-that-ate-the-canary smile and shrug off my coat, hanging it in the closet near the front door of the off-campus house we affectionately call the “football house.” I can’t say I’ve missed the smell of stale corn chips or the stank of unwashed jerseys from the guys who inhabit the house since I’ve been gone, but I have sorely missed my two best friends. I could have really used their shoulders to cry on after Hayes dumped me.
Ignoring the painful tug at my heart, I swing my arms around each of their backs and lead them into the room with a phony cheerful tone in my voice.
“There was a slight change in schedules, so I came home early. And, voilá, here I am!”
I take a step back and toss my arms out wide, posing in my usual over-the-top aren’t I awesome manner. My smile is overly bright, even though that light dimmed a few weeks ago.
Both Grace and Lucy know a little about Hayes and the way he ghosted me at Christmas. But I lied about how it broke me into pieces, instead telling them it was what we both wanted in the end. The reality of it was that Hayes and I weren’t going to return to the States and continue on a long-distance relationship anyhow. I was prepared for that goodbye, but not the way he delivered it.
Over the last two weeks, I’ve managed to get through the holidays feeling a myriad of convoluted emotions—the devastation of getting jilted on Christmas Eve and then having to say goodbye to my Aunt Desiree. It’s been a lot to handle.
Which is why I made the decision on my long flights home that I was going to hold my head up high, put everything behind me, and start fresh. Fake it til you make it, they say.
And that means I’m going to shove my troubles away and enjoy tonight’s festivities.
“Ladies, I am in full party mode tonight and I have only two goals on the agenda.” I point my index finger in front of me. “Number one is to celebrate my homecoming with the champagne I brought back from France as a gift to my friends…”
I hook my thumb behind me and both girls turn to see Joel Henderson, or Hendy as everyone calls him, the team quarterback and also house resident, carrying a large box of champagne bottles in his arms. I’d shipped it home because I’d become quite a champagne snob during my time overseas.
Lucy giggles. “Oh, boy, things could get crazy.”
“Exactly. And that leads to objective number two, which is to kiss a random guy tonight…” I grin flirtatiously and shimmy my shoulders. “And see where the night leads.”
The girls both laugh and Hendy rolls his eyes at my antics as he walks past us through the living room and into the kitchen.
“Is there anyone you haven’t kissed on campus yet, Kels?” he lobs out in jest with a flick of his head over his shoulder.
I don’t take it as an insult because it’s not meant as one. Joel and I go way back to the beginning of our freshman year when he was still a scrawny second-string QB and I was a fun-loving California girl. We had one brief encounter at a dorm party when we made out for a bit, but it didn’t go any further than that, or anywhere from there.
As soon as I realized Hendy and I were two peas in a pod, sharing the same opinions on intimacy and relationships, and that my friend Lucy had a secret crush on him, I didn’t pursue anything further with him. Now Hendy and I are just good friends who like hanging out with each other and our pals.
I throw out my rebuttal, “Good point…is there anyone you haven’t kissed, Hendy?”
He laughs, the sound a deep bellow. “Touché. But you’re looking good tonight, Kels. Paris agreed with you. I’m sure you’ll find some sucker to fall at your feet,” Hendy compliments, setting the case down on the kitchen table before turning his gaze, roaming it over my body and punctuating it with a chef’s kiss.
I give him a polite curtsy and return the appreciative glance with a flirtatious reply. “Why thank you, monsieur. You don’t look too bad yourself these days.”
Now that Lucy has been dating Emmett and has no more feelings toward Hendy, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to hook-up with him if the timing and conditions were right. Although, for the record, I have always tried to avoid football players. With a few exceptions, including Emmett and Grace’s boyfriend, Killian, I find football players to be incredibly dull and boring and not at all great lovers. Most of them may have fantastic physiques, but all they do is live, eat, and breathe football. I like a man who’s cultured and can hold an intelligent conversation on current affairs or books… and then can talk dirty to me in bed.
Like Hayes.
I shake that thought away and reconsider Hendy. He’s changed a lot in the past three years and isn’t so bad, except for the way he goes through women. It’s a revolving door with him and he’s been known to be less than considerate about their feelings.
But what do I expect? He’s a guy. And I’ve learned my lesson when it comes to trusting a man with your heart or your feelings.
“Okay, who’s ready to break open some fancy schmancy direct-from-France champagne and get drunk with me?”
Lucy and Grace both raise their hands as Hendy strides off, probably in search of the beer keg.
Grace pulls down some glasses from the cupboard and I pop the champagne cork, pouring the bubbling liquid to the top of each glass, leaving the red Solo cups to the beer guzzlers.
“Let’s toast to Kelsie coming home where she belongs!” Grace says, clinking her glass with mine before taking a sip. She hiccups from the fizz and then laughs. “Oh, that’s gonna do the trick.”
Lucy rubs her nose after her first drink. “It makes my nose tickle.”
I lift my glass in the air again and they both do the same.
“Here’s to starting a new semester and avoiding all men with stupid first names that should be last names,” I say with a little more bitterness than I intend, referring to Hayes, of course. I catch Grace and Lucy eyeing each other.
