: Chapter 3
The party was in full swing as we walked up to the stately Tudor-style mansion on a perfectly manicured lawn. Lambda Chi was one of the few frats on Greek row that seemed to take outdoor chores seriously.
At the moment, cups and bottles littered the manicured lawn. Drunk students milled around, shouting and drinking. They’d covered all the windows to help soundproof the house, but the pounding bass of a dance beat pulsed through the front door.
“Matt!” The guy at the door held out his hand for a typical frat shake.
“Hey.” Matt motioned behind him. “They’re with me.”
The guy grinned and opened the door. Having a brother in our house saved us the entrance fees. It was a nice perk.
“Catch you back at the house.” Matt clapped me on the shoulder, then upnodded Alex.
“Keg or mix?” Alex asked as Matt disappeared into the crowd.
“Keg.”
We made our way into the living room, where the kegs were set up.
They’d pushed all the furniture against the walls, creating a dance floor. Drunk students filled the cramped space. Some were dry humping to the music while others were jumping up and down enthusiastically, pumping their arms in the air. A group of girls danced around their piled-up purses, and several guys were circling the room like sharks smelling blood.
We grabbed two beers and leaned against the wall. Two girls rushed over to us.
“Alex!” the blonde girl shrieked and threw her arms around his neck, yanking him down so she could hug him.
He expertly balanced his drink and hugged her back.
“Elissa.” He pecked a kiss against her forehead. She giggled and stared up at him with hearts in her eyes.
The brunette got up on her tiptoes and planted a big kiss on his cheek, then wrapped herself around him like a boa constrictor might greet their prey.
“Hi, Megan.” He patted her back, his eyes on Elissa.
I’d never met either of them, but it would seem they had a history with Alex.
“Come dance with us!” Elissa grabbed his free hand when Megan finally let him go. “We’re over there.”
She pointed to a group of students in the corner of the dance floor. Under the guise of dancing, several girls rubbed up on three blissed-out-looking guys.
Alex quirked his eyebrows at me.
I saluted him with my beer, silently telling him to have fun.
He let Elissa drag him away, with Megan on their heels and a pout on her pretty face.
Sipping my drink, I looked around.
I didn’t recognize anyone, which wasn’t unusual. I liked to party as much as the next guy, but I wasn’t a regular on Greek row like Alex.
I glanced at Alex as I made my way out of the living room to check out the rest of the main floor and see if I could find someone I knew.
He was sandwiched between Elissa and Megan, with a third girl on the side where he wasn’t holding his beer. They all bumped and ground together and seemed to be enjoying themselves.
He was set for the night.
I swept through the main floor, searching for a familiar face.
I wasn’t drunk, but the alcohol was giving me a nice buzz. I chugged my drink and tossed my empty cup into the trash.
Matt was in the kitchen with a group of guys who were as big and bulky as him. They probably played on the baseball team with him.
Not wanting to be a stage-five clinger on my roommate, I returned to the living room and grabbed another beer.
“Hey there, handsome.” A pretty brunette with big brown eyes and a brilliant smile sidled up to me.
“Hey, gorgeous.” I flexed my arm a bit as I took a drink.
She got up on her tiptoes and put her lips next to my ear. “Wanna dance?” she purred.
Rather than answer, I downed the rest of my beer and put the cup on a nearby shelf.
She took my hand and dragged me into the middle of the dance floor, squeezing between the dancing bodies until she found a patch of floor big enough for the two of us.
She draped her arms over my shoulders and pressed her breasts against my sternum. I wrapped my arms around her, bending over slightly to even out our height difference.
A mix of baby powder and vanilla with a hint of liquor tickled my nose. Her body was soft in all the right places, and I let the music take me away as we swayed and ground together.
Three songs later, the music changed to a soft ballad. She pulled away and looked up at me with big doe eyes. “Are you a brother here?”
“No, but my roomie is.”
“Oh.” She bit her lip and glanced at the stairs. “Do you live close by? Maybe we could, I don’t know, hang out?”
Her cheeks went red, all traces of the confident girl who’d asked me to dance gone.
