Chapter 13 Olivia #2
With that in mind, I slowly sit up in bed again, making sure my chest is covered with my baggy shirt.
After a night filled with orgasmic memories I’d rather not relive, I need a hot shower and a fresh pair of clothes.
My only hope is that my new roommates won’t interrupt me or try to barge in.
From my experience, they don’t particularly care if you’re in the shower and have to piss.
Or maybe that’s just Jordy and his rudeness.
Whatever. I have to stay vigilant and in character.
I’m thankful this isn’t a dorm that has only one large bathroom the entire floor shares. Small miracles, I guess. I could have it a lot worse. I would have to shower and use the bathroom with other men in the stall next to me. Now that’s a goddamn nightmare.
Silence encompasses our dorm suite as I make my way to the bathroom with an armful of fresh clothes, boxers, my contacts, glasses, binder, and soaps.
It’s a simple bathroom with the necessities—probably smaller than it should be—with a small pedestal sink, one toilet, and a shower hidden behind a white shower curtain.
Before I climb into the shower, I double-check the lock on the door and climb under the hot water with a sigh, running my fingers through my hair. I swallow hard when I get to the short ends of my shaggy cut. After so many years of keeping my length, it’s all gone.
I squeeze my eyes shut and blow out a breath. In and out. Over and over. The heat of the shower curls around my flesh, anchoring me in the moment.
Don’t lose yourself to the memories. Hold yourself here in the present. Here, they can’t hurt you again. They may be physically close–a breath away. You’re safe. You’re in control. You’re…
My eyes fly open when the doorknob jiggles again and again. Someone pounds a fist into the wood, echoing through the tiny space.
“I’m showering!” I shout above the sound of the water.
I hold my breath when the jiggling stops.
I swear I hear a voice on the other side of the door, but can’t make it out.
Apparently, though, whoever it is doesn’t get the damn memo I’m in here.
The bathroom door flies open and hits the drywall with a thud.
He mutters under his breath, something I can’t quite make out again.
Feet shuffle, thudding hard against the floor, like he’s staggering in here disoriented and drunk.
Fuck.
My heart thunders in my ears, barely cutting off the sound of the toilet lids raising and smashing into the back of the toilet without care.
Ice flows through my veins. Oxygen stalls in my lungs. The sound of water hitting water and the smell of urine fill the room. Good God. What did that man eat? Asparagus? I think he needs his damn bladder checked out.
I put a hand over my mouth and nose to stop the gag in the back of my throat.
The last thing I need to do is wretch in the shower and have whoever is pissing their life away, peeking inside and finding a naked woman.
Instead of their roommate, Oliver. Instinctively, I take a step back from the white shower curtain concealing me.
Or not so concealing me. My breath shudders when his shadow moves, swaying left and right.
Fuck. I shift backwards, praying to whoever is above that he can’t see my shadow through the curtain like I can see him.
I’m not shapely, but if he looked hard enough, he’d see the outline of my breasts. Or the shape of my muscular ass.
I hold my breath until the last drop of his nasty urine hits the toilet, and he flushes it.
“Sorry, bro!” he grumbles, hitting the shower curtain with his hand, knocking it into the steam of the shower. “Had to go.”
It was locked, you asshole! Is what I want to say. I grit my teeth and uncover my mouth, moving my hands to hide my breasts.
“No worries,” I say in a low voice, trying to sound okay with it. Even though I want to nut punch whoever it is.
From the sound of it, it's not Simon. Dane is gone. So, it has to be Wade. The collared shirt guy who Simon says is nice. Yeah, so nice, Si. He just burst in while I was showering. Is there no privacy here?
I count down the number of staggered footsteps until the door slams shut again. Everything goes quiet except for my breath frantically escaping through my nose. My eyes roll toward the ceiling, and I shake the nerves skittering through my body.
Peeking through the crack in the curtain, I make note of the empty bathroom. Great. I thought I’d at least have privacy here with it being the only lockable door in the suite. But I was wrong. Very, very wrong.
After getting dressed in the bathroom with my back to the door so nobody else could barge in, I come back to my room and fish out my laptop.
Plopping down into my provided computer chair, I log into our secure network and reread my case instructions.
Everything will be there on the portal for me to view.
Even the papers Jonathan handed me before coming and what I studied in the hotel room.
I can never be too careful.
