The Players Bet · Y/n story by @zurzolo

The bass thumped through the floor like a second heartbeat, vibrating up through the soles of your shoes. Sticky floors. Dim lights. Bodies pressed together in ways that would embarrass them by morning. A typical Thursday night at the Delta Kappa house.

Riley

And I swear to God, he just stood there. Like. She mimed being frozen, eyes wide. Didn't even blink.

Y/n - implied laughter

You laughed, head tipping back, the sound cutting through the noise around you.

Across the room, on that ugly brown couch everyone fought over, Noah Benson sprawled like he owned the place. Which, let's be real, he kind of did. Every party, same spot, same lazy smirk, same group of guys hanging off his every word like he was handing out gold.

Josh

Bro, I'm serious. Campus is dead. There's literally nothing left to do.

Marcus

You say that every weekend and every weekend you're still here.

Josh

Because there's nothing else! Name one girl worth talking to.

A pause. Then Marcus's voice dropped, low enough that it almost got swallowed by the music.

Marcus

One girl he hasn't already talked to.

Noah's eyes followed Marcus's subtle nod across the room. Landed on you. You were laughing again, hair falling over your shoulder, completely oblivious.

Josh

grinning Her?

Noah

raising an eyebrow Her?

Marcus

Yeah. Her. Get her to fall for you by the end of the night. Actually fall. Make the girl who breaks everybody else forget her own rules.

Money hit the table. Noah didn't even blink at it.

Noah

smirking Easy.

Meanwhile, Riley was nudging your shoulder, her voice urgent in your ear, pointing with her chin.

Riley

You know who's impossible? Noah Benson.

You - implied

You rolled your eyes, already bored with the name.

Maya

Get him to fall in love with you by the end of the night. Not flirt. Full-on fall.

You - implied

You glanced across the room against your better judgment. Found him right there, leaning back on that couch, looking like he'd already won every conversation he'd ever had. Something sparked in your chest.

The grin you gave your friends was sharp. Dangerous. The kind that usually meant somebody was about to have a very bad night.

Noah

He stopped just short of you, head tilting, eyes glinting under the party lights. You're Y/n, right?