Still deep inside her with her arms wrapped around me, I shook in her grasp.
“You just have to hold on,” she choked out.
Chapter Eight
“For a love everlasting,
make her roses outof paper.
For a loveas poetic,
make her roses out of literature.
And if you’re lucky enough tofind both,
remind her every damn day.”
—Oliver Masters
mia.
THE SEPTEMBER TEMPERATURES cooled the building as Jake and I walked through the hallway after class and back to our wing. Walking side by side, he rambled on about Brian breaking it off with him earlier in the summer, but my mind was on a different guy I hadn’t spoken to in weeks.
So far, Ollie kept his promise. He hadn’t shown up to my room or confronted me when our paths crossed. He had kept his distance, which only killed me even more. We say things we know are for the best, but our hearts hold on to the tiny hope that we could be wrong, and I’d hoped this time Ollie wouldn’t have listened.
“I’m ready to spread my wings.” Jake stretched an arm out to the side.
“You’re wings or your wiener?”
“You pervert!” he laughed and bumped my shoulder with his. “Do you know how hard it was to find a good source of protein on a mission trip? I couldn’t wait to come back here.”
“What’s here?” Having Jake back made this situation with Ollie a little easier. I didn’t bother telling Jake what happened between Ollie and I, but Jake was the perfect distraction.
“So, you promise you won’t say anything?” Jake asked as we approached the stairs.
My eyes bugged out when I noticed both his tone and posture changed. “Oh, dear god, this has to be good.”
Jake gripped my arm and pulled me against the wall out of ear-shot of any unwelcomed bystanders. “Promise me, Mia. You can’t tell a soul.” His lips disappeared while his eyes waited in eagerness.
“Fine, fine. I promise…”
He leaned into my ear. “Liam.”
My eyes grew wider and my jaw dropped. “No way.”
“Yes.”
“No … ”
“Yes!”
“Ew, Jake,” I shoved him in the shoulder, “I’ve been with him!”
Jake’s head jerked in all directions while hushing me. “I know!”
“He’s a grunter!” I whisper-shouted.
“I know, I fucking love it!”