Oli
Jordy! One of those fuckers just walked in on me in the shower! I didn’t know I’d be rooming with another version of you…
I snort, setting my phone on my desk. Just as my phone dings with a message.
Carter
I got your fucking tracker.
I cock my head. Right. I sent it in the mail to him before I left the hotel, so he could look it over and tell me if he found anything.
Oli
And?
Wait! How did you get this phone number? You creeping?
There’s nothing that gives me more pleasure than busting Carter Cunningham's chops. He’s so grumpy and pissed off at the world. Sometimes I wonder how Kaycee and the other guys put up with him. But they’ve all been together for a few years now.
That’s beside the point, though.
The moment I stepped foot on Greenwood U turf; my personal phone was taken from me. And in its place a Veritas issued phone fit with AntiEyes–a program that deletes every shred of evidence on the phone into a secure cloud blocked by red tape.
Carter
Don’t ask stupid questions.
Oli
It’s not a stupid question, but I'll leave it alone. You sound like you’re having a terrible day.
Carter
Fuck off. Do you want to know about this mysterious tracker or not?
Oli
Duh.
Carter
Say pretty fucking please…
I stifle a laugh at his idiocy. Sometimes talking to him is like having a brother.
He’s always up for helping me with technical things when I can’t unravel them myself.
I don’t have the bandwidth to understand what he does.
Hell, I can barely operate our private portal.
Logging in for me is a miracle in itself.
And email? Don’t get me fucking started on navigating that.
Oli
Please?
Carter
It’s registered to Malic Monroe. Some fucker from Greenwood. He has the app on his phone. Want me to hack it? Watch his movements? I’m fucking bored.
Oli
Aren’t you running a company? How are you bored? And no. Who knows if he’s got tech on his side.
Carter
You’re no fucking fun. *middle finger emoji*
He doesn’t have tech on his fucking side. He’s a goddamn idiot.
Oli
And how do you know? Did you…
I shake my head with realization. It’s because he’s already tapped into Malic’s phone. It must be a slow day in his home office.
Carter
Because I could hack into his phone without mirroring the damn thing and snoop. You there to watch him? Because you fucking need to. He’s got someone in his phone named fucking Boss. How goddamn obvious.
Oli
Boss? Any messages? Calls?
Carter
Oh, now you want me to fucking help you look through this asshole’s phone?
Oli
STFU and give me the answers, Cunningham!
Carter
Fucking no. Not on this device. Maybe you can find out if he has another one?
Oli
He’s technically not a part of my job…
Carter
Then how the fuck did he… No wait. You didn’t… Don’t even fucking tell me the details. *puke emoji*
I roll my eyes toward the ceiling. Give me strength, Lord. I need it to deal with this moron.
Oli
Please don’t make me say it, okay? It was a bar. And…
I’m back in this godforsaken place and needed to numb my pain.
Carter
NOPE. Fucking Nope. I don’t want the dirty fucking details of your bar hookup who just happened to put a tracker on you.
Oli
Then don’t ask stupid questions.
Carter
Just keep a fucking eye on him… FUCK. I will too. If anything pops up… I guess I’ll fucking tell you. Now, leave me the fuck alone.
Oli
Asshole. You texted me first. But thanks.
I don’t get a response after that. Typical.
He’s so moody, but he’s helped me with the Malic situation.
I wonder who this boss person is and why he has him on his phone at all.
Even more suspicious is there are no messages or calls from the person supposedly in charge of him. How are they getting around that?
I get another ping.
Jordy
They didn’t see any tits did they? It would be a shame if we had to trade places. I’m bored. This thief is good. But ugh. So boringggg!
Must be a common theme today. Boredom. But not for me. I’ve had way too much excitement already. I need a goddamn drink.
Oli
NO. If you keep talking about my tits, I’m going to think you’re obsessed.
Jordy
With yours? Ew. Hard pass. With that chick in the parking lot who bent over with no panties on? Yes. Yes, please.
I roll my eyes again, huffing when I set my phone down.
Thankfully, Jordy isn’t the world’s biggest texter, so our conversation is brief and to the point.
I’ll have to be more careful using the bathroom when everyone is here.
I’ll have to figure out their schedules and shower when they’re gone.
For me, classes aren’t that important to pass, but I’ll have to watch the students and professors.
Get a feel for the people of Greenwood and see what it’s all about.
But for now, it’s time for my meeting with my new advisor in one of the administrative wings.