Colby

"What in the hell is taking him so long?" Ari groans. He's unceasingly fidgety, perched at the foot of the bed nearest to the door leading to our freedom. We're all getting impatient, dressed to the nine's for our night on the town that we're not supposed to have.

It's now nine-thirty, which means we're already an hour past Coach Castillo's curfew. Based on our experience at State freshmen year, he should've made the rounds accounting for all of his boys at eight-thirty on the dot. And yet, we're still waiting.

"You don't think he forgot, do you?" Morgan asks quietly.

Mari scoffs from where she's sprawled, creating the shape of an 'X' with her slim frame. "Not a chance."

"He'd never forget to seal the doors. He lives for this shit," Ari adds.

Mari sighs loudly, pushing herself up onto her elbows. "It's your fault, asshole. He's messing with all of us to see if he can catch us before morning because he knows someone has the patience of a five-year-old."

Ari flips his sister off, and Nash snickers quietly from his post in the hotel room entryway. He volunteered as our acting scout, lying on his stomach with his ear pressed to the gap on the underside of the door.

Once Coach Castillo seals us in to his satisfaction with a strip of his trusty duct tape, the coast is clear. He's gotten crafty over the years, purchasing different colors and patterns of duct tapes to make it more challenging for his delinquent players to cover their tracks.

What he doesn't know is that this year we have a foolproof plan. We'll re-seal the door behind us when we leave to party the night away. If he happens to check, it'll look like we've never left.

The real ace up our sleeves this go around is Wynn. Since she's no longer a part of cheer, she's staying in a room all her own. She'll be able to seal us back in when we return tonight before Coach Castillo can catch wind of the rebellion happening right beneath his nose. Wynn was eager to help, ever the rule breaker that she is, so tonight we can all just kick back and enjoy each other's company.

"How did you know what kind of tape to use if he always switches it up?" Wynn asks.

"My twin, while a pain in my ass, has her genius moments," Ari teases. "She checked Pops' recent Amazon history and found the variety pack of duct tape he got. So, we just ordered the same pack."

Mari stretches her hand across the bed, and Ari smacks it with his own, high-fiving her. "We have our cooperative times," Mari says, grinning.

"That's perfect," Cole agrees, laughing. He wraps his arms tightly around Wynn, who's sitting on his lap across the room. After what I witnessed earlier with Cole and his father, seeing him happy warms my heart.

The two of them look so natural together. In truth, it wasn't until I saw the circumstances of his home life that I realized how deeply Wynn and Cole's bond must be rooted. She had to have known about Harris Galloway's temper for years, explaining why she never failed to jump to Cole's defense when any words were spoken against him.

Watching them now, I can't believe it's taken as long as it has for their relationship to see the light of day. I smile, squeezing Wyatt's hand. He responds in kind, and everything feels like it's just as it should be.

"Are you sure we'll be able to get into the club?" Morgan asks nervously, bringing my attention back to the conversation.

Wynn nods. "My cousin says his friend will let us in the back. I have her number, so we just have to text her when we get there," she explains while Cole smiles against her temple, kissing her adoringly.

"Tonight's gonna be good if we can ever bust this joint," Wyatt says, tugging me closer to his side. He traces patterns over the skin of my forearm with his fingertips, and I sink into him, my excitement growing with each passing minute.

"Shut up! He's coming!" Nash hisses from the ground, his arm flailing wildly in an attempt to silence us.

The sound of tape creaking as it's peeled from the roll hits us all at once. We're dead silent as we wait out the next few minutes until we make our break for it. Fortunately, the boys' room is only one door down from the end of the hall, so Coach Castillo only has to set one more trap before he'll hole up for the remainder of the night.

Finally.

...

The music thumps through the brick wall into the alleyway where we wait for Wynn's contact to let us in, her phone lighting up from a text in her hand.

"She's coming," she informs us, smiling.

The door opens, and the volume from inside washes over us. With Wyatt's hand on the small of my back, he ushers me through the doorway, the remainder of our posse close behind. We're quickly led through the back space of the building, which is primarily storage, filled from top to bottom with multiple cases of liquor, refrigerators, and garbage.

"Have fun guys," Wynn's contact says, waving us off once we reach the main section of the club. "Don't y'all make me regret letting you in," she teases, winking at Ari before she wanders away.

"Oh, hell yes. Target locked and loaded," Ari drawls, following her with his eyes. An instant later he's falling into step beside her.

"Ew," Mari groans, before dragging Nash into the fray.

They call the room we're entering the Great Room, and I don't disagree. We must look like hicks visiting the Big Apple as we take in our surroundings. The club is ornately designed with elegant fixtures and furniture, and an enormous crystal chandelier dimly lit above the dance floor.

Typically there's a twenty dollar cover just to walk through the doors, but thanks to Wynn's cousin knowing one of the shot girls, not only did we get in without being ID'd, but also free of charge. We soak up the scene for a moment before I take off for the dance floor.

Wyatt's eyes take me in as I begin moving. I extend a hand, motioning for him to join me. He smirks, wasting no time.

"That was easier than I'd expected," I tease. We've already been swallowed by the mass of weekend partiers dancing all around us.

