Chapter 9
Nine
Coralie
Jessica:
How are you holding up today?
Me:
Idk. Fine, I guess. Bout to grab dinner for me and Mila.
Jessica:
Good. Make sure you eat. And talk to someone if you need to, Coralie. I’m here for you, and I know Mila is, too.
I left her on read, shoving my phone back into my pocket with a heavy sigh as the older gentleman in front of me finally finished giving his order to the young brunette guy working the register.
When I stepped forward, he smiled at me, though it didn’t reach his eyes.
He looked as tired as I felt, no doubt aggravated and just ready to go home.
Customer service, especially customer service in the food industry, was fucking draining.
I got tired just watching what these employees went through.
“Can I get two grilled chicken sandwiches, loaded fries for both, two chocolate milkshakes, and two sweet teas?”
He breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you for making that easy,” he murmured as his fingers began flying over his screen, hitting buttons to put my order in. “That’ll be $25.03,” he told me, looking at me again, his smile a little more genuine this time. “Cash or card?”
“Card,” I told him as I slid my chip into the card reader. Once it beeped, I took it out, slipping my credit card back into my wallet. After grabbing my receipt, I stepped off to the side to wait on my order. Pulling my phone back out of my pocket, I flipped over to my messages with Mila.
Me:
You gonna be at the dorm in like 20-30 mins?
Mila:
Yeah. Everything okay?
Me:
Yeah, everything’s fine.
She sent a heart emoji that made butterflies erupt in my belly. I felt like we were slowly slipping back into who we used to be together. But something had also drastically changed between us during our time apart—and not just because of our bad history.
Something seemed to have adjusted, shifting us out of friends-only territory and into something… more. I was trying not to get my hopes up. Trying to remain realistic. But I also couldn’t hold off any longer.
Mila had confessed she loved me once. Maybe there was still hope. Maybe I hadn’t royally fucked everything up beyond repair. I’d lost her once, and dammit, I was not fucking losing her again. I wouldn’t survive it this time.
Which was why I was grabbing us dinner. I was going to soften her up with food and then confess my feelings to her.
I was going to tell her how I’d always felt about her but had been too dumb and stupid to ever say out loud.
Too fucking afraid because I’d been terrified of losing her if she didn’t return those feelings.
If Mila let me down… I just hoped she did it gently. And I hoped she didn’t boot me out of her life for good.
Losing her a second time would be the end of everything for me.
I pushed open the door to our dorm room, stopping short when Brittany’s laughter rang out.
I quickly looked up from my keys, gritting my teeth at the sight of Brittany lounging back against Mila’s headboard.
Mila was resting between her spread legs, her head resting on Brittany’s chest as they laughed again at something on Mila’s phone.
Mila’s smile was brighter than I’d ever seen it, and it hurt. Why couldn’t she smile at me like that?
And had she lied to me about Brittany? They looked awfully fucking cozy. She used to lie with me like that, and come to find out, she’d been in love with me. So, what the fuck was I supposed to think?
“What the fuck,” I growled, dropping the bag and drinks on the counter near the door. I slammed the door shut behind me, and their laughter abruptly stopped, both of the girls swinging their heads to look at me, eyes wide with alarm. “You look awfully fucking cozy,” I snarked, glaring at Mila.
She sat up, frowning at me. “What the hell is your problem, Coralie?”
“My problem?” I snapped, feeling my heart breaking all while rage consumed me. “You lied to me about you and Brittany—”
“I didn’t lie!” she shouted as she jumped off the bed, losing her temper, which was something she rarely did. Mila was always so cool and composed—chipper, even. I just seemed to be the one capable of bringing out the worst in her.
She stumbled a little when her feet hit the floor before catching herself, her pink hair a mess and eyes blazing with fury as she glared at me.
“Brittany and I are friends! We’ve only ever been fucking friends, Cor!
Why are you being such a bitch about this?
! I love you! I’ve always fucking loved you, and—”
I gripped the front of her shirt and yanked her to me, smashing our mouths together.
She made a small sound of surprise before she sank into me, her arms reaching up to twine around my neck, her fingertips pressing into my skin.
I wrapped my arms around her waist, sliding one hand up into her pink hair so I could tug her head back a bit and devour her sweet mouth.
How I went this long without a taste of her was beyond me. But I wouldn’t be denying myself the pleasure any longer. Fuck, I couldn’t. Kissing Mila was addictive and everything I thought it’d be and still more.
When we parted, Mila’s eyes were a little hazy. Her lips were red and kiss-swollen, making me want to kiss them all over again. Fuck, she looked so damn beautiful.
She looked like mine.
I rested my forehead on hers, my breaths panting past my lips as I tried to regulate my ragged breathing and my rapidly beating heart. “I’ve always loved you, too,” I whispered, finally bringing life to the words I’d held inside of me for years.
She didn’t say a word—just pulled my mouth back to hers, this kiss a little more tender. A little sweeter. Not as savage and needy. Just slow and deliberate—a true tasting. A moment that said more than I could ever hope to voice aloud.
Mila was mine.
And I was hers.
Mila and I… we were fucking inevitable.