Chapter two
SIERRA
Eli: Still haven't changed your mind? ;)
The text comes through just a little after lunchtime, and my brows scrunch with amusement. He just can't help himself, can he?
Me: No ;)
Eli: Bummer. I was going to make you dinner and set up a nice tablecloth... and then eat you on it for dessert
My thighs clench. Lately, he's been getting really creative with trying to convince me. For a moment, it has me rethinking whether I should cancel the movie night with the girls, but I quickly shake my head.
"He never gets bored, does he?" Mia frowns from across the table, and I lift my eyes, feeling my chest clench from the thought that she saw my phone screen for a second, but her eyes are glued on Sebastian, who sits at the other end of the library, swarmed between a group of young women.
"Never," Jenny confirms, scribbling something away in her notebook. I look back down to find another text from Elias and keep my eyes stuck on the phone in my hand. I can't help but let a small smile tug on my lips when yet another comes through.
Eli: Speechless already?
Eli: Wait till I get you all prepped up
Me: You talk a lot, considering you haven't even seen me in your bed for a week
Eli: Trust me, I haven't stopped thinking about seeing you there
Eli: Especially when I'm alone
Me: You're ridiculous
Eli: Ridiculously hard for you? Yeah, I know ;)
Eli: I could show you better than I can text it though
Eli: I can also send you a closer look
Me: Tempting
Me: But I'm still not coming over tonight
Eli: Is that a yes for the picture?
Me: Definitely not.
Eli: Then I'll just have to make tomorrow very unforgettable
Eli: You're fucking torturing me
I try to hide the chuckle that threatens to fall out my lips. I look up again, glad to see that neither Jenny or Mia are paying attention to me.
"Shit," Mia upturns her nose and sighs profusely. I watch her hand fall through her raven hair which stops right at her shoulders. "I'm really wondering sometimes about what the hell do I see in him."
"I wonder too." Jenny teases, still immersed in jotting some notes down. "But it's statistically proven that women get bored way quicker than men," she adds. "So there's still hope for you."
"You're better off without him anyway. He'd just use you for one night," I say back and glance at Sebastian again.
"That's right." Jenny nods, eyes flickering between us.
"So basically you're saying I should just give up." Mia sighs and glances towards my crinkled eyes, smiling along before placing her chin to rest on her arms.
"Go for Kyle instead. That man needs to see some pussy. Urgently," Jenny blurts out, making us both erupt into chuckles.
"Come on, leave him alone." I defend him, even though I silently agree.
"What?" She grins. "I'm right."
"Yeah, but I think that he's still not over what happened with Briony," I frown, speaking a little quieter this time.
"God, don't even mention her name," Jenny's eyebrows furrow. "I could kill her if I ever saw her again."
I nod, understanding her frustration. Briony was Kyle's girlfriend back when we were in junior year. Their relationship didn't last long, but Kyle's the kind of person who gives his everything when he cares about someone, and he catches feelings fast.
Briony knew that. She was aware that he'd do anything for her, and she took ugly advantage of it. For months, she was leading him on, and we later found out she'd cheated on him with more than three other people. Luckily, she transferred to another college not too long after that.
"Me too," I say softly. It was a difficult time trying to get him back to normal when that happened because he closed off to all of us.
"Are you done with this, though?" Mia changes the subject, and I'm glad for it since there's no use dwelling on something that makes our stomachs churn with hatred until this day.
"Five more minutes," Jenny says and flicks her hair over her shoulder. We spend the rest of it in silence, letting her finish up before we make our way over to my place.
??????
Bags litter the hall as we carelessly drop them, continuing to make our way further into my home.
I navigate myself into the kitchen first, craving some snacks to make up for the barely eaten cafeteria food.
Reaching for some advil is an idea to stop the slight headache I've been dealing with for nearly the whole day.
The ultimate aim earlier today was to get a few extra hours of sleep once I get back, but my plans went crashing down to become saved for the weekend.
"What are we watching?" I ask, setting the drinks on my coffee table and glancing over at my friends, who are already sprawled across my couch like they live here.
"Something trashy," Jenny says without looking up, flipping through options with the remote.
"Reality TV or a murder doc," adds Mia, tugging a pillow under her head.
I grab a handful of chips and sink into the corner of the couch, letting the comfort swallow me. It doesn't really matter what we watch. I'm just glad for the noise, the company, and a reason to not think too much. Elias has been on my mind all day, and I know I need a distraction from that.
The only reason why I've been turning him down for our usual sessions so much lately is because I feel like things have changed.
Something shifted along the way. We've grown closer, and not just in a physical way, but in an emotional one, too.
And it feels much heavier. More real. And honestly, that scares the hell out of me, so I'm trying to put some distance between us.
But as the night draws closer, my thoughts shift to the show we're watching. The three of us are laughing, judging, and throwing comments at the screen, and by the end of it I'm more than satisfied with how the evening turns out.
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