Chapter Nine
CHAPTER NINE
LENNON
“Mmm, why do you always smell so good?” Brandon hums as he buries his nose in my hair. His arms wrap around my waist and slide under my shirt as I rinse the dishes in the sink.
I arch my neck, smiling when his palm grabs my breast and squeezes. “Maybe because none of my students threw up today.” One of my students is always sick, so I consider that a win for a Monday.
He chuckles against my skin and presses a soft kiss under my ear. “What do you say we go for a joyride tonight? It’s gonna be a nice evening. Maybe we can ride up the coast, grab some dinner, and watch the sunset?”
“Brandon Jude Locke…” I singsong, drying my hands on a towel. “That sounds awfully romantic.” Suspicion rings in my ears.
He spins me around and cups my cheeks. “Do I need a reason to be romantic for my amazing girlfriend?”
I bring a hand up to his forehead and brush the hair off his face. With a wide smile, I pull his lips to mine. “Of course not. Let me go change real quick, and we can go for a ride.”
He arches a brow with a devilish smirk.
“Not that kinda ride. Down, boy,” I tease, dropping my eyes to his crotch. He wraps an arm around my hips and smacks my ass, then takes a handful in his palm.
“But you make it so hard.” He winks, and I burst out laughing.
“You’re relentless.” I push him back slightly, creating space between us before his sex-filled brain takes over, and we never leave.
“You like it.”
I slip out of his grip, laughing, and walk to our room. I change into a pair of jeans, a sweater, and put on socks and boots. It can get chilly on the back of his motorcycle, especially once the sun sets.
Just as I’m about to tell Brandon I’m ready to go, I get a phone call and see it’s Sophie.
“Hey, what’s up?” I answer.
“Lennon.” Her voice cracks, and I instantly know something’s wrong.
“Soph, what is it? Are you okay?” I panic.
“Yeah, I-I’m just having some roommate issues. Figure you were the best person to talk to about that.”
I snort, nodding in agreement, though she can’t see me. She knows all about my troubles with Hunter.
“What kind of issues? I thought you and Maria got along great.” They’ve been roommates the past few years, and she’s never complained about her.
“We are, we do. It’s…well, she’s asking her boyfriend to move in with her. With us .” I hear the struggle in her voice.
“Carter?” I ask.
She gets along with him as well as I get along with Hunter.
“Yep. I don’t know what I’m going to do. Or can do rather. The lease is in her name. She took me in, so it’s not like I can say anything. Him moving in here is going to make my life a living hell, and I do not have time for his bullshit. I’m swamped with private lessons and orchestra practice as it is. The last thing I want is to come home and deal with his lazy ass.”
“Sounds all too familiar…” I groan. “What about getting your own place?”
“I can’t afford it right now or in the near future. Not when they’d want the first and last month’s rent along with the security deposit up front.” Her voice softens, and I know she’s defeated.
“Want me to come over? Brandon and I were going for an evening joyride, but I can have him drop me off instead. We can drink wine and eat ice cream.”
She releases a choked laugh, which makes me smile because I was hoping that suggestion might lift her spirits a bit. “I don’t want to ruin your date night.”
“No, it’s okay. We can do it another night. I’ll come over, and we can talk,” I insist, and she finally agrees. “I’ll be over in twenty.”
Once I explain the situation to Brandon, he’s understanding, as usual, and tells me it’s no problem. We hop on the bike, and he drives us to Sophie’s apartment. Once we’re there, I swing my leg over and get off the back. The engine continues to run as I take off my helmet, then strap it to the back and give him a big smile.
“Sophie will bring me back home. I have a feeling we’re going to be chatting for a while, so I might not be home until late.”
Brandon takes off his helmet and pulls me close, smiling against my lips. “You girls have fun. But not too much fun,” he says, giving me a wink.
Leaning forward, I steal another kiss. “Don’t worry. I need to get her mind off potential asshole roommates, so romantic comedies and junk food it is since I might know something about that.”
When I give him a pointed look, he chuckles.
“I love you, baby. Have fun.” He wraps a hand around my neck and pulls me in for one last deep kiss.
“I love you, too.” I hum against his lips. “Be careful on that thing. I’ll see you when I get home.”
“Always am.” He winks, then replaces his helmet and revs the engine. I wave as he drives out of the parking lot and watch as he slowly turns back to the road.
I walk to Sophie’s apartment and knock. The defeated look on her face when she opens the door has me giving her a big hug.
Moments later, we’re on the couch watching 10 Things I Hate About You with a bottle of Merlot and a pile of snacks.
“So things are still rough between you and Hunter?” Sophie asks after our second glass of wine.
I groan loudly to emphasize my point. “Yep. Every damn day. He’s a slob, disrespectful, arrogant, selfish, and rude. All of the above.”
