Page 72 of Forever Defiant
He gave me a flat look. “Whatever you’re thinking, stop it,” he growled. “You can go back downstairs if you want.”
He walked inside, and just before the door closed, I caught it and slipped in. Noah was already at the fridge. He grabbed two bottles of water and set them on the counter. I looked around. My whole apartment would fit in here. Twice.
“Crazy, isn’t it?” he said, taking his jacket off and opening his water. “They have no idea how luxurious it is.”
“Who?”
“Dust and Dante.” He gestured to the bottle. “For you.” He walked past me and sat down. “I’m a transfer; my first school, this was the size of my room, which I shared, including the shared bathroom.”
I grabbed my water and followed him to the seats. I took the single chair. “I rent off campus,” I said, opening my water. “My place could fit in here twice. Just this room.”
He chuckled, eyes on me curiously. “So, what’s up with you two?”
I shifted in my seat and took a sip of water. “I, um, need him for something.”
“Ew.”
I laughed, and we shared a grin. “Not that,” I said, feeling more relaxed. “I don’t really need him. I need Savannah—”
“Absolutely not.”
I jerked forward when I met the stare of the golden-haired quarterback who had just opened his bedroom door.
“Dante,” Noah greeted casually. “Didn’t know you were back.”
“Evidently.” Dante walked out of his room, closing it firmly behind him. “Care to explain?” he asked Noah, but his attention stayed on me.
“Saw Hadley failing miserably at being invisible,” Noah said calmly. “She was coming up one way or another, I figured inside was better than another viral video.”
“So you willingly let the reporter into our apartment.”
His voice was as flat as his look.
“I just wanted to ask Savannah—”
“No.”
I cleared my throat. “She doesn’t seem like someone who likes to be spoken for.”
Noah whistled. “I like you,” he told me with a grin. “Feisty.” He stood and stretched. I didn’t notice his muscles, tattoos, or anything about him. Nope. Not me.
“Yo, Savvy!” he yelled. “Come out before Dante and the reporter get into a fistfight.”
Dante cursed, I giggled, and Noah grinned at us both.
“What, man?” he said, shrugging. “She’s going to find her. Isn’t it better here than out there, where people can see them?”
Dante’s door creaked open, and Savannah poked her head out. “Hi,” she greeted. Her cheeks were flushed, her hair was mussed, and I didn’t need to be an investigative journalist to know she and the QB were doing more than studying in his room.
Noah sat back down and gave me his attention. “What do you need Savvy for?”
She looked at me in surprise. “Oh. Me?”
She walked past her boyfriend, either oblivious to his pissed-off-ness or ignoring it. “Why me?” She sat down on the couch.
“I . . .” I closed my mouth. “Um . . . did you . . . did you tell them?”
She looked confused for a moment, then her expression cleared. “Oh, you mean that?” She nodded. “Yes, they know everything we know.”