"I couldn't let anyone else move in on my girl," he grins, pulling me to him. "You're too sexy to be left unattended."

I turn within his clasped arms so my back is to him, my hips brushing against his. The seductive beat of the song beckons to me and I give in, allowing the melody to take me over. I feel Wyatt close behind me, his hands resting on the flare of my hips as I move against him.

My head falls to his chest and his hands skim lightly over my form, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind as we move. There's something palpable in the fusion between music and motion, bringing out your deepest desires. I tug Wyatt's arms around me, turning to face him. His dark eyes meet mine, expressing the same urgency pulling me under.

The DJ switches things up then, a quicker rhythm pulsing through the club. The energy heightens, and Wyatt brings us closer together, but it's never close enough. I grind against his flawless frame, and his hands on my body make me wish we were somewhere else.

Alone.

The air on the dance floor is stifling, due to the sheer volume of individuals inhabiting the small area, but the heat only serves to increase my need for him. His skin glistens under the shimmer of the chandelier hanging above us as I run my fingers through his hair, drawing his face to mine and pressing my lips to his, setting us both alight.

His arms tighten around my waist drawing me up to him as he deepens our kiss. My lips part, his tongue mingling with my own as I breathe him in. His fingertips blaze across my skin and a moan escapes my lips, bringing a satisfied smirk to his handsome face. He drops tantalizing kisses up the length of my neck, sucking at my earlobe and flicking it with the tip of his tongue. I fist his shirt, clutching it firmly as the warmth of his breath tickles my skin.

When I finally manage to peel myself away, not a soul has noticed our brief escape from this reality. Every couple on the dance floor remains in their own dimension, swaying and bumping to the beat.

"We should check the time," I shout into his ear, in great need of a distraction, and he nods. We were so lost in each other that it's easy to forget we came to Dallas for a purpose. He pulls his phone from his pocket, and the time flashing on the screen indicates that it's tomorrow already: one-thirty in the morning.

He takes my hand, leading us away from the crowd to a corner filled with plush furniture, and tables. "Sit tight and I'll get us some water while I round everyone up to head back," he says, his face still flushed from our blissful detour.

He sets off and I retrieve my phone from my wristlet to find a message from Wynn, indicating that she and Cole have already left and swearing that she hasn't forgotten her duty for the evening. Wyatt returns soon after with the remainder of our crew.

"What a night," Ari yelps, tucking a folded piece of paper into his pocket. "I hope I get to see her again." He smiles like the dog he is.

"Spare us the details, hermano," Mari says, throwing her hand up in front of his face. "Hey, where are Wynn and Cole?"

"They took off early, but I'll text her when we get back to our rooms," I say. "She'll be by soon with our tape seals."

"Let's go," Nash says, leading the way. "We have a helluva day ahead."

...

I wake to shouting coming from the far end of the hallway. Rubbing my tired eyes, I reluctantly pull myself from my bed. Mari and Morgan are still asleep until I open our door to investigate the source of the confrontation.

Coach Castillo is bellowing, posted outside the second from the last room at the end of the corridor.

Wyatt's room.

Morgan and Mari sidle up beside me, the three of us poking our heads out the doorway as we listen to Coach tear into Ari, Nash, and Wyatt.

"You think I didn't know you were gone the instant you left?" Coach demands sharply.

"We just needed some ice, Dad," Ari lies, and Coach huffs in disbelief.

"What an idiot," Mari mutters, watching her brother's inept attempt at explaining.

"Coach!" Cole shouts, jogging toward them from where he arrived in the elevator. "It's my fault. My dad needed me to pick him up late last night, and I crashed in his room at that hotel down the road."

I see Wynn step out of the elevator behind Cole, but she tucks herself unobtrusively into the wall to avoid drawing attention.

Understanding dawns. The two of them must've been racing to our floor to complete Wynn's duty, only they're far too late. I bet they fell asleep...

"Nice try, Cole, but I've known my boy wasn't plannin' on abiding by my curfew for a while now," Coach Castillo contends, as Ari shifts uncomfortably under his scrutiny.

Wyatt leans casually on the door frame taking in the scene before him, amusement plain on his face. He doesn't appear to be too concerned. Nash stands next to him yawning.

I decide they can't be in too much trouble. Ari on the other hand...

"How could you possibly say that?" Ari whines.

"I got an email confirming your Amazon order, son. That was my first clue," Coach says, a hint of humor lacing his words. He may have a rough exterior, but he's always had a soft spot for his kids. Mari pushes past Morgan and me in a fury.

"You ordered the tape from Dad's account?" she shrieks, revealing herself. "You've got to be the biggest dummy!"

"He has Prime," Ari shrugs, by way of justification. "I didn't know they'd email him, since I put it on my card."

It's then that Coach Castillo loses all pretense of anger. He laughs at his children, crossing his muscular arms over his chest.

"Alright y'all," he says, having recaptured his composure. "Get your asses in gear. We have a game to win!"

Whoops and hollers fill the hallway, and a spur of the moment chant of 'go, fight, win' erupts, filling the corridor with a frenzy of excitement and anticipation.

Boy am I'm gonna miss this...