Whoa, okay. I think she’s still mad about the whole bar scene. I don’t blame her, but then again, I thought maybe, just maybe, she would have cooled down a little.

“I mean . . .” I grip the back of my neck, truly in self-destructive mode. “It’s fucking rude to interrupt my brother and me just to have a vague conversation, as if you’re stringing me along, forcing me to ask questions, or acting like I don’t even exist at all.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh hell,” Griffin mutters and leans back in his chair, his hand swiping over his eyes.

I never said I was an effective communicator. I think it shows.

“It’s rude.” I shrug, sticking to my guns, because if anything, I at least still have my pride. “Since I’m sitting right here, it’s only polite to include me.”

“Dude, stop . . . ,” Griffin says from the side of his mouth.

And I know he’s right, but for some reason, I can’t figure out how to turn off my mouth.

“I know you’re pissed at me, but you can still be fucking civilized instead of acting like a child and ignoring me.”

“Digging your own grave,” Griffin hisses.

Yeah, I know.

I fucking know. It’s pretty obvious from the way Harper’s trying to smite me with her fiery eyes.

“Are you finished?” she asks.

I nod, arms crossed over my chest.

She leans forward, clearly not wanting to make a scene. “In case your pea-brain-size head forgot, Griffin was the one who called me over—”

“Name calling? Really, Harper?”

Eyes wide now, she just about hops out of her chair—and fuck if I don’t like pushing her buttons.

“Name calling? I didn’t call you anything. I just insulted the size of your brain, and you would understand that if you weren’t hit so many times in the head on the football field.” Ooh, that one stings a little. “Now, like I was saying, Griffin called me over here to congratulate me. I by no means had any intention of making my way over to your little Knightly pow-wow because I have no desire to be within a ten-foot radius of you and your smug, know-it-all, pompous attitude.” She takes a breath, eyes scorching me to my core. “And because you can’t possibly handle not knowing what I might possibly be doing in your town, which you basically peed all over when you dropped out of college and left me to find somewhere else to settle, I got a job with Lovemark. I’m scouting out locations for the movie they’ll be filming here. But don’t worry, it doesn’t involve you. At all. I’ll be staying out of your hair and leaving you alone. Believe me, the last thing I want is to run into you more than I already have.”

Griffin snorts and buries his face in his coffee cup.

Abruptly, she stands and looks down at Griffin. “Thank you for being so supportive and thinking of me. I really appreciate it. More than you know.” With that, she starts to walk past me but stops before my chair. She takes a sip of her coffee, almost casually, but her white knuckles betray her anger. “You know, Rogan, you used to be a gentleman. Just because you think the universe is against you doesn’t mean you have to be a dick to me. I wasn’t the one who fucked up everything, despite how much you want to blame me.” She leans forward and flicks my hair with her finger. “Also, you were much hotter with shorter hair.”

And with that, she turns on her heel and walks out the door, leaving me to nurse my bruised ego while Griffin laughs at my side.

Concerned, I run my hand through the wavy locks that fall at my ear. “Do you think I was hotter with shorter hair?”

Head tilted back, Griffin barks out a laugh. “Oh hell, dude, can you bring her back here for round two? I think I want to record it for the family.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

ROGAN

Senior Year, High School

“Are you all packed?”

I look around my partially empty room, hands stuffed in my pockets. This moment is so surreal. I’ve been working my ass off for the last three years, putting in the hours on the field, in the gym, and in the classroom as well, securing ten full-ride offers from schools of my choice. And now that I’m packed and ready to drive down to Syracuse, New York, tomorrow, it still feels crazy.

I did it.

Fuck. I push my hand through my hair. I did it.

“I think so.”

Griffin grips my shoulder and gives it a squeeze. “I’m going to miss you, bro.” He smirks. “Especially since I’m going to have to deal with Brig and Reid without you.”

“Yeah, but it’s good for them to have you around. Someone has to be Brig’s shoulder to cry on when a girl inevitably breaks his heart. And Reid . . .” I shake my head. “Someone is going to need to drive him out of his room before he chafes his dick off.”