Sophie chuckles, then sips her drink. “Still blows my mind, considering he was hitting on you that first night you guys met.” She waggles her brows, and I playfully shove her shoulder.
“Stop. It was nothing. He was hitting on half the bar. Brandon swept me off my feet, and I’m supposed to be with him, and I’m happy!” I reassure her.
“I know you’re happy, which makes me happy! I just can’t help wondering if you hadn’t dated that asshole who cheated on you in college, you would’ve pushed your insecurities aside and pursued Hunter?” she asks, and it takes me by surprise. “You told me all about spring break week afterward and mentioned him but then ended up dating his roommate. I mean, that’s why you chose Brandon, right? He was a nice guy and the safe choice?”
“What?” I furrow my brows. “No! I mean, yes, Brandon’s nice. But it wasn’t like that. Nothing happened between me and Hunter, so it’s not like I chose between the two. Hunter’s the total playboy cliché—panty-melting looks, knows exactly what to say to seduce you, and flirts like you’re the only woman in the world. He charms the panties off any woman to get them into his bed. He’s a player, and I think my heart knew that. It also knew Brandon was the one.”
Sophie laughs. “Always the hopeless romantic.”
“So even if my ex didn’t cheat on me, I wouldn’t have wanted to date a guy like that anyway. It had nothing to do with choosing between the two because the moment Brandon and I met, I was captivated. Yes, I was attracted to Hunter, and we had chemistry, but I’ve been attracted to other guys before. You know how Mom always said to find a guy you can see a future with? How we should date with purpose? That’s what I saw in Brandon.” My thoughts are all over the place, and I blame the wine for that but continue anyway. “His ridiculous pickup line had me cracking up, and it was easy to see he was a genuine guy. It made me feel like giving him my heart was right and that he’d take care of it and never break it, if that makes sense.” I take another drink to stop myself from rambling.
“I’m glad it worked out,” Sophie says with a dazed look in her eyes. “He looks at you like you’re his whole world,” she adds with a goofy grin. “Which is kind of sickening for us in the single girls’ club.”
“He really does,” I agree, smiling. “Even if I’d pursued Hunter, I can guarantee you it would’ve ended in heartbreak by now, considering the way he acts. I don’t think I could’ve handled his mood swings and attitude.”
“Well, when a guy like Hunter looks like he could barge through walls and lift anyone over his head, he’s bound to catch some attention,” Sophie says with a laugh.
“Yeah, playing football all those years and going to the gym religiously helped make him so muscular, and he knows it, too. I’m surprised his brain hasn’t exploded from how big his ego is.”
Sophie and I both giggle, and soon, we’re laughing so hard tears fall down our cheeks. We continue drinking and cracking jokes, and by our fourth glass of wine, I know she’s no longer worried about Maria’s boyfriend moving in. Though she can’t do much about it now, I’m glad I could offer some comfort and distract her, even if only temporarily.
I realize it’s getting late, and I should go home since I have to work in the morning. “My first spring concert is this Friday, so I need some sleep since it’s going to be another hectic day. We’re practicing in the auditorium tomorrow, and then Thursday is the stage rehearsal. I’m super nervous.”
“I’m so proud of you, Lennon. I’m positive it’ll run perfectly!” She smiles sincerely. “I wish I could come and watch it.”
“I know you do, but you’re also busy, so don’t even sweat it.” I lean over and give her a hug. “I’m going to call an Uber since you’re a little tipsy.”
She giggles, agreeing.
“Brandon’s probably passed out already, so I don’t wanna bother him,” I explain, opening the app, knowing he doesn’t stay up super late during the week. I put on my shoes and jacket and tell Sophie goodbye. “We’ll chat again soon, okay? If it becomes unbearable, I’m sure Brandon wouldn’t mind you crashing on our couch while you look for another place.”
“Thanks, sis. I doubt it’ll resort to that, but thanks for the offer.”
Thirty minutes later, I’m back at the apartment and look for Brandon, but the light is off in our bedroom.
“You fall in a wine cellar? Damn.” Hunter’s loud voice makes my ears ring. I turn and see him lounging on the couch without a shirt.
“Can you keep it down? Brandon’s sleeping.” My head pounds, but I don’t admit that to him.
“He’s not home. I thought he was with you.”
Hunter’s words have me frozen in my tracks. “Are you sure? He went for a motorcycle ride like four hours ago. He dropped me off at Sophie’s before he took off.”
“I’ve been home since five,” he explains. “Did you call him?”
“No, I figured he’d be in bed already.” I pull my phone from my pocket and call him. It rings five times, then goes to voicemail. “Hmm. No answer.”
“Let me try,” he says, shifting his weight to one side and grabbing his phone.
“You think he’s going to ignore my call but answer yours? He’s probably still out cruising, lost track of time, or doesn’t feel his phone vibrating,” I say but wait anyway to see if Hunter gets through.