“I know we’re not supposed to mention his name,” Grace says hesitantly. “But are you going to tell us the whole story of what happened? One minute you tell us you think you love him and then…poof, it’s over.” She makes an explosion gesture with her hand.
I down the rest of my glass and refill it, studying the effervescent bubbles as they gather at the top. Then I set the bottle down and wave a hand dismissively.
“Listen, it is what it is and I’m over him,” I offer casually, feeling the lie burn inside my throat like battery acid. They can probably see right through me, but neither of them say anything or press further.
The thing is, I’ve never been dumped by a guy before and it’s kind of humiliating, a terrible blow to my ego, as well as my soul. Hayes leaving me like he did punched a big hole in my heart. But I will never admit out loud the pain Hayes caused me. If I can convince my two besties that I’m fine, then I can certainly make myself believe it. “Hayes was nothing more to me than a fling.”
Lucy takes a dainty sip of her champagne and raises a disbelieving eyebrow. “But, Kels, didn’t you say you loved him?”
Well, shit.
It’s not a moment I’m overly proud of. I’d been riding high on that gushy love feeling that you get in your gut and did kind of allude to the idea that I fell for Hayes when I FaceTimed with the girls a few weeks ago. I shake my head adamantly and tilt my head to the side.
“I said I think I’m in love,” I eagerly correct, hoping to sound more adamant than I feel. “And it doesn’t matter anyway because he made his decision when he took off without being man enough to say goodbye to my face. Good riddance, I say. This is exactly why I remain single. All men are cowards and assholes.”
“Hey, that’s not true,” Emmett argues as he strides into the kitchen carrying two grocery bags that look to be filled to the brim with chips and party snacks.
Lucy flicks a look over my shoulder and a huge smile covers her face.
I used to wear that same expression when I saw Hayes in a room.
Swallowing down a huge gulp, I flash a friendly grin at Lucy’s boyfriend.
“Hey, EJ. I stand by my statement which is categorically true.”
Lucy scoffs and whacks me on the arm with a slap of her hand. I give her a look that says what?
“Good to see you too, Kelsie.” His eyes are bright as they look from me and then land on Lucy, turning into romantic googly-eyes that make me want to hurl. “Hey, baby. I got you your favorite snack.”
She flings her arms around her boyfriend’s neck, peppering him with kisses. “You are my favorite snack.”
I make a gagging noise and spin around. “Oh, God…I need to get out of this love-infested house!”
Grace laughs and latches my wrist in her fingers to keep me in place. “Oh stop it, Kels. I’m sure you saw a ton of kissing and flirtation in Paris. In fact, I bet you got hit on all the time by French men.”
“Very true.” I flip my hair over my shoulder and offer a flirty smile. “I did appreciate the French way of life. French men know how to demonstrate their affections toward beautiful women.”
“There’s only one beautiful woman here that I want to french,” jumps in Killian, who joins us in the kitchen, lumbering in and grabbing Grace around the waist as she squeals. He picks up her tiny body and pulls her into his gigantic frame where he nuzzles his face into the crook of her neck. Grace lets out a hoot of laughter and I groan again, playfully covering my eyes with my forearm.
“Ewww…toi aussi, Gracie?” I lament, dropping my arms from my face and rolling my eyes sarcastically. Killer, the very appropriate nickname for the giant tight end football player, grins and then begins rifling through the grocery bags.
“Did you get me that dip I like, bro?” he asks EJ, quickly refocusing his priorities to food. “I’m starving. And I’m gonna need some major refueling so I can take care of the needs of this sexy girl later tonight.”
I sigh. Looks like I’ve returned to the eye of a love storm and I’m not getting out of it anytime soon.
If I can’t beat ‘em, I may as well join ‘em and have some of my own fun.
“I’m ready to play a game tonight,” I announce and everyone in the room looks at me wearing the same heart-eyes expression on their faces. “It’s an adult version of spin the bottle and musical chairs.”
I open one of the kitchen drawers in search of a dish towel to tie around my head while everyone listens to the instructions.
“Obviously, since you’re all partnered up, I’ll be the only one playing this game tonight. But you can all pitch in to help.”
I hand the white towel to Lucy and she accepts it with narrowed eyes. “Once the party is in full swing, you cover up my eyes with the towel so I’m blinded and then guide me around the room. When you find someone, I have to kiss the guy of your choosing.”
Killer snickers. “Can it be a girl too? That would be hot.”
Grace smacks him on the arm. He rears back, rubbing his arm as if injured. “Hey? We’re inclusive in this house.”
I clear my throat. “Sure, girl or guy, I don’t care. But here’s how the game continues. Once I’ve kissed them, I take off the blindfold and get to choose whether I want to keep kissing them the rest of the night or I get to play again.”
EJ scratches a hand over his beard. “What if the guy doesn’t want to kiss you? Doesn’t consent go two ways?”
I snort in laughter, gesturing with my hands out to my side. “Um…hello? Who wouldn’t want to kiss me?”
Famous last words.