Chapter 11
AVERY MOORE
I all but flop down onto the couch, my backpack slumping to the floor between me and the coffee table. I’m exhausted, and all I want to do is sleep for the next century.
My last class of the day was Spanish, and again, Reid sat next to me. Okay, so maybe it gave me the tingles that he chose me over his friend. But it shouldn’t. Traitorous body. Traitorous heart.
For the entire first half of the lesson, he was sending me messages through a Word doc, same as before.
I tried not to respond, to remain strong in my conviction, but he knew what buttons to push to get me to say something in return.
I get it. He wants to get to know me. But I don’t think he understands the magnitude of how much I’m afraid to get to know him.
Jacob ended up sitting next to Ivy for the class, leaving the two of us in our own little bubble.
It was hard to breathe without smelling him.
I’d love to know what he wears, or even if he wears anything at all because I could bottle that up and sell it for millions.
It made it hard to concentrate on the professor, even when we weren’t talking in our new method, when we were actually trying to pay attention and take notes.
Every movement he made had me keenly aware of him. His long fingers typing notes. His powerful chest heaving when he sighed because the professor got long-winded. The way he leaned forward to read something the professor put on the whiteboard and his muscles stretched against his shirt.
There was a moment when our legs brushed, and although we had jeans keeping our skin from touching, the contact lit up my nerves.
I was on edge and turned on at the same time for the entire hour, and when we parted ways, him going to…
wherever he goes after Spanish, and me going to the apartment, exhaustion settled in.
Wisely, Ivy didn’t say a word the entire way home. But now?
I peep open an eye to see where she went, but she’s still standing next to the door. Her arms are crossed over her chest, and a look of annoyance pinches her features.
A lecture is coming. I can see it all over her expression. It’s practically her aura.
Before she can get going, I try a ploy tactic that has never worked in the past, but I’ve never stopped trying: A subject change before the subject can even be brought up. “Are you working tonight?”
One of her eyebrows rises, and I frown. I wish I could do that. “No, but seriously, Avery?”
I groan and cover my eyes. “Don’t start.”
She crosses the room, lifts my feet, and plops down on the couch, settling my feet back on her lap and patting my leg. “I feel for you, girl. This can’t be easy. I honestly don’t know how you’re resisting him, but”—she sighs dramatically—“you two would make an adorable couple.”
“No. Stop it.” I point at her. “No adorable coupling.”
She giggles. “What did you two talk about anyway?”
“A never-ending quiz on all my favorite things on the planet.”
“And?” she asks.
I frown again. “And what?”
“And did you spend the entire time answering, or did you ask questions too?”
I blush and look away. “He may have given me his answers to the same questions.” It was hilarious when he told me his favorite flower was a dandelion.
I didn’t have the heart to remind him that the dandelion was a weed, mostly because the dandelion reminded me of me.
Unwanted. Easily destroyed. And then it reminded me of him. Persistent. Pretty.
A bright grin spreads across her cheeks. “That’s kind of adorable.”
I run a hand over my face. It was. I’ll never admit it to Ivy, but I soaked up everything he told me about himself. Honestly, I feel kind of bad that I didn’t ask a single question, but he never really gave me a moment to think of one before he popped another question.
“Let’s talk about something else,” I murmur behind my hand. “What are you doing tonight if you’re not scheduled to work?”
She squeezes my leg. “Dustin and I were going to grab some supper together.”
“That’s nice.”
“Want to come?”
“No.” Being a third wheel is fun and all, but I’ll pass.
“Oh, come on,” she hisses. “All you’ve done is study since you arrived. Come hang out with me and your brother.”
I drop my hand back to the couch cushion and glare at her.
She’s already texting on her phone, no doubt to Dustin about the extra body that will be sitting next to their romantic bubble in a few hours.
His response is almost immediate because her phone vibrates, and her face lights up.
She holds the phone out for me and waves it in my face. “See? He doesn’t care.”
“Do I have to?” I whine.
“Yes!”
“Fine,” I grumble. “Where are we going?”
“Sicily,” she says, placing her phone on the arm of the couch next to her elbow. “It’s a new Italian restaurant downtown. You’ll love it.”
“Is it expensive?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at her.
All of us are in college, and funds are monitored closely.