A hearty laugh pops out of Griffin. “That boy is going to lose all sensation in his cock before he loses his virginity.”

“Yeah,” I say softly.

“Hey.” Griffin turns me toward him with a hand to my shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

Feeling like an idiot, I press my hand against my forehead. “Harper wants to meet up tonight at the manor, after our graduation parties.” Griffin is the only one who knows about our secret hangout. He’s a loyal older brother, though, and hasn’t said a word.

“Okay . . . ,” Griffin draws out.

“I think she wants to, you know . . . have sex for the first time.”

A slow grin spreads across his face. “And you’re nervous.”

“Fuck . . . yes, I’m nervous. I mean, it’s not like I haven’t already made her come. I swear every time we’re together now, we’re at each other, doing pretty much everything besides . . . you know . . .”

“But you have a feeling tonight is the night?”

I slowly nod and lean against the wall I painted Superman blue so many years ago. “I’ve waited; Harper is going to let me know when she’s ready, and now that I think she is, I’m kind of getting cold feet. What if I suck?”

Griffin chuckles again. “There’s no doubt in my mind that you’re going to suck.”

“Gee, thanks, dude.”

“Every guy does their first time. But as long as you try to make it as enjoyable as possible for the girl, that’s all that matters. Focus on her pleasure, use all the foreplay you’ve been doing for the past year tonight. Make out with her while your hands slowly run over her body. Don’t just play with her tits, but worship them. Suck on them, pinch them . . . hell, bite them. Claire loves that.”

“Really?” I’ve played with Harper’s tits before, but I’ve never sucked on them or bitten them. “They’re not too sensitive?”

“They are, but you’ll be able to tell the difference in what’s pleasurable and what hurts. It’s all in the gasps and moans. Pay attention. And for the love of God, go down on her before you even think about pulling your dick out of your pants. You’ve done that, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And you’ve made her come doing that?”

I smile inwardly, remembering the other night when she was coming on my tongue, my name ripping from her throat. “Yeah, I have.”

“Good. Fuck her with your tongue to relax her, make her come, and then slip yourself inside her. It will be more relaxing and pleasurable for her. At this point, you’re going to last seconds at best, so at least she’ll be pleasured when you’re a one-pump chump.”

“Your confidence in me is reassuring.”

“I’m not trying to be a dick; I’m just trying to set you up for success. But honestly it doesn’t really matter. You two are in love, so even if your first time is you spilling your shit on her leg before you can even get your dick inside her, it doesn’t matter. You’ll keep going at it. She’s not going to dump you after the first time.”

“She might.” I lightly bang my head against the wall. “It would be kind of nice for her if her boyfriend knows what the hell he’s doing, especially since we’re both going to college where there will be a bunch of guys with way more experience.”

Griffin laughs. “Please, that girl is head over heels in love with you. There’s no way she’s leaving your side. You should be more concerned with all the girls who’ll want to jump your bones once they find out you’re on the football team. Groupies are real, especially for a future pro football player. I think Harper dealing with all the groupie bullshit is going to be your top concern, not your sex life. That will come, but reassuring her, showing her how much you love her, that’s going to be a constant struggle on your end.”

“I have zero interest in anyone but Harper,” I answer, a little insulted that Griffin would even bring it up.

“Never said you had any intentions of finding someone else, but Harper was already self-conscious about dating the infamous Rogan Knightly in Port Snow. Think about the insecurities that might come at a giant college. Just be available for her if those insecurities pop up. Okay?”

“Yeah, I get it.” I let out a long sigh, my cheeks burning. “Can I have some condoms?”

Shaking his head, Griffin pulls me in by the shoulder and leads me down to his room, giving me some more advice, some solid moves I can use on Harper tonight. Lord help me. I just hope tonight is the night; I don’t want our first time to be in college, when anyone could walk in on us. I want it to just be us tonight—just me and my forever girl.