Alarm bells went off in my head.
She suddenly looked young, too young.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Katelynn.”
“Hi, Katelynn, I’m Beck.” I held out my hand.
She giggled and shook it.
“Quick question, Katelynn, and you need to tell me the truth.”
“Okay.”
“Are you a freshman?”
She nodded.
“Are you eighteen?”
“Yes!” she said quickly, too quickly.
“I’m gonna need to see some ID.”
“I-I didn’t bring it with me.”
“Katelynn.” I gave her my best big brother look.
“I turn eighteen in two weeks.”
“Make sure you’re honest about that. Drinking underage is a rite of passage at college, but you could get someone in big trouble if you don’t disclose that you’re underage.”
She bit her lip.
“It’s only for two more weeks. But this is to protect you too. I get that the culture here is to sleep around, but you have lots of time to do that. If that’s what you want. Nothing says you have to.”
She dropped her eyes to the floor.
“I was just about to get a soda. You want one?”
“Sure.”
We made our way to the kitchen.
Matt and a couple of guys stood next to the counter.
“Roomie!” He held up his fist for me to bump. “And roomie’s hot friend!”
“Hey, Matt.” I bumped his fist.
Katelynn giggled, her face flushing bright red.
He was hot with his all-American blond, blue-eyed look. Add in his ridiculously fit body, and I could see why she was flustered.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“Just grabbing some sodas.”
“Sodas?” one of the guys exclaimed.
“Yes, sodas.” I shot him a pointed look, which he ignored as he looked Katelynn up and down, his eyes heated.
“Which do you want?” I asked Katelynn.
“Diet Coke?”
I grabbed a can as Matt asked Katelynn how she was enjoying the party.
She stammered her response, and I waited until she was looking at me to pop the top and hand it to her.
More than a few of the guys were staring at her with open lust in their eyes.
I subtly held up both hands behind her and flashed ten fingers, then seven so they’d know she was underage.
Most of the looks quickly cooled as she sipped her drink.
I poured some Sprite into a cup for myself.
“Ready?” I asked.
Matt was a good guy, but a few of his friends were still looking at her like they didn’t give a shit about her age.
She nodded, shooting Matt a shy look. “Bye, Matt.”
He winked at her. “Enjoy the party, and you come find me if anyone gives you trouble. You hear?”
“I will. Thanks!”
We headed out of the kitchen and into the dining room.
“Are your friends around?” I asked.
“Somewhere.”
“Come on, I’ll help you find them. But you have to promise me you’ll stick together. At least stay in pairs.”
“Why?”
“It’s safer. Keep an eye on each other and make sure everyone gets home safe.”
“Thanks, Beck.”
“Where are you from?”
“A little town outside of Omaha.”
“Farming town?”
“Yeah. My dad owns the feed store.”
“I’ll bet it’s a big change being here.”
“It is. I’d never left Nebraska before.”
Damn, she was as green as they came.
“Oh, there are some of my friends.” She pointed to a group of girls standing in the corner of the room.
Half of them barely looked old enough to drive.
Jesus, was it me, or were freshmen looking younger and younger?
“My last name is Andrews if you want to find me on Insta. I’m always up for making new friends.”
I emphasized the word to make sure my meaning was clear.
She beamed at me. “Mine’s MacKinnon.”
“Have a great night, Katelynn MacKinnon.” I winked.
One of the girls waved to her.
“Thanks. For everything,” she said.
“Anytime.”
I kept an eye on her as she made her way over to the group.
“Nice.”
Alex bumped my shoulder.
“She’s sweet.”
“You hitting that later?”
“She’s seventeen.”
“Too bad.” He chugged some of whatever was in his cup. “You good to get home on your own?”
“Yes, Dad.” I rolled my eyes.
“Add a dy to that, and I’ll allow it.” He waggled his eyebrows.
“In your dreams, fucker.” I punched his shoulder as he snickered into his cup.
“Oop. Duty calls.” He waved at the trio of girls he’d been dancing with and shoved his cup at me. “Maybe I’ll finally get my threesome.”
