A dreamy look comes over my face as I basically float to her bed, falling on top of it, not caring one bit for her books or notes. “Oh Skylar, good is not the word. Perfect is more like it.”

“Oh man, I bet it was. Is he hung?!”

Breathless, I say, “Like a Clydesdale!”

“Mother of God,” she whispers and I nod quickly.

“It was amazing and perfect and ugh, as much as I want to believe there will be a second time, the doubt is there.”

“Yeah, I get what you’re saying. Jude isn’t a one-woman man, babe. I hope you remembered that going in.”

I nod as I sit up, letting out a breath. “I did, but Skylar, the way he looked at me, the way he treated me and talked to me, it just seems different.”

“You’re hot, babe, believe me, I know this. But Jude just isn’t take home to Phillip material. He more than likely won’t even text ya, which is shitty ’cause you’re amazing.”

My heart sinks because I think deep down I know that is the truth.

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“Don’t be sad. He popped your celibate cherry. Now time to find Mr. Right!”

I shrug as I let out a very unhappy sigh. “I guess.”

When a text signals, I look down at my display and my heart skips a beat at what I see.

Hey Jude: I didn’t even make it out of the quad before I craved ur touch. I can’t wait to see u again, baby, I’m counting the hours.

“Is that from him?”

I nod my head as I reread his words. “Maybe it is different?” I ask, and my God, I sound so fucking hopeful.

“Are you sure that’s Jude?” she asks and I nod, pointing to the top where it says Hey Jude.

“Ugh, I’m a little speechless,” she admits and I couldn’t agree more.

“Me too,” I whisper but then quickly type him back.

Me: I can’t wait to see u, when will I?

Hey Jude: Sooner than u think. I’ll be thinking of u all night.

“Holy crap! Jude Sinclair does not talk to girls like this.”

I shrug as I bite into my lip still staring at the screen. “He does with me.”

“First, you ever wink at Claire again, I’ll gouge your eyes out,” I say to my brother once I open the door to our room.

He looks up at me and laughs. “Whatever, dude. I was playing around.”

“Don’t do it again,” I say sternly and he rolls his eyes. “But hey, you’ve done the girlfriend shit, right?”

Jayden looks back up at me and raises an eyebrow. “Yeah, why?”

“’Cause I think I might want to do that,” I say, shutting the door and throwing my keys and phone down.

“I’m sorry, I misheard you,” he teases and I glare.

“Shut up and tell me what I need to do to have a girlfriend.”

He laughs as he shakes his head. “First ya gotta find a girl who wants that, which considering it’s you, that shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Check, got that. Next thing.”

He eyes me and then goes on, “You can’t sleep with anyone else but her. She is it, that’s all. You do everything with her, you call her, you walk her to class, you listen when she talks, and you treat her like a fucking princess ’cause she deserves it.”

My face scrunches up, not because I can’t do that, I can, no big deal, especially if it’s for Claire, but because how the hell does Jayden know this? So I ask, “How the hell do you know this shit?”

“One, I’ve had a girlfriend successfully until she turned dumb, and two, I do everything Dad doesn’t and it seems to work.”

Jayden has always been the smarter Sinclair. “Good plan. Okay, good, I got this. So do I ask her now? Like, I don’t want anyone else having her and shit, so do I just come out and be like, ‘Hey, we’re together’?”

Jayden is looking at me like I’ve grown three more heads. “What the fuck, dude? Who are you?”

I laugh as I shrug. “She’s a game changer dude. I’m into her, big-time, and I don’t want anyone else to scoop her up.”

He still doesn’t look convinced, or maybe he just doesn’t understand how his brother who has never had a girlfriend wants one now. “The redhead?”

“Claire.”

“I mean, she’s smoking, but I still don’t get it. You don’t do this kind of thing. This isn’t the Jude Sinclair I know, and I’ve known you since I was born.”

I nod. “I get it, but sometimes you meet the one who changes it all, and she’s it, man, hard-core.”

“More power to ya, man, just don’t rush it. See how it goes ’cause you may feel like this now, but what if someone comes up with a hotter pussy, and you’re after them?”

I’m shaking my head before he’s done. The great thing about talking to Jayden about this is that I can be the real me and he won’t laugh. So I say the truth.

“Won’t happen. I’m telling you, she’s changed me. I’ve never chased after a girl, and I chased her. And I sure as hell never second-guessed having sex with one because I didn’t want to rush it. This is real, man, and it’s scary as fuck, but I can’t see myself without her.”

His face is a thing of horror, and then suddenly, he’s reaching for his phone.

I ask, “What the hell are you doing?”

“Calling Mom. You’re sick or something.”

Knowing that Rachael works out in the morning, I head to the gym after practice looking for her. When I spot her on the treadmill, I lean against the front of it and she sets me with a look. “Funny seeing you here, but sorry, I’m not in the mood. It’s that time of the month.”

I scoff. “That’s not why I’m here.”

Her brow comes up. “Then why?”

“I want to know if Claire Anderson made the dance team.”

Her brows come together as her nose lifts in the air. “Why would I tell you?”

“’Cause if you don’t, I’ll make sure that none of the guys from the team ever look your way again. I think herpes will keep them away.” Her face fills with shock and I say, “Now come on, did she?”

She sticks her tongue out at me, and I wonder what I ever saw in her. Yeah, her ass is great, but she isn’t very pretty most the time because of the bitchy face she always wears. “Of course she did. She was the best one who tried out, and she’ll probably be the best on the damn team. Why? You trying to hit that?”