The Night We Met (Healing in Cincy Book 1)

1. Kamryn

The snickering sound of my closet door closing gives this move-in a bit of a series finale feeling.

“Promise to call every night?” My mom asks as she gives me a bone-crushing hug that only moms seem to possess the strength to do.

My dad and sister snort because they know that’s unrealistic. As the eldest daughter, I’m moving away from the nest for college. My mom is still coming to terms that her baby isn’t going to be in her room when she gets home from work.

“Yes Mom, I promise,” I say because I know it’s what she needs to hear.

My mom fusses with my hair as she continues to hug me as if she’ll never see me again. Her fresh laundry and lavender scent invade my senses, making me miss home already. I sink into her embrace a little bit more, knowing it’ll be a couple of more months before I have another hug like this.

When her hold on me gets tighter, I try with all my might to wiggle out of her embrace. The taps on her shoulder are going unnoticed so I do the one thing that’ll get her in gear…time. “You guys really should get back on the road. It’s a long drive back to Pennsylvania.”

I look around my dorm room with a happy smile on my face and misty eyes. I could pinch myself that I’m now in college. And my family just helped me move in what they could do in my dorm.

I’m finally a freshman at Carolina Southern University. My decision was based on the academic programs. PhilU had a good psychology program, but CSU had a stellar psychology program. But what also drew me to the university was the city of Columbia. It’s a quaint college town and the campus is beautiful. Not to mention the city is a history book in itself. It also doesn’t hurt that they have my mom’s sorority here as well, so I should be a shoo-in as a legacy.

Not that it was the reason that I chose this school.

I’m to the point where I’m not even sure I want to join a sorority.

“Mom, let Kamryn breathe.” My sister, Jax, says to coax her off of me.

“Okay, okay.” My mom finally says as she releases me.

As a family of four, we wander out of my dorm room and back down to the parking lot. It’s a little bittersweet for me as I’ve never been so far away from my family. But I’m determined to quite literally spread my wings.

My roommate and I, fortunately, have already become incredibly close. When I got my match, I instantly looked her up on Facebook and it turns out we have a few things in common. We’ve been in contact since becoming Facebook friends and she’s set to move in tomorrow. With her liking sports and having an eclectic taste in music, my hope is that our friendship can thrive. It’s what I worried about when having a roommate chosen for me as I don’t make friends that are girls easily.

Once in the parking lot, my dad pulls me into a brief but tight hug. “Have fun kiddo. Just not too much fun. I’d rather not become a grandpa just yet.”

Oh lord. “I promise to stay in-tact.” I say with a wink. I’m far from in-tact, but I refuse to talk about that with my dad.

We’re an open family, but some things have to remain private.

My mom comes to hug me again. “My sweet baby girl. I miss you already. But I know you’re going to enjoy every last bit of college. Let me know when rush week starts.”

“Mom, I’m not sure when rush week is. But I will keep you updated.”

Next is my sister, best friend, and my partner in crime when it comes to keeping our parents on their toes.

“What am I gonna do for the next two years?” My sister asks as she hugs me.

“I’m sure you’ll manage. It’s your turn to rule the school and to live it up! Go to all of the football and basketball games, take a ton of pictures, and maybe even sneak into a college party. Just do all the fun things that I did in high school. I have officially passed the torch to you.” I tell my sister this with the utmost love.

Despite the two-year age difference between my sister and me, we grew up very close. We did a lot of stuff together: art, sports, music, and photography. It helped solidify our bond. I know my sister felt a bit in my shadows by always being compared to me. My hope for her is that she’s able to leave her stamp at school as Jax and not Kamryn’s little sister.

With a final hug and a kiss on the cheek from my family, I watch them pile in the car and slowly drive off.

I tell myself I will not cry. But before one tear can slip down my face, I’m startled as I’m crushed by some strong arms. “Parents are gone!”

My heart rate spikes before I realize it’s Liam.

“Oh my gosh! Get off of me weirdo!” I exclaim and shrug his arms off of me before turning around to face him.

