Okay, that’s bullshit, but Stevie isn’t an option for anything other than being a roommate and friend. She’s not only somebody I live with, but also someone I want to help. There’s nothing wrong with finding her attractive, I’m only fucking human. But I can’t act on that attraction.
Either way, I’m usually a relationship kind of guy. Anytime I’ve tried the friends-with-benefits thing, I’ve always,alwaysgotten hurt. Not that my relationships have been any different.
“So, you’re going to help Stevie with a list?” Kami asks from my side.
I nod in response.
She hums. “And you’re sure you’re just friends?”
Running a hand through my hair, annoyed by the same question I’ve been asked by all three of my best friends, I reply, “For the tenth time, yes, I’m sure.”
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” Jake spits out of nowhere.
“What is it?” Kami asks before I can.
Jake stands up straighter. “Whatever you guys do, do not look to your left.”
As if in sync, Kami and I dart glances to our left.
“For fuck’s sake,” Jake whispers.
There aren’t many people walking in the courtyard toward the dining room this time of day, and only one girl is coming toward us. Trying to get another glance, I take in her features. She has massive, what I believe to be, blue eyes, long, dark brown hair, slightly tanned skin, and a curvy figure like Kamila, but taller.
“Holy shit, who the hell is that?” Kami whispers. “She’s gorgeous.”
“Agreed.” I do another quick body sweep, because holy shit.
“If I weren’t with Cameron, I’d do her.” By the sound of Kami’s voice, she’s dead serious, and I’m right there with her. Except that I’m not with Cam, and for some reason, Jake doesn’t seem to like her.
“Yeah, don’t get too attached. Her exterior doesn’t match her interior,” Jake mumbles, his entire body rigid.
Kami and I swap a glance that says,Who the fuck is this?
At first, it seems like she’s going to walk right past us, but at the very last moment, she stops a couple of feet away in our direction and hugs another girl much shorter than her. Knowing that Jake is probably going to want to turn around, I brace myself for his cue.
That’s when Kami trips on her heeled boots and tumbles to the ground. My attempt at catching her is useless, and a second later, she’s on all fours, cursing.
“Holy shit!” she yells as her hands hit the concrete.
Jake and I duck immediately, asking Kami if she’s okay.
“I’m fine, guys, just a couple of scrapes.”
We gingerly begin to lift her. Her tote bag is still on the ground, and things are spilling out of it. One look at her knees is all it takes to spot a small amount of blood trickling out.
“Oh my God! Are you okay?”
Swiveling my head downward, I see the woman who Jake was speaking of. She, along with the girl she was hugging, is now kneeling before us with a panicked face, picking up Kami’s belongings.
Kamila assures them that she’s okay, and the woman with the blue eyes—scratch that—gray-blue eyes, stands still, looking down. She puts my friend’s wallet into the bag and hands it to her. Damn, she’s taller than I expected.
“Thank you,” I say, trying to get her attention and save Jake’s ass, but it’s too late.
Once her eyes stop looking at Kami’s bag, she spots him.
At first, surprise flashes across her unique face, quickly masked by fury, turning into indifference.
“Johnathan.” Her gaze is intense and, shit, she looks pissed.