Alex talked a big game, but his reputation as a player was highly exaggerated. He hooked up, but the tales of his conquests far outnumbered his actual experiences.
“Enjoy.”
“I plan to.” He held out his fist for me to bump, then made his way over to the girls, a swagger in his step.
I downed what was left in his drink as all three girls latched onto him, looking up at him with heart eyes and giggling like he was the funniest guy on the planet.
Shaking my head, I headed back into the living room to see if anyone I knew had arrived while I’d been with Katelynn.
I was just passing the stairs when a guy with his arm around a clearly drunk girl bumped into me.
“Whoa there.” I grabbed his arm.
“The fuck?” He shook me off and glared at me.
He was nearly as drunk as her, which meant neither of them was able to consent.
“You don’t want to fuck with me.” He puffed out his chest as he gripped the girl tighter.
“And you don’t want to do this.” I stepped closer, using my superior height and bulk.
He looked young, about as young as her.
“Are you a brother?” I asked.
He planted his hand on my shoulder and gave me a sloppy shove.
“Oh, hell no.” Matt appeared at my side, a crowd of his buddies behind him. “You did not just put your hands on my man.”
The guy gulped as he looked up at Matt, who had a few inches and about forty pounds of muscle on me and towered over him.
“I-I…” he stammered.
“Time to fuck off.” He motioned to the girl, who was looking between everyone with confusion in her eyes. “Alone.”
The guy dropped his arm and put his hands up.
“You got her?” Matt grabbed the guy by the shirt and tugged him away from her.
I nodded, and he dragged the guy toward the door.
“Hey,” I stepped in front of the girl, who blinked at me blearily. “What’s your name?”
“Allyson.”
“Hi, Allyson. I’m Beck. Did you come here with some friends?”
She nodded.
“Do you see any of them?”
“Um…” She glanced around, her eyes unfocused. “Where’s Jeff?”
“Jeff?”
“He was going to show me his room.”
That fucker had lied to her. He wasn’t a brother.
“Jeff had to go. Let’s find your friends.”
She perked up. “Okay.”
I gave her a gentle tug and led her toward the living room. Katelynn stood near the entrance. She widened her eyes when she caught sight of Allyson.
She broke away from her friends and hurried over to us.
“Ally?” she asked. “Are you okay?”
“She needs to go home.” I let go of her, and Katelynn wrapped her arm around Allyson.
“Thanks, Beck.”
The other girls she’d been standing with crowded around us.
“You might want to check in on the rest of your friends. Make sure none of them are alone.”
“Safety in numbers, right?”
“Exactly.”
“I don’t feel good,” Allyson mumbled, one hand on her stomach.
“Did you eat dinner?” I asked.
She shook her head.
“Pro-tip.” I looked at each girl in turn so they would know I was serious. “Always eat before coming to one of these parties. And eat something before you go to bed. It’ll help with the hangovers.”
Katelynn nodded.
“Take care of each other.” With a gentle squeeze of Allyson’s hand, I left them. The girls would look after her.
Alex sat on one of the sofas with Elissa on his lap, the rest of her gaggle of friends nowhere to be seen. I wasn’t in the mood to stay, not after all that drama.
Matt caught my arm as he came around the corner. “She okay?”
“Yeah, she’s with her friends. They’re taking her home.”
“What about you?”
“Fine. He was too drunk to push hard. I’m heading out.”
He gave me a concerned look.
“Just not feeling it tonight.”
He held up his fist, which I bumped. “See ya at the house.”
I pulled my phone out of my pocket. It was barely eleven. Sighing, I tucked my phone away and left the frat house.
It was a nice night, cool, with a soft breeze. My buzz had leveled out. I wasn’t drunk, but I wasn’t completely sober either. I was in that weird in-between place where my mind was a little slow but my body was still under my full control.
Hopefully, the walk home would sober me up.
When I got home twenty minutes later, the house was dark, but that wasn’t unexpected, since Finn was the only one home.
My thoughts drifted to my mysterious roommate as I went into the kitchen to get a drink.