Or they should be anyway. At my last college, a lot of people dropped out because they no longer had the money to support themselves.
I told myself I’d never be that person. I have the income from that calendar picture, and I have it budgeted out to last me until I have my brand-spankin’-new degree.
Ivy, on the other hand, lives paycheck to paycheck.
She shakes her head. “We tried it out with my family when it first opened. It’s not unaffordable. Trust me.”
“All right,” I sigh out. I do love pasta—if my figure is anything to go by. With no excuses left, I pull my legs off Ivy and sit up.
“Where are you going?” she asks as I pick up my backpack and stand.
“To study before I get ready for tonight.” I head toward the hallway, shoulders slumped.
“Wear something cute tonight!” she hollers when I reach my room.
I do as she asked and put on a flowing black dress that does wonders to hide my hideous curves.
It’s the reason I bought it. The girl in the fitting room at the store told me so, and that was all I needed to hand over my card in the checkout line.
That was right after the Neil situation, and I was desperate to feel pretty again.
I may or may not have gone on a shopping spree that day, but thankfully, my parents covered the cost. They understood and put the money in my account the next day.
Spinning in the mirror, I get a good look at the backside. It does make my ass look fantastic. And my makeup is totally on point; not too much, but it highlights my cheeks and my eyes and makes my face look thinner.
A knock sounds at my door. I stride to it and open it to find an impatient Ivy with her arms crossed and her foot tapping.
She’s been checking in periodically, constantly reminding me of the time but also helping me curl my hair into soft beach waves.
I’m not entirely thrilled about going, so I took my time, but now, I can hear a voice in the living room, and I wish I wasn’t the one everyone was waiting on.
“Dustin’s here,” she says, then she gives me a once-over. “You look gorgeous, girl.”
I do a little curtsy. “Thanks.”
“Ready?” I nod and she hesitates before she whispers, “Don’t kill me.”
I scowl. “Why would I kill you?”
She grimaces and looks down the hallway. “Just…remember that you love me.”
She takes off down the hall, and I follow her, a needle of fear in my heart. What did she do?
As soon as we enter the living room, I stop dead in my tracks. Standing and talking with Dustin is Reid. My heart stutters and leaps with joy before I stomp it down quickly. I may be excited that he’s standing in my apartment, looking fine as hell, but he can’t be here.
He’s dressed in a black, long-sleeve, buttoned-down shirt that’s rolled up at the sleeves, showing off his tan, muscled arms. His dark blue jeans hug every part of his hips and thighs, and his hair is styled in its usual carefree way.
There’s a slight stubble along his jaw that was there today in class, and it’s extremely appealing on him.
I look at Ivy and take in her guilty expression. “Is this a double date?” I accuse, my cheeks flaming hot.
My brother laughs out loud. “Absolutely not.” He slaps Reid on the shoulder. “He knows better than to date my sister.”
I frown at Reid’s sneaky smile but ask Dustin, “Then what’s he doing here?”
He shrugs. “I invited Reid when Ivy asked if you could come along. Figured we could make it a thing.”
I fidget under the weight of Reid’s stare, almost daring me to tattle on him and tell Dustin that, despite his wishes, Reid is pursuing me. But I’m not an asshole, and I can turn Reid away myself. If I want to. I definitely want to.
Ivy claps her hands together once, interrupting the silence that was probably awkward for everyone but me and Reid, and says, “Shall we?”
Dustin snakes his arm around Ivy’s waist and leads her to the door. “You got reservations, right?”
“Yep,” she confirms, popping the ‘p.’ “Table for four.”
“Who’s driving?” I ask as they head out the door. Reid and I are still rooted to our spots, the space charging between us the farther and farther Dustin and Ivy get away.
“Dustin,” Ivy calls over her shoulder.
As soon as they’re in the hallway, Reid returns his gaze to me. He holds it for a few heartbeats.
“What?” I ask quietly when he stares too long.
“You look beautiful,” he whispers.
I blush and look down at my heels. “You can’t say things to me like that tonight.”
“If you gave me your number, I could text them to you.”
I look at him from under my lashes. “Not going to happen.”
He shrugs and crosses the distance between us. I can’t help the shiver that travels down my spine when he leans and whispers, “I’ll get it eventually, Avery. And then I’ll text you all the things you won’t let me say out loud.”