Inside, it’s more packed and way louder. There’s smoke wafting from the corner, and I spot a few of the football team members in the middle of the room. I still haven’t spotted Mae, but somehow following Scarlett, I find myself smack bang in the middle of the room, surrounded by the football team. 
                          
My eyes widen as I try to catch Scarlett’s attention, but she’s having a conversation with someone from the team. He’s perched on the bar table as he stares down at her flirtatiously, and I think she’s . . . turning him down? I’m still trying to figure it out when someone taps me on my shoulder.
                          
I turn, expecting it to be Mae, but I’m staring at a broad chest. Glancing up, I find the team captain smirking down at me. Kedar Williams. The definition of tall, dark, and handsome, he became the campus it-boy after he took the team to the finals two years in a row. Or something like that. I don’t really keep track. I blink a few times, and then I realize he’s been talking to me the whole time.
                          
“Sorry?”
                          
He grins. “You look lost,” he repeats, “You good?”
                          
“Uh, are you talking to me?”
                          
“Yes, I’m talking to you,” he says, “Jesus Christ, you’re stunning. How come I haven’t seen you around?”
                          
My cheeks flood of their own volition, and the compliment is jarring, but not in an unpleasant way. Somehow, even though it’s the first time talking to him, his presence is light-hearted. Something like 6’5 with soft brown eyes, Williams oozes confidence with an easy-going kind of charm.
                          
Suddenly, I become very aware that people are staring. Luckily, we’re packed in around the bar, so people beyond the circle can’t see much. Kedar notices and just shrugs it off. “You want something to drink—?” He pauses, as if waiting for me to fill in my name.
                          
“Indigo,” I fill in for him, and then, because I feel a little daring, I add, “And you?”
                          
Kedar pauses, and I swear he buffers for a second. Nailed it. He assumed I knew who he was—rightfully, of course, but watching him freeze is so funny I can’t help but crack a smile. He grins. “Aight you got me.” He bows a little, splaying a hand out on his chest dramatically. “Jabari Kedar Williams Junior.”
                          
“I’ll have a Smirnoff Ice, Jabari Kedar Williams Junior.” I laugh, but I’m interrupted by the sound of someone calling my name.
                          
“Indigo!”
                          
Turning, I find Kade glancing my way.
                          
“That your man?” Kedar asks, raising his brows.
                          
I pause for a moment, then nod tightly.
                          
He removes the crown cap of the bottle with his teeth. “That’s a shame.”
                          
I shrug.
                          
“If that shit doesn’t work out,” he says, handing me the bottle, “Come find me, aight?”
                          
I hold back a confused smile because did the Kedar Williams just flirt with me? What the hell?
                          
Kade pushes past the crowd and finally reaches me, sending glares to Kedar, who looks completely unbothered. For a second I think Kade is going to put up some sort of fight but he just presses his lips together and mutters, “Let’s get out of here.”
                          
I frown. “Out of where?”
                          
He ignores me, pulling me through the crowd and away from Kedar. I bring the bottle to my lips, chugging. It’s ice cold and a shock to my system, so much so that I barely notice the sting of the vodka as it slides down my throat. I’ll need something if I’m going to have to talk to Kade about the girl from the ice cream shop. I’ve been putting it off for too long now, and it’s been eating me alive.