I AWAKE TO the sun rising. Crickets chirp in my ears and a cool breeze blows my damp hair off of my face as I wipe the sleep out of my eyes.

Carter is still slumped against my body in deep slumber. I turn my head to the side to find Darren and Aleena on their separate blanket a few feet away, sleeping soundly as well. We didn't intend to stay at the lake overnight, it was more of a succession of one person falling asleep, then the next person, the the next person until I was the only one left awake.

Watching everyone so peacefully unconscious, I couldn't be the one to interrupt it and suggest we leave, so I surrendered myself to being Carter's personal pillow and retired for the night right with them.

Carter shifts in his sleep a few times, then his eyes slowly open and he looks at me, a look of surprise on his face that I'm awake.

"What time is it? I don't even remember falling asleep." He yawns in his hand, remaining connected to me.

I reach for my phone that I sat on top of the picnic basket. "It's almost 5am."

Even though I'm certain my entire right side is numb from his weight, I still love the heat of him on me. I can feel every ridge, every breath, every hardness. One particular one below his belt pokes against my belly, tantalizingly.

Desire builds in my lower stomach. I want him right now and his eyes darken, letting me know he wants me too.

He kisses my shoulder and turns the check on Darren and Aleena, nodding at their continuous snores.

"You work today, right?" He asks even though he's made an effort to memorize my schedule down pact.

"Yes, but I have some time to kill."

"Good, just wanted to make sure." He stands and holds his hand out to help me up.

We stealthily tiptoe past Darren and Aleena, venturing off deep into the woods until we're certain the distance has hidden us from plain view.

Carter pushes me against a large tree stump and claims my mouth with greed. His lips move like he wants to devour me whole and my body arches against his, wishing he'd do just that.

Wetness pools from my center as he grinds his erection against me and there's nothing I want more than to feel every inch of him, but it is his birthday after all, he deserves a little treat.

He whines when I pull my lips from his, then a smirk forms when I drop to my knees and tug his shorts down. His swollen member twitches in my hand and he sucks in a breath as I stroke him in an up and down motion.

I tease him, lightly licking his tip, enjoying the taste of his precum.

"Summer." He shudders, face anguished, begging for more.

I give him his wish and take him into my mouth. I inch my head forward and my eyes water as I welcome his full size hitting the back of my throat.

"Fuck." He hisses and I smile at the sound.

He scoops the strands of my hair into his hand, gripping tightly while I suck and he guides me towards the right pace. He continues to unravel until he prompts me to stop and takes himself out of my mouth.

Before I can ask what's wrong, he helps me up and turns me around so I'm facing the tree. He grinds against my ass then pulls my bottom down, leaving nothing in the way. He enters me from behind and my mind dazes as my eyes roll in the back of my head.

In this moment, I couldn't be more glad I finally found a generic birth control my insurance accepted.

Carter secures his hand around my neck, squeezing gently as he pounds me from behind. I try to keep my noise low but eventually, he has to move his hand to my mouth to keep my whimpering muffled.

I hug the tree and squeeze my eyes shut, subcomming to his insanely amazing strokes and the orgasm that rips through me as a result. He makes sure I finish first, always, then he lets himself come undone, sloppy movements and heated pants ringing in my ear while my mind still wanders in la la land.

After cleaning up and letting ourselves come back down to earth, we sneak back and cuddle until it's time to wake Darren and Aleena up, so I can make it back to campus on time for my shift.

When we get back, the guys walk Aleena and I to the door like real gentlemen. I kiss Carter goodbye and remind him about the vague plans I've set for the two of us later, which he insists he wouldn't forget.

The first part of his birthday surprise turned out perfectly. While planning the frat party with Ken, I still had hesitations about it, so I decided to do a more intimate pre-party first just in case. Now he'll have had a small gathering he enjoyed and hopefully later, a bigger celebration he'll enjoy as well. Everything will be safe, everyone will be included, and everyone will have fun—that's my hope.

***

After completing my monotonous shift at baker's dozen, I rush home to clean up and change out of my work attire.

The party starts at seven, which was a conscious decision on my end after hearing how much later these parties typically begin.

I do a light makeup look and decide on a silk-red spaghetti strapped top and dark jeans.

Carter shoots me a text letting me know he's arrived just on time. Ken has also sent a text letting me know everyone's made it to the frat house. We're all set, everything looks good, I'm optimistic.

Carter waits by the entrance door when I walk out. He smiles and gives me a peck on the lips.

"You look beautiful." He leads me to his car. "But are you finally gonna tell me what your secret plans are?"

"I will soon, but actually." I try to sound nonchalant. "Can we make a quick stop at Ken's frat house. He accidentally took some of my notes at the library and I need to get them back."

"Really? You could've told me earlier, I've been working out with him the last week."

I steer my eyes from him hoping my excuse doesn't crumble. "Oh, I kept forgetting. Let's just go now so it won't slip my mind again."