Tonight was the first time I’d heard him say more than a dozen words.
He was never around. Well, that wasn’t true. He was around, but he spent almost all his time in his room. He kept food on his shelf in the fridge and his cupboard, but I’d never seen him cook.
I took a carton of orange juice out of the fridge, opened it, and drank down several swigs.
I had no idea why I was suddenly so interested in my roommate. Maybe it was because he was quiet. I’d always felt a need to make everyone around me comfortable, and Finn’s shyness set off my protective instincts.
It was fucking weird, considering I barely knew the guy, but it was what it was.
I put the orange juice back, making a mental note to buy more the next time I went to the store, then headed out of the kitchen.
Was I in the mood to game? Or maybe watch something? It wasn’t often I had full rein over the TV.
Either way, I needed to get out of my party clothes and into something more comfortable.
Taking the stairs two at a time, I hurried up to the third floor.
It was quiet, but the thin strip of light under Finn’s door told me he was home.
“Ungh.”
What was that?
Another grunt rang out, then a sharp thud, followed by a loud cry.
Shit. Was he okay?
Reacting on instinct, I hurried over to his door and knocked.
“Finn?”
A strangled cry came from inside his room. I tried the knob. It twisted in my hand.
I pushed the door open, expecting to find him in a heap on the floor, maybe with a head injury or a broken leg.
He wasn’t lying on the floor.
And he sure as fuck wasn’t injured.
He was standing next to his bed with his dick out, a mess on his stomach, and a look of pure terror on his face.
“Shit!”
I slammed the door closed, frozen in place as the mental image of Finn wide-eyed and panicked was burned into my brain.
“Finn?” I said loudly, managing to keep my voice steady.
“What?” he yelped.
“Come to my room when you’re…done. We need to talk about this.”
Not waiting for an answer, I spun on my heel, ran to my door, and dug my keys out of my pocket.
My hands were shaking so hard it took three tries to get my key in the lock, but I eventually managed and slid into my room.
This wasn’t the first time I’d busted someone, but it was the first time they’d already finished.
I was no stranger to seeing other guys’ dicks. I’d spent way too much time in locker rooms for that to be a mystery. But I’d never taken the time to look at one, actually look, and in the few seconds between opening Finn’s door and slamming it closed, I’d managed to focus on his long enough it was now a core memory.
A flush of heat rushed through me as I put my phone, wallet, and keys on my desk.
I stripped off my shirt and tossed it into my hamper. Next went my jeans, and I grabbed a pair of sweats and an old team shirt.
Would Finn come? I didn’t hear any movement in the hallway. Maybe this was one of those situations where it would be better if we pretended it never happened.
Shaking my head, I tugged on my clothes, then kind of stood in the middle of my room, lost.
My cheeks burned, and I pressed my hand against one. It was hot to the touch.
I was blushing.
It had to be secondhand embarrassment.
But that didn’t explain the little flutters in my stomach.
And why the fuck was I half-hard?
Busting in on my roommate and embarrassing the hell out of him wasn’t something that should be turning me on. I couldn’t even begin to unpack how wrong this entire situation was. Did I have a humiliation kink? Or maybe it was a sympathy boner because I’d ruined his orgasm.
My dick chubbed up a bit more as I thought about how Finn had come when I’d been outside his door. How I’d heard it.
The sounds he’d made replayed in my mind, and my butterflies doubled.
Could that be why I was in the state I was? I preferred porn with loud models in them, and that included guys. Watching someone nut all over a girl’s back or tits was hot.
That had to be it. A super personal game of Never Have I Ever, followed by a disappointing frat party, must have made me hornier than I’d realized. Add in a few drinks, and it was no wonder I had a runaway boner.
It wasn’t Finn who was turning me on; it was the idea of sex.
I flopped down onto the edge of my bed and scrubbed my hands over my face.
No matter the reason, I needed to get control of myself in case Finn did show up. The last thing either of us needed was for him to see me in this state after what had happened.
Sighing, I stood and paced my room.
What the fuck was wrong with me?