When the guys leave, I head right to my childhood bedroom. Our house isn't big. My room is small amd there's only one main floor and a basement. It's a small gray stucco home on a semi busy road. My bedroom is at the back of the house, away from the noise of passing cars. Mom and dad are working, so it's quiet.

The bottom half of what was once a twin sized bunk bed still takes up half the space. Most of my things are gone because I took them to college or donated them. In the corner are the boxes of things that I shipped over before my arrival. I'll go through them another time.

The only picture I left behind sits on my bedside table. It's me and the guys on graduation. We've all got big smiles on our red sweaty faces. The heat that day nearly killed us all. The one thing about the photo that gets me is how, even though Bennett is looking at the camera, half of his attention is on me.

Crawling into the bed, now draped with unfamiliar plain white sheets, I try to shake off the thought that something is going on with Ben. It feels like home but doesn't at the same time. I curl myself into a ball and pass out.

I startle awake to what feels like an earthquake, but it's just two out of three of my best friends jumping up and down on my bed.

"You are both going to break my bed." I moan, throwing the pillow over my head.

"Come on sleepy head, you reek of airplane sweat, go shower and let's get moving."

The pillow vanishes from my hands and gets tossed aside. Danny jumps to the floor with a thud.

"How did you get in here anyway? Mom fixed that broken window you all used to sneak through."

Danny chuckles. "Mama Fallon let us in. We also got drilled by Daddy Fallon, wanting to know our intention with his daughter."

I roll my eyes and chuckle. "And you told him...?"

"We'll have you back by midnight, and I could guarantee your safety, but beyond that, my hands are tied."

Like old times. My curfew in high school was midnight. Although my parents drowned themselves in their work after my sister passed and weren't around nearly as much, they still managed to be a part of my life and get to know my friends when they were around, even if it wasn't often.

"Okay. Let me shower, I'll be out in ten. College taught me the art of a man-shower."

"You, a man-shower? I'll believe it when I see it." Everett teases me.

"Okay, let's make a bet. If Fallon takes a ten-minute man-shower, I'll buy you both unlimited drinks," Danny says, eyeing the two of us, a devilish grin on his face.

"And who's driving us home?" I ask, crossing my arms, as I get up into a sitting position.

"Don't you worry about that." Danny smiles.

"And if I don't?"

"If you don't." He purses his lips. "Everett will wear one of your dresses to dinner."

Everett stands up from the edge of the bed. "Hey! Why do I have to wear a dress? And shouldn't she be the one who gets punished for not being quick enough?"

I can't help the bubbling laughter in my chest. This is the banter I live for. I may have a special place in my heart for Bennett, but all three of them mean the world to me. I wouldn't be the woman I am now without them. They picked up my broken pieces after my sister, Alicia passed.

I'm happy to say that as I step out of the shower, I beat both of their expectations by several minutes. I'm in and out in five, brush my teeth in two, and dress myself in my favorite pink and blue flannel shirt and jean shorts with black boots in a little over one minute.

"You owe me a sex on the beach," I say as I step into my bedroom.

The two of them are still on my bed, both scrolling through Tik Tok, showing each other what the other is watching. I haven't smiled this much since I saw them last. My nerves about the conversation I plan on having with Bennett is slowly dwindling.

"Um - are you both ready? Or are we going to call Ben and tell him that we're planning on watching Tik Tok's in my bedroom all night?"

Danny glances up first, awestruck for a few seconds. "When did you turn into a woman? We cannot let you out of the house like this."

He stands and stomps over to me and pretends to cover the top of my button down with his hand. While it has been a year, I don't think my boobs have gone up a cup size since we last saw each other. The only difference is college made me dress a little different, more feminine, but still with a touch of my old tomboy-self. Gone are the days of baggy jeans and t-shirts, hello to more form fitting clothes.

Shoving at him he stumbles with laughter.

"Come on dufus, we're going to be late."

He wraps an arm around my shoulder tugging me into his chest. "I don't want to have to fight off any men or women for that matter. You're our girl."

"Uh-huh. You have nothing to worry about," I say, with a smile.

Nothingto worry about, because there's only one man who has my heart, and tonight he'sgoing to know that.