"Okay." He drives off without a hint of suspicion.

Like most things on campus, I didn't indulge myself in anything relating to Greek life. It's almost fascinating driving down the strip of greek row, seeing all the big houses that host dozens of people who... throw parties? Network? What even is it that these people actually do? At least it looks like they have fun.

Carter parks the car a block from Phi Theta Phi, and I feel nervous as we make our way to the house.

"It looks dead for a Saturday night." He remarks absently.

I ignore his comment, texting Ken to let him know we're outside.

The front door has been left ajar and darkness engulfs us as we walk in. Carter entwines his hand with mine and squeezes lightly.

"You sure he's here tonight?" He asks, right as the lights flick on.

"Surprise!" Various people jump from behind corners and plants and couches, filling the large area with the sound of their voices. "Happy birthday, Carter." Some of them continue.

I carefully watch Carter's face for a reaction, and first it troubles me. He's initially stoic, moving his head around the room to take in his teammates and some of their approved friends who make up the guest list, Darren in the far corner at what looks like some makeshift DJ booth, and the table towards the dining area filled with snacks and fruit drinks.

Darren turns the speakers on and loud Hip Hop music engulfs the entire space. Chris and a tall blonde begin distributing glow in the dark necklaces, bracelets, and headbands. When the first beat drops, most of the guests already shift their attention from the birthday boy to dance and socialize.

He leans into me and whispers. "You did this too?"

I give him a strained smile, accepting the glow sticks handed to us and snapping the necklace onto Carter. "Yeah, I mean technically, it was Ken's idea but I helped him to keep things, you know, Carter friendly."

He pauses for a moment, then a grin slowly tugs on his lips. "Okay."

"Okay?" I repeat, further searching his face. " Is this cool? I wasn't sure if this would be alright, know you, if you'd enjoy this. The only people we've invited were the team and some of their friends and girlfriends. There won't be alcohol or anything of that nature. We have chips and sandwiches, and fruit punch. I know how much you like Mountain Dew so I told them to buy some mountain dew. And we have some board games, you know Twister, Monopoly, and stuff. We could do that, or we could dance or-"

He interrupts my rambling by connecting his lips to my cheek. "It's great, baby. Thank you, I wanted to do something with the team after the season anyway."

My nerves dissolve and I smile back. "Alright."

The lights are dimmed, letting the glow illuminating from everyone's plastic accessories light the room. It looks pretty cool, I have to give props to Ken for this idea.

We pass through the crowd towards the DJ booth to be near Darren and Aleena, who lean into each other like co-collaborators.

Carter's teammates smack his shoulder and sing his praise as we pass them. He responds to the birthday wishes with a smile and nod, always accepting attention with a humble shyness.

Darren stays focused on supplying the room with back-to-back hits, so he only winks at our presence before reverting back to a laptop screen. Aleena on the other hand rushes to us, overly affectionate with her usual hugs and wide smiles. Together, all three of us dance and sing along to song after song, feeling carefree in a room with no judgment.

I'm happy things have turned out so well. There are just enough people for it to feel like a decent party, but not so much that we're crammed and sweaty from swaying body heat.

No one's tumbling around with alarming drunkenness or obnoxiously high looking to thrust themselves into dangerously stupid situations. I think we've proven a point tonight: substances aren't the key to having a good time, great vibes are.

There's just one thing I'm worried about—Sam. I've looked around continuously since we've arrived so see if I can spot her, and so far, she's nowhere in sight. I've been wrestling trying to decide if and how to tell Carter that she's off the wagon again.

I keep thinking, if I was so easily able to smell the alcohol on her breath then surely Carter must have as well. Maybe he knows and is handling things privately? My fear is throwing it onto him and watching the confirmation that he had no clue on his face. He'll blame himself, he'll punish himself for it, and worst of all, he'll doubt himself and his ability to stay clean.

In spite of all his hard work, dedication, commitment, he still seems to view himself as tethered to Sam. If she's clean, he's clean, if she falls off, then it's only a matter of time before he does as well.

It's frightening to know that, but in my position, I feel like I have to walk a fine line so as to support but not to cross any line.This is a world I know nothing about and he hasn't been open enough to fully let me in. Some things are reserved for him and Sam only. As his girlfriend, it's a truth that hurts like hell to admit even though I knew what I was getting myself into.

While these thoughts run through my mind, Carter leans into Aleena and me, raising his voice so we can hear him over the music. "I'm gonna get us some drinks. You guys want fruit punch?"

"Fruit punch is fine." I try to hide my guilt with a smile.

When Aleeena agrees, he squeezes himself through the crowd, disappearing into the dining area to grab our drinks. While I watch him drift away, Ken pops up from behind me, tapping my shoulder to get my attention. Aleena shifts over to Darren and dances with him in the corner.