“Nada.”
“He did say he wanted to watch the sunset, so he probably went for a longer drive.” I shrug, making my way down the hall to my bedroom. I change into some leggings and a tank top and decide to make myself something to eat, hoping it’ll soak up the wine.
“I see you finally figured out the dishwasher,” I call out when I’m in the kitchen and see the sink isn’t full for once.
“No, I just put everything back in the cabinets.”
“You better be joking!” I scold, instantly opening the doors to call his bluff.
His feet pad against the floor as he makes his way into the kitchen. “I’m not completely incompetent. I had a date over. She did it.”
I slam the door I left open and avoid his gaze. I can’t tell if he’s messing with me, but if his dates want to do his chores, then I’m all for it. “Well, whatever.”
Opening the fridge, I grab the ingredients to make a sandwich. I think back to the conversation Sophie and I had about Brandon and Hunter and how she’s basically going to be Hunter in her situation—the third wheel roommate.
I’d feel bad for Hunter, but he’s the reason things are so tense between us. If he didn’t make my life a living hell, maybe help out a bit, and stop being an arrogant bastard, we’d get along just fine. Part of me wonders if he acts out because he feels I stole his best friend from him. Or that I invaded his space. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t merit acting the way he does.
“Where’s the deli meat?” I ask, digging around where it usually is.
“Uh…” Hunter stands close behind me, and considering he’s almost a foot taller than I am and shirtless, I don’t dare turn around. “In my belly.”
I glance over my shoulder to scowl when he rubs a hand over his stupid abs.
“I literally bought two pounds of turkey last week,” I say between gritted teeth, slamming the door.
“Guess you’ll learn to buy double next time,” he says smugly.
“Ugh!” I crash into him as I walk by, but it doesn’t even faze him. But damn, it makes my shoulder throb.
“I don’t know what you’re getting so worked up about. Untwist your panties and chill.” He strolls back to the couch and plops down, spreading his legs out like an animal.
“Because I’m hungry, and you eat everything!” I shout. “Perhaps we need our own shelves, and you can buy your own food since some of us are children and don’t know how to share!”
His chuckling only angers me more. I wouldn’t be so damn pissed if I weren’t starving, with a bottle of wine swirling around in my empty stomach.
“Fuck it, I’m ordering food,” I mutter mostly to myself as I open the delivery app on my phone.
“Sweet. Where’re you ordering from? I could eat.”
I slowly glare at him so hard I’m sure my eyes will pop out of my face. “Are you fucking kidding right now?”
Hunter holds up his hands in a mock surrender. “Fine, geez. Someone needs to get laid.”
Taking a seat on the chair, I ignore him as I scan through my food options, then finally pick something.
“Speaking of laid, my date and I were on that chair earlier.”
I leap up so fast, I nearly lose my balance. “You’re a goddamn pig.”
He’s sitting on the other side of the couch, and when I walk past, I smack him in the head and don’t even feel bad about it.
“What the hell was that for?” He rubs it as if it actually hurts.
“For having sex in the living room! Don’t you have any decency? What if Brandon or I walked in when you were naked and…” I shudder, unable to finish my sentence and walk down the hallway to my room.
“For the record, I wasn’t naked! Blow jobs don’t require nudity,” he shouts.
I want to scream, but instead, I go into my room and slam my door. I can’t wait until Brandon and I move out, and if it’s not sometime in the very near future, I might choke Hunter in his sleep. Hell, knowing him, he’d probably think it was foreplay and enjoy it.
Thirty minutes later, the doorbell goes off and I’m relieved my food is finally here.
“Our dinner is here,” Hunter singsongs, rushing toward the door and beating me there.
“Fuck off.” I push him with my hip, and he chuckles, backing out of my way.
“C’mon, you’re the one who said we’re supposed to be sharing .”
“I wouldn’t share with you even if we were the last two people alive during an apocalypse.” I scowl, grabbing the door handle.
“You know then I’d just eat you ,” he taunts. “And not the pussy kind of eating either.”
Rolling my eyes, I mutter, “Go away.”
When I finally open the door, I’m stunned to see two police officers instead of a delivery driver.
“Hello, I’m Officer Fisher, and this is my partner, Officer Schmitz. We’re looking for the family of Brandon Locke.” His tone is flat, and the second he says my boyfriend’s name, my heart stops beating.
“We’re his roommates,” Hunter answers before I can get out any words. I hadn’t even realized he was still standing behind me.
“I’m his girlfriend,” I finally speak. “What’s wrong? Did something happen to him?”
The officer briefly looks down before making eye contact with me. “I’m sorry to inform you of this, miss, but Mr. Locke’s been in a serious motorcycle accident. The paramedics were unable to revive him.”