Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Danika
“So what’s on your agenda for this week? Any fake dating I need to do?”
Sticking my tongue out at Arden, I look at my planner.
“Same class schedule and two planned study sessions with my anatomy group.” That Nico is in.
Ugh. Just thinking about spending time with him makes my skin crawl.
I glance up at Arden and his jaw is tense.
I guess I’m not the only one affected by him.
I hate to admit this but I’m still reeling about last night. So many things happened that it’s taking me more time than usual to wrap my head around it all.
First, Arden kissing the everloving crap out of me.
That kiss was nothing like the one he gave me when I was sixteen.
It was also nothing like the one we shared last year.
Last year’s kiss was sloppy and drunk. A mistake.
Last night’s kiss? That kiss was a beacon.
A fortune. A sign of things to come. If we continued down this path, we could be sharing more kisses like that.
More fake kisses, you mean. Shaking my head, I banish the thoughts of that epic fake kiss.
Because not only was it fake, it was followed by a violent display of masculine rage.
Enough to scare me. And I don’t scare easily.
I can’t forget about Arden’s past and how he’s been known to let his impulses take control.
At least this time he was able to calm himself down and pull himself away.
But still, it shouldn’t have happened in the first place.
I was seven years old when I saw my dad hit my mom for the first time.
We were sitting in the kitchen, mom was cooking dinner and I was doing my spelling homework.
I just couldn’t remember how to spell the word orange.
When I asked my mom to help me, she turned toward me with a pan of salmon in her hand just as my dad walked into the kitchen.
The sizzling oil jumped off the pan and landed on his arm and he whipped his hand out and smacked my mom so hard, she dropped the pan.
I can still hear the clatter of the stainless steel hitting the tile floor.
He immediately apologized, picked up the pan, and cradled my mom’s face while she cried. She seemed to forgive him right away. But I didn’t. And I never looked at him the same again.
Arden isn’t my father. But I always told myself I would never be with a violent man. And I’m nothing if I don’t stick to my convictions.
Looking back at my schedule, I remember something I had written in bold letters for Thursday.
“Oh and I’m babysitting Dr. Wilson’s twins on Thursday night. She’s got an event on campus so she’s dropping them off here while her and her husband attend the event.”
Arden chokes on his coffee. “You? Babysitting?”
I look at him incredulously. “Excuse me? What’s wrong with me babysitting?”
“Do you not remember what happened with Dennis Cooper?” He looks at me like I’m the crazy one. “The kid who broke his wrist on your watch?”
“Oh my god, that was one time!” I scoff, grabbing my backpack and slipping it onto my shoulder. “I was sixteen years old and that kid was going to jump off the second floor landing whether I could’ve caught him or not. He learned a valuable lesson that day.”
Arden chuckles. “You’re insane.” He puts his finished cup in the sink before turning to me again. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay babysitting two toddlers all by your—”
“I’ll be fine.” Without another word, I turn on my heel and head toward the door. I’ve got a packed morning of studying for anatomy and then a packed evening of tutoring for statistics. The faster I get through the anatomy group, the better. “I’ll be back around seven for tutoring.”
“I’ll have a pizza waiting.”
Little things like that are what makes me pause when thinking about not real dating Arden.
A girl could get used to coming home to a pizza waiting every night.
Nothing to do with the man who bought you the pizza, right?
I shake the thought out of my head. Arden could buy me a hundred pizzas but it still doesn’t change his philosophy. Unfortunately for us both.
“And the action potentials are generation, propagation and…” Nico’s voice trails off. He glances at his phone for the fortieth time that morning and I roll my eyes.
“Refratocory periods,” I reply, finishing his thought for the fiftieth time. “If you have something else going on, you can go. No one is forcing you to stay here.”
“Woah,” Paige replies to my harshness. We still haven’t told the other members of our group that Nico and I used to date and sometimes I forget that when I’m being short with him. I don’t know why I chose to keep it from them but by now, it’s far too late to tell them the truth.
Nico looks up from his phone. “Huh? Oh, no I’m just waiting for a call.”
He wants me to ask him what call, but I’m not going to.
I don’t care what he’s waiting for. At this moment, all I care about is synaptic transmission.
Glancing at my own phone, I realize it’s been a good two hours that we’ve been at this and I’m about ready to move on with my day.
Mr. Darcy is calling my name, and couch is begging for a cuddle.
“Well, I say we call it anyway. We can meet up again later this week.”
“Sounds good,” Paige replies, and her boyfriend nods.
They leave a few steps ahead of us and Nico is still sitting at the table with his eyes glued to his phone.
I should snap him out of it, say a proper goodbye so he doesn’t look up and see that he’s suddenly alone.
But all of a sudden, the thought of that is hilarious to me so I sneak out after Paige and Carter and just imagine Nico’s dumb face when he looks up and no one is there.
I’m chuckling my way to my car when my phone rings in my pocket. Pulling it out, I see a facetime call from Margot and Sydney.
“Hey babes!” I shout into the phone. “Oh, I’m so happy to see you guys. I feel like all I’ve seen these days is words on a page.”
Margot chuckles. “Careful. You keep being so studious, you’re going to turn into me.”
“Oh god, nevermind then,” I tease her and she whips out her tongue at me. “Hey Sweet Syd, how’s the family?”
Her eyes dart a bit back and forth before she replies.
“Yeah, we’re just taking it day by day here.
” She looks sad, and I want to comfort her but I have no idea what to say in situations like this.
Ever since she told me that her sister is sick, she’s been unusually quiet.
I know it’s because she’s been spending time with family but it’s not like her to not update us or to not reach out.
And I feel like a right dick for not checking on her more.
I’ve never been good at comforting people. A sarcastic comment? Sure. I’ve got them by the dozens. But something sincere? That’s never come easily to me. I want Sydney to be happy, I just don’t have the words to say it. Luckily, I have Margot for that.
“Sydney, you’re doing everything you can for your family. Things will get better. We believe that.”
Sydney gives us a sad smile and clearly wants the conversation off of her. “Thanks, guys. But enough about me. Dani, how’s living with Arden?”
I roll my eyes but laugh. “That’s what I’m reduced to? Stories about the man in my life?”
Both girls laugh out loud. “Are you shocked?” Sydney asks.
“Not at all,” I chuckle. “There’s really nothing to update you on. We barely see each other. I’m so busy with classes and studying and he’s got his whole schedule he’s on top of. Nothing to report.” I shrug but I know I’m not telling them the whole truth.
“Who would’ve thought Danika Freeman’s life would be so mundane?” Margot teases me and Sydney giggles.
“God, you’re making me sound so boring! Forget it, I gotta go skydiving or something to spice up my life.
” I stick out my tongue before saying our goodbyes.
I hang up the phone feeling happy to have talked to them but also a little bit of dread.
Am I truly turning into a Boring Barbara?
I gotta find a way to get some spice into my life before I go crazy or worse… turn into Margot.