Kelsie McCollum’s physical well-being was now sacrificed, daily, at the altar of carnal desire. She was lucky if she could get a few hours of sleep per night. During the day, Kelsie nodded off in most of her classes–when she made it to class at all. When Kelsie was actually conscious during her lectures, she simply sat and counted the minutes until she could get back to Howard Hall. Once she was back in her room, she coun...

Naomi’s familiar touch stirs me from sleep, her fresh hand sliding under the waistband of my shorts. “Mimi,” I murmur with a lazy grin as she wraps her fingers around my rapidly hardening cock. “Trying to get me in the mood?” Blinking away the haze, reality hits me like a punch to the gut. This isn’t my bed. This isn’t Naomi. She dumped me a month ago. I’m on the lumpy old sofa in my parents’ summer lakehouse. And the blo...

If Kelsie McCollum was astonished by everything that had occurred in the past 30 seconds, Chris Weathers was even more astonished. The oak tree of a boy bolted up from the study desk in his room, where he had been hunched over a thick, laminated binder that clearly belonged to the Perion Football Team. His blue eyes wide, his mouth hanging open, Weathers seemed unable to get a word out. They both stood frozen: The massive...

“It’s definitely one of these…” As she studied Kelsie’s McCollum’s face, Jacqueline Sullivan held up three tubes of lipstick. Each one projected a slightly different shade of the same rich tone. Ruby. Cherry. Apple. “Are you sure?” Kelsie worrily queried. “They’re all so…red?” For as long as she could remember, Kelsie had been conscious of her pale skin. When it came to fashion, she had always gravitated away from strong...

“How’d you even manage to make it here so fast?” Dad asks bluntly. “That motel you spent the night at is supposed to be a three-hour drive.” We’re having lunch on the lake house’s terrace, surrounded by the sounds of nature and the smell of grilled fish. Mom and Dad share one bench, and my sister Paige and her best friend Maddie huddle on the other. I’m sitting in my own creaky chair. “We followed Mr Johnson on some count...

The following Friday night, Kelsie briskly made her way, alone, back to Howard Hall from the Perion University Library. Ostensibly, she had been working on a paper for her Introduction to Psychology course that was due the following week. In truth, though, Kelsie had just found a quiet cubby in the massive library and simply hid out. On Fridays, Howard could become a rowdy place. Every hallway flooded with people; even if...

“Hop in!” I call out, leaning over to push the passenger door open. The girl on the bench startles, her blonde hair catching the late afternoon sun. But her surprise washes away, replaced by a delighted grin. She springs to her feet and slings her bag onto my backseat in one swift motion. “Roman!” she chirps, sliding beside me. It is my turn to get flustered when she plants a breezy kiss on my cheeks. “Thanks for picking...

For Kelsie McCollum, the next several days played out in a blur. Class registration, getting the hang of how to get around campus, and meeting some of the girls on her floor–many of whom were aware of the moment that Kelsie had shared with the school’s new Star Quarterback. As for Chris Weathers…nothing. Kelsie blamed herself. She was too shy to go down to his floor or call him, and he hadn’t come up. Alexia, who was alre...

Kelsie McCollum tried to control her breathing as she padded up the walkway toward the dormitory. She was finally here. Perion University. Kelsie had scrolled through as many tiktoks as she could watch, consumed as many IG posts as she could manage: How to put on her makeup just so, how to dress “sexy” but not “slutty”, how to manicure the wavy blond locks that cascaded down her back without looking like she’d tried so ha...

Anticipation & Unspoken Desires "Grande iced caramel macchiato, extra shot, light ice," Aurora said, pulling out her phone to tap her payment. "Make that two," Nora added, leaning on the counter with a grin. "And a blueberry scone. She’s gonna steal half of it anyway." Aurora scoffed. "I am not—" "You totally are," Nora cut in. "You do it every time." The barista handed over their drinks, and they made their way to a smal...

Why was I there? That’s what I was thinking. I disliked waitressing more than any of the many jobs my mother insisted were good for me. But there I was offering canapés to people in suits and cocktail dresses. It was another of the seemingly endless rounds of what the university called development. That’s basically hitting people up for money. I circulated, trying to look enthusiastic and friendly. There was a man, though...

Bertie had once told her over dinner that no food drew him back to a specific time and place like two-dollar student discount pizza. While he’d never admitted it, Rachel knew from the occasional stain on his clothes that he indulged in that nostalgia perhaps a little more than he should. But she’d never gone to university, and the two-dollar slice he remembered from his school days now went for three-fifty. The only time...

A long and eventful Christmas Eve party with her new colleagues at the day spa left Katie with a fitful night’s sleep, her mind buzzing with a mixture of excitement and unsettling temptation. Raised in a strict, religious household, Katie had always steered clear of behavior deemed promiscuous, feeling a strong sense of guilt and discomfort at the mere thought. In the past, having only gone as far as making out with her f...