“I’m just trying to comfort you, Kam. Don’t be such a sad sap.”

I give him a wary look. “Might I remind you how to comfort someone properly?”

One good thing that makes this high school to college transition so easy, is that I’m also here with my best friend. Liam and I have been friends since we were seven. When he moved into town, he was placed in my class in the middle of the school year. I made him sit next to me in class and we’ve been inseparable ever since.

Turned out that Liam’s dad’s work transferred him to the company my dad works for. And when they found out we were in the same class they were overjoyed. It also helped that Liam and his family moved in across the street. Our families did everything together. So finding out we were thinking of applying to the majority of the same colleges, and subsequently getting into some of the same colleges, made the separation from our parents easier.

Liam happens to be here on a baseball scholarship. He was one of the best pitchers our high school had ever had. When he wasn’t pitching he was an all-star center fielder with a wicked batting average to show for it. And since CSU has such a winning baseball program, we found it to be a win-win when we both got accepted.

“So Mr. Baseball star. Wanna come help me unpack the rest of my things?” I ask him with my hands on my hips.

Liam ponders my question a little too long and then answers with a shrug. “Yeah, why not. I need to help out my fans.”

My jaw drops and now I really punch him in the arm. “Your fans? Is that what I am? I could’ve sworn I was the girl who encouraged you to start baseball. So really…I should become your agent when you make it to the pros.”

Now it’s Liam’s turn for his jaw to go slack. “Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, Ms. Always-loses-her-phone-and-mind.”

I scowl at him as I feign offense, but I know he’s right. I always lose my mind…and my phone.

“That should do it,” I declare as I put my last empty suitcase in the closet.

Liam and I finished setting up the rest of my room. At a young age, Liam became very tech-savvy, so he made sure my internet was set up properly. Anytime the internet went out at either of our homes, our parents never bothered calling for the internet company and instead had Liam fix the outages. He also did most of the heavy lifting which wasn’t too much, pushed mine and my roommates dressers together to form a large TV stand, and helped raise my bed so I could fit more storage underneath.

“It looks good Kam,” Liam says as he throws his arm around my shoulder.

“Yeah, it does. Thanks for helping me, Liam.” And I wrap my arm around his waist to lean into him.

“Anytime shorty. Wanna get a layout of the campus and get some food?” He asks as his stomach rumbles. His 6’2” rivals my 5’5” but our appetites match in size.

I swear he is always hungry. He would eat at his house and then come over to mine and eat again. My Mom made sure to have a section in our pantry just for Liam’s appetite.

“Sure. I could use that. Plus Im really hungry anyway.”

Food is the way to both of our hearts.

“So how long have you two known each other?”

I’m sitting at a table across from Liam along with some of his teammates. When they say boys in the South are grown differently, they weren’t joking. The guys down here are, for a lack of better words, corn-fed. I’m not saying Liam is unattractive. He could give anyone a run for his money off his looks. But his teammates…just wow!

Some of the guys’ girlfriends are here early too. I’m hoping that with our mutual love for the guys that we’re friends with a mutual friendship can form too. As I said, I’m not that great at making friends that are girls so I’m hoping baseball can be a bridge for us.

“Since we were seven. And it’s been all sunshine and rainbows since then. Hasn’t it Liam?” I give him my most sugary smile.

“Oh yeah. You’re a real peach to hang out with.” He says with so much sarcasm dripping from what he said that I could scoop it up in a bowl and save it for later.

His teammates snicker at our little exchange.

For the past year my family, along with Liam, have been front and center to my always changing moods. Call them hormonal changes or planets aligning, but those in my life never knew the Kamryn they were going to get on any given day. I owe my best friend more than just my friendship.

“So Kamryn,” Chance’s girlfriend Allie starts, “Are you planning to join any sororities?”

That can’t be the only reason she came to college. But then again some girls only go to college to get not just a Bachelor’s degree, but an MRS. degree. With her bleach blonde hair, flower headband, and conservative yet, at the same time, revealing wardrobe she fits the stereotypical label.

