Page 72 of Forever Relentless

Chapter 16

Noah

“You look pleased with yourself.”

Dustin sat down on the chair across from me, a bag of chips already in his hand. I was playing Madden and hadn’t heard him come in.

“Hello to you too,” I greeted him. “You’re in the dorm and it’s nighttime . . . and am I to assume you know you’re supposed to be here?”

He gave me a flat look, kicking off his shoes as he got comfy. “Hadley said if I woke her up at six in the morning for the fourth day in a row, she was going to kill me.” He took a handful of chips. “I decided to stay here tonight.”

“Sounds healthier,” I murmured in agreement. “Aren’t you both supposed to be in the rosy glow of love, though?”

Dustin grinned. “Yeah, but have you met her without coffee? Raging monster. Like totally unhinged.”

“Huh.” I focused on the game. “I mustn’t have seen her with coffee . . .”

I caught the chip he threw at me and popped it in my mouth.

Dustin looked between his bag and me. “Did you trick me?”

With my attention on the screen, I made sure to keep my face carefully blank.

“You almost done?” he asked.

I paused my game, restarted it, and handed him the other controller.

“Sweet.” He settled in beside me, chips forgotten. I snagged a few before he could stop me. “Is there any chance you’ll buy your own snacks, ever?”

“Too poor,” I told him around a mouthful of salty goodness.

I watched him hesitate, and then his eyes narrowed. “Bullshit. For that, I’m kicking your ass double hard.”

“Double hard?” I snorted. “You should have paid more attention in English class, man.”

“Fuck you.”

We started a new game, and for a few minutes, the only sound in the dorm room was the game.

But good things never last.

“So . . . Punching an assistant coach . . .”

I kept my focus on my player. “He had it coming.”

“Did he?”

“If you want to ask me something, Dust, just ask me. Subtle isn’t your strong suit.”

“You got a boner for Briar?”

I kept my focus on the screen, but I couldn’t hide the twitch of my lips. “Told you before, she’s gorgeous.”

“She’s staff.”

“Not really,” I countered. “She doesn’t want to be here any more than I want to be benched. She’s not really staff.”

Dustin sniffed. “Pretty sure she’s active staff as long as Wrighton U is signing her paychecks.”