"Summer, does the birthday boy like his surprise?" He sports a jovial grin, drinking out of a red plastic cup.

"Yeah, I think so. At least he's cool with it, so that's all that matters."

"Good, just wanted to let you know about a little problem. Some uninvited guests have shown up. They thought we were hosting one of our usual parties tonight, but it was only a few guys so we just let them in since they were throwing a fit. I think we should be fine the rest of the night."

I look around the crowd that surrounds me and the connecting areas of the house, and sure enough, it feels like I've turned my head for one second and suddenly, it's gotten more populated. "You sure that was a good idea?" Weary drips through my tone.

"Miles is guarding the front door. No one's getting past his sight, trust me, everything will be under control." he says with unmitigated confidence.

As if the universe wanted to prove him wrong, a loud crashing sound comes from the kitchen area. The music is stopped for a second while the entire crowd turns towards the direction of the sound.

"Sorry, dropped my bottle." An ominous deep voice yells from the kitchen.

The rest of the guests shrug it off and the music is turned back on to blare once more.

Aside from the loud racket, I don't shrug things off and continue as normal like everyone else because I start to notice something. More people are walking out of the kitchen than have initially walked in. A spark of dread lights in me. Whether Ken wants it or not, I have a feeling things will get out of control.

"My friend finished Carter's gift, by the way. Don't forget it's in my room. You go upstairs, make a left and it's the last room down the hall," Ken says.

"Is there an entrance through the kitchen?" I ask, stashing his comment away for the time being.

Ken's smile drops and his eyes widen. Before he can answer, Carter comes back, hands full carrying three plastic cups.

"Ken." He's cheerfully delighted to see his teammate. "Heard you're responsible for all of this. It was cool of you to plan it out." He hands me the cup full of fruit punch, then hands Aleena her drink.

"Yeah, I thought it might be a nice double celebration for you and the season. Hope you're having a good time." Ken shoots me a look, but keeps his mask on when speaking with Carter.

"I am." Carter confirms, which soothes my worry just a tad bit before he drops the bomb. "But I wanted to let you two know, since you said there wouldn't be any alcohol. I guess someone didn't get that memo, cause when I stopped by the kitchen, I saw a counter full of drinks."

"What." I shoot a poisonous look towards Ken, which I immediately regret upon seeing his equally stunned face.

"No way. I layed out the rules loud and clear a thousand times. I checked everyone who walked in and I checked every last beverage and snack. There wasn't a single drink in this house half an hour ago," Ken says.

"It's fine." Carter assures us. "I won't touch the drinks, we can continue to enjoy the party. No big deal."

I press my palm to my temple, closing my eyes and trying to keep my slowly unraveling calm together. "You forgot the kitchen door. People are clearly coming through there with fists full of alcohol ready to enjoy any other Saturday night party."

"I genuinely forgot about that door." Ken scratches the back of his head, sounding mortified. "I live in this damn house, I don't know how I forgot about the door."

"Listen, you guys didn't know and it's a frat party for goodness sake. Of course people are gonna expect drinks. I don't care, I swear," Carter says.

I feel awful, but I believe him when he says it's fine. The sincerity feels real, so I keep my spirits up and when he glides me into a dance, he even gets a chuckle out of me.

Ken begins mouthing to me while Carter is turned away. "I'm gonna handle this, I promise." He taps Aleena and Darren, whispering something for their ears only.

I let him be. Whether he handles it or not, Carter will be okay so I'm not so bothered.

"I haven't given you your present yet, you know." I tease my boyfriend, focusing my attention fully onto him.

He quips his brow. "You mean yesterday night, this morning, and this party right now aren't my gifts?"

"No, I wanted to get you something tangible."

We sway to the slow R&B song, my head leaning on his chest. He lowers his voice, breathe tingling my ear. "I'd say your mouth is pretty tangible."

"Don't be crass." I choke on my fruit punch and playfully swat his shoulder. "Come on now, I've kept it safe in Ken's room. Let me give it to you."

"You've done way too much for me. My birthdays usually just come and go with no mention, you know." He tugs my jaw forward and kisses me deeply.

"Well things don't just come and go with me and the people I love." I grab his hand and carefully lead him through the crowd towards the stairs.

He follows faithfully, focusing on my ass more than the various people we accidentally bump into as we ascend the crowded stairs.

"These jeans look good on you," he says.

I laugh at his shameless gawking, but that amusement is wiped straight off my face when I steer my head as we make the last few steps upstairs, and I catch a glimpse of a familiar head of fiery-red hair .

She wraps her arms around herself and walks through the crowd, searching her surroundings. Carter doesn't seem to have noticed her presence much like she hasn't noticed ours.

My heart begins to pound a beat faster and I have to let go of Carter's hand when we get to the last door at the end of the hall so I can wipe the newly beading sweat off my forehead.

I really hope Ken has handled things in the kitchen after all.