“Yeah. Um, I think I’m a shoo-in for Kappa Beta. But I wouldn’t mind another sorority. If that doesn’t go the way I hope for it, maybe a club.”

Allie looks at me with narrowed eyes but recovers quickly. “How’s that? You have to go through the bids and rush week and all the other fun stuff.”

I give her my best smile. “I’m a legacy, actually.”

Her face drops when she hears that. “Oh really. What’s your mom’s name?”

Not even a minute into this tense conversation and I’m already over her. I cheat a glance over at Liam to see he’s very invested in this exchange. His family wasn’t into Greek life so for him, this is all foreign. “Elizabeth Rawlins. Thomas is her maiden name.”

One of the reasons I decided to go far away from home was that everyone knows of my family. And when I say everyone, I-Mean-Everyone. My family is kind of a sorority and fraternity legend.

Both my mom and dad had family members who were part of the founding chapters that they were in. When my mom and dad met in college, it was like Greek royalty. Apparently, PhilU has a wall dedicated just to them for helping start the chapters. They didn’t go to PhilU, but once they found out that my family lived so close, those in Greek Life found it a no-brainer to dedicate a little piece of the wall to them. Weird I know, but I guess they wanted them memorialized.

And that’s a big reason why I didn’t go there. The comparisons and unrealistic expectations would be endless because apparently no matter what university you go to, in Greek life, the Thomas and Rawlins names carry a lot of weight. I try not to make too much of a big deal about it. I can’t help who my parents are. I love them both to death.

Okay, okay. I’m not exactly a shoo-in for Kappa Beta. Just because my mom and her mom, along with the majority of the women in my family rushed Kappa Beta, doesn’t mean that I have to. But KB is a really good organization to be a part of. What they stand for, how they get involved in the community, and also the opportunities that open up for you. PhilU didn’t have KB and some of the other universities that I looked at had KB but didn’t have the major that I wanted. CSU had both of them. And I also had a couple of backup options if the organization turned out not to be a good fit for me.

“Then I have no doubt you’ll fit right in with everyone.” Allie says with undisguised venom in her voice.

I turn back to face Liam who’s looking at our exchange with wide eyes. He’s as shocked as I am. “We’re definitely not in Philly anymore, Kam.”

“No kidding. So much for Southern hospitality,” I say loud enough that hopefully Allie can hear. The rest of the table snickers when I say that.

After we all finish eating, we’re just hanging out when my phone beeps with a text from my sister about this boxing class that she’s interested in. I encourage her to go for it.

“What are you smiling about?” Liam asks me.

“Jax. She’s thinking about signing up for a boxing class.” I say with a proud smile on my face.

“Taking after her big sis, huh?”

“You could say that.” My sister may not like living in my shadow, but she was always interested in the hobbies I managed to pick up.

“You box, Kamryn?” one of Liam’s teammates, Brandon, asks me.

I lift my shoulder in a shrug. “Kind of. Not competitively though. Liam and I would play around and we found it a good way for me to let off steam. It’s also a really good workout.”

“Like your life is so hard,” Allie piques up.

“Allie,” Chance hisses. I’m not sure how serious their relationship is but I can tell he has his hands full.

“I could use you as a punching bag if you don’t think I have enough pent-up anger. I could really use a release right about now.” I say as I fantasize punching her in the face over and over again. So much for making any new girlfriends.

“I don’t hang out with your type.”

“And what type would that be? A guys girl? A tomboy? Please, spell it out for me.” My lack of patience is threatening to boil over.

“I don’t hang out with lesbians.” She says matter-of-factly.

A collection of shocked gasps erupts from the table.

“What the fuck Allie?” Is what I think I hear her boyfriend say. I feel like I’m underwater. I can’t hear anything. But I can see her sitting at the end of the table with a smile fit for a villain.

I always find it easy to separate the idiots. My love for the LGBTQ+ community is immense. So anyone assuming that I can’t be friends with a guy and automatically be part of that community had to have been raised that way.

“What did you just say?” I spit out as a red haze covers my body.

“You heard me. Because theres no way a girl like you can be friends with a guy like Liam and not do anything about it.”

