The Best Mistake (Driscoll U Diaries #1)

Prologue

KAMILA

March - Spring Semester - Sophomore Year

I think I’m incapable of being in love.

Okay, maybe that’s a tad dramatic. A better way to phrase it would be, I’ve never been in love. While love has been shown to me in a myriad of ways during my nineteen and a half years of life, whether physically, emotionally, or through loyalty, I still have a few trust issues that keep me from experiencing a romantic kind of love. Fine, I might have more than a few trust issues stopping me, but I am capable of loving people.

I’ve been lucky enough to experience the emotion and have it reciprocated by friends and family. However, all of my experiences have been platonic as far as I’m aware. As I said, I’ve never been in love with anyone. Nobody has ever been in love with me. And that is something I am okay with. In fact, I prefer it that way. Neater. Easier. Painless.

That was until thirty seconds ago when the naked man next to me practically burst at the seams, admitting his true feelings.

The problem? Well, one of the many…he barely knows me. An d now, I’m sitting here like a fish out of water, not knowing what the hell to say.

“Kamila?” He snaps his fingers near my face, bringing me out of my stupor.

How long did I zone out for?

Okay, say something, anything.

“Sorry…I…um, got distracted.” Clearing my dry throat, I voice my unsureness. “Did you just say you were in love with me?”

He tilts his head and narrows his eyes. “Yes. I’m in love with you.”

My mouth falls open again, still not knowing what to say. This time, he closes it with a finger to my chin. Incoherent thoughts run through my head, making the room spin.

Meanwhile, he’s waiting for a response, any kind of response.

Like I said before, the guy barely knows me. When I really think about it, he sticks to talking about himself most of the time which makes this all the more confusing.

“Earth to Kamila?”

Dave’s eyes shift back and forth between mine, clearly trying to read what’s going on inside my head. And if he knew me or even listened to me at all, he would know what I was thinking.

This is a disaster.

This was supposed to be simple.

It should’ve never gone this far.

I warned him.

“I’m sorry. I’m just processing,” I explain slowly.

His eyes narrow. “What the hell is there to process Kamila? I just told you I love you, and I know for a fact that you feel the same way. The signs are there.”

Now it’s my turn to gape at him. “Signs?”

He nods.

“What signs?”

He sits up, the sheet slipping from his bare chest down to his v-line. “The looks you give me when you think I’m not paying attention to you or how many times I can make you come when we fuck.” A cocky smile spreads across his face. “If that isn’t love, I don’t know what is.”

Holy shit. This beautiful man is insane.

Is this what love means to him? Orgasms and looks that I’m one hundred percent certain weren’t of love. Lust, sure, but never love. We didn’t even go as far as to cuddle afterward, and he never sleeps over. Those were and are my limits. I set them as soon as we started having sex.

“Kamila, you need to fucking say something.” Dave gets off the bed to put his boxers on before sitting back down. His blue eyes darken, and when I don’t respond, his face begins turning into a disturbing shade of crimson.

My body tenses while I take in his reaction. My mind is going into survival mode.

“Dave, we set our boundaries back in December. That was two weeks before we started sleeping together. You knew this was never going to be exclusive.” My tone is sweet and delicate, not wanting to aggravate him further. “We agreed that if either of us started to develop feelings for the other, we should let the other know so we could end things there and then. I’m so sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, but I am not in love with you.”

He stares at me and slowly rises while cracking his neck. I cringe at the sound and put some distance between us by scooting back to the headboard.

“You fucking bitch,” he grits out.

“Excuse me?” My question comes out with a surprised squeak.

His lips curl. “You are such a slut. I should’ve known better than to sleep with you. You’ll open your legs for anyone!” he yells.

The knot already forming in the pit of my stomach grows with the sinking feeling that this is going to keep escalating .

I lower the volume in my voice, hoping my words won’t provoke him any further.

“Dave, I have been open about being non-monogamous. What are you?—”

“Stop!” he shouts so loudly that it echoes off the walls in my room. “You don’t get to call me Dave, only my friends do. It’s David, and I don’t want to hear your lame excuses. We’ve been fucking for almost three months now. What did you expect to happen? I thought you were smart enough to see how great of a catch I am.” He starts pacing the room, and I just stare at him, my heart beating rapidly against my chest. “You think you can do better than me, Kamila?” He leans over the bed, inches away from my face. “I am the best, baby. You’ll never find anyone who can make you feel the way I do.” He straightens. “Nobody will ever really love you. You’re just a mediocre fuck.”

I flinch at his words.

How did I not realize how awful he was until now?

My bedroom door opens, and Emma peeks her head in, looking around the room.

“What’s going on here?” Her voice is casual yet calculated.

When David doesn’t respond, the door swings open, revealing what she has in hand.

“Hey, asshole,” she says sternly.

David still doesn’t move.

Em continues, “Get up, back away from her, and leave our suite. I will hurt you if it comes to that, David, so please make it easier for both of us and get the hell out.”

David slowly gets off the bed and turns to the door. He finally spots the metal bat and pepper spray in Emma’s hands. His eyes widen for a second before he quickly composes himself.

He shrugs. “Fine. Whatever. I already said everything I needed to.”

Em stands by the door, not taking her eyes off David while he finishes getting dressed. He turns to me one last time and shoots me an evil grin, the cold look sending chills down my spine. “Bye, Kamila.”

My roommate catches his attention. “Keep on moving, Dave.”

She follows him to our front door, which can be seen from my room. The clicking sound of the lock echoes, and I let out a deep, shaky, relieved breath.

Suddenly, I feel arms wrap around me, and I stiffen before leaning into my best friend's touch, silently thanking her for coming to my rescue.

“I’m so sorry, Kami. He’s a creepy, good-for-nothing douchey sexist asshole.”

I laugh despite the situation while my involuntary shaking starts to dissipate.

Something wet falls onto my lap. It’s then I realize that I’m crying. Only one other man has ever made me cry, and I’ve avoided that kind of pain ever since.

“I should’ve done more, but I froze, Em.”

She frowns. “Don’t go there, Kami. It is not your fault. You did what you needed to do, and you’re safe now.”

Feeling the adrenaline spike lower, I nod slowly.

After hugging and talking for a while, we ended up on the couch watching a movie.

I’m dozing off when I hear Em say, “I’ll text Levi and Jake to meet us for dinner tomorrow.”

“Okay. Roxy’s?”

“Of course.”

My head is on her lap when I begin to fall asleep, feeling slightly better. David’s words still echo in my head.

Nobody will ever really love you.

And I never thought that six words could trigger so many regrettable memories.