Lainey sits up, throwing her curly hair up on the top of her head and climbing off the bed. I watch as she makes her way over to my bathroom and shuts the door behind her.
“You know you guys will kick their asses, right?” she calls from behind the door. I chuckle.
“Yeah, well, you’ll be there, right?”
The door clicks open, and Lainey walks out with a toothbrush in her mouth. “Duh.”
“Hey Lainey,” I begin. She walks back into the bathroom, spits in the sink and comes back out, her hands on her hips.
“Holland,” she urges, a small smile on her face, and I feel bad because I know what I’m about to say is going to make the smile disappear.
“You know people are going to find out about us sooner than later, and it’ll be better if they find out from us,” I shrug, and just like I predicted, her face falls.
Pulling one of my shirts over her head, she picks her shorts up off the floor and tugs them on.
“We don’t even know what we are. How are we going to tell people about us if we don’t even know what we’re doing?”
I know what I’m doing. I want her, and only her. All the other girls, all the other bullshit, I don’t want any of it. All I want is her. But how the hell do I convince the girl that’s terrified of trusting anyone to trust me with something she’s been guardingher entire life?
Chapter 34
Lainey
The cold breeze sends chills down my spine as I walk to Café Grind to get my fix of hot tea. I have all of my work so I’m able to get some homework done while I’m out. I’ve been really slacking on school since I got back from Italy.
I haven’t felt that motivated to do schoolwork honestly. I’ve been a bit preoccupied lately.
I guess that’s one good thing about having completely absent parents. They can’t get on my ass if my grades are slipping.
I do care about my grades, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve been spending so much time with Holland that I’ve fallen a bit behind.
Okay, maybe a little more than a bit. I got an email from my English professor that I’m practically failing, and I need these three credits to graduate.
The last time we saw each other, Holland practically begged me to put a label on us, and I just said that we didn’t know what we were doing.
Except, I don’t think I’m confused. I know what I’m feeling.
What I feel for Holland is unlike any feeling I’ve ever felt before. It’s real and vulnerable, it’s scary and consuming. It’s… unexpected. Completely and utterly unexpected. I don’t understand what it is about that man that has made me want him so badly.
The café is packed, and the line is practically out the door which annoys me because all I wanted to do was get my tea and sit down in a nice comfy booth to do my work. I guess that’s not going to happen since apparently everyone had the same idea at three o’clock on a Thursday.
“Hey, Stranger,” a familiar voice says from behind me. Why is that voice familiar?
Turning around slowly, I realize why the voice is familiar. My stomach does a weird flip thing, like when you’re nervous or scared. Archer, the guy from the party, the guy I turned down at the game.
I smile shyly. I know, weird for me, but I’m feeling a bit reserved. “Hey, Archer.How’ve you been?”
I don’t know why I feel so awkward. He’s just a guy, and I’m the one that turned him down, not the other way around. Is this what guilt feels like? And if it’s guilt, why do I feel guilty? I’ve turned down plenty of guys before. Why does this one feel different?
Archer smiles, and he looks just as awkward as I feel.
“I’ve been okay. You know, just been busy with school and all. What about you? I haven’t seen you around in a bit,” he shifts from one foot to the other uncomfortably. At least I’m not alone in feeling weird.
Shrugging, I smile. “I’ve been good. I just recently went to Italy for a friend’s wedding, so I was gone for a hot minute. But I’m back now,” I explain, mentally face palming myself because no shit, I’m back. I’m standing in front of him.
Chuckling, Archer smirks. “I see that. How was Italy?”
“Amazing,” I say, pictures of Holland and I naked together in bed flashing in my head like a movie.