“So because I haven’t pounced on my best friend that makes me a lesbian?”

“I dare you to kiss, Liam.” Allie challenges.

Shaking my head, I reply to her retort. “I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. Least of all you.”

Allie leans forward on the table and crosses her hands in front of her. “Color me curious. Besides, if you two are just friends then this should be no problem.”

I have nothing to prove to her. So why am I considering kissing my best friend? Is it because I’m genuinely curious? Or is it because I’ve always had a teensy crush on my best friend for years?

Again, I have nothing to prove, but I get up anyway and walk around the table to Liam. My heart is pounding so hard it’s threatening to jump out of my chest. Liam slides his chair back and the noise from it dulls the roar of my heart beating in my ears as he eyes me cautiously. I swing my leg over his lap to straddle him and place my hands on his shoulders for balance. Not quite chest to chest. But close enough that I can see his pulse fluttering in his neck. I trace an invisible pattern around his face and when I reach his eyes they’re as big as the moon. His hands move automatically to my hips, keeping me in place, and my thumbs rub light circles into the curve where his shoulder meets his neck.

Why does this feel so natural?

Nope! Stop that Kamryn!

Not letting myself indulge in this for too long. Despite my skin feeling warm as a swarm of butterflies threaten to take flight.

Nope! Not going there.

My hand travels to trace his jawline, to his lower lip; noting the way his breath hitches with these light touches. My other hand travels around and tangles in the hair at the nape of his neck. I slowly move in and pepper light kisses against everywhere I traced before: his jawline, his nose…the corner of his mouth.

When I pull back, our eyes connect and something changes. His breathing has deepened. His eyes have turned from sky blue to an ocean blue so dark I feel as if I’ll get lost in them. They’re hypnotizing and it’s at this moment that the curiosity I felt before is thrown out with the need to kiss my best friend. And from the look in his eyes and the heavy weight of his hands on my waist with his now-growing cock that’s nudging my pussy, he wants to kiss me too. Just one kiss.

What harm can it really do?

As his eyes travel down and linger on my mouth again, do I lower my lips to his. And with a gentle touch of our lips, we kiss. It starts off soft as we feel each other out. This is our first kiss and when Liam’s tongue traces the seam of my lips, I let him in. Blood is rushing through my ears as our tongues tangle and I kiss him back with more intensity than I have ever kissed anyone. Liam uses his hands on my hips to bring me closer and settle me firmly against his erection. I roll my hips eliciting a groan from him.

Our tongues continue to dance with the others.

His hand tangles in the curls at the nape of my neck.

My heart has never beat this fast before.

A kiss has never felt this good before.

My thoughts are a jumbled mess. From the feel of our lips gliding against the other to the feel of his erection underneath me. I roll my hips attempting to gain the friction I so desperately need and suck on his bottom lip before releasing it and diving in for more. Liam puts his hands on my lower back to keep rhythm and to hold me to him before he rolls his hips up into me. The friction from my jeans rubbing my clit has me moaning into his mouth.

Eleven years of friendship poured into this very first kiss. We might be two seconds from ripping each other’s clothes off. Who knew that kissing your best friend could be like this? Thankfully, Liam has the foresight to slow the kiss down and pull away.

Stunned silence is the reaction of those at the table. Including us. What the hell was that? This kiss, Liam being the one that I kissed; it’s the only thing that’s running through my head. Hello, new spank bank material.

“Definitely not gay,” Brandon says.

Liam and I stare into each others eyes with questions unasked. I don’t have an answer to what just happened. I barely remember my first name.

I just kissed - scratch that - I just made out and dry-humped my best friend. All to prove to some mean bigoted girl that I can be friends with a guy and not want to hook up with him.

Joke’s on me, right?

“Boxing?” I ask Liam while trying to calm my erratic breathing and wildly beating heart. My voice? I don’t recognize it.

“Yeah. Meet me in the gym in an hour.” Liam says distractedly.

With an unpracticed move, I slide off Liam’s lap, my face flaming hot as I walk out of the cafe and back towards my dorm.