I liked Ruby. A lot. Not as a girlfriend—not then. We were totally platonic. But she was a girl and a friend, and she did join my sci-fi club, The Force Alliance, although she wasn’t nearly as crazy about the genre as I was. She said it might entice moregirls to join, and she was right. “And maybe I’ll meet a guy while I’m at it,” she’d said.
We grabbed trays and entered the lunch line. Before we could pick between mystery meat and pasta surprise, she hushed a gasp.
“Oh, my God. She did it. Rio’s sitting with her brother’s hot friend—and that other friend of theirs is there too. “She clutched my arm. “You don’t mind if I go sit with them, right, Sebastian? That guy’s now a third wheel, and I can make it four.”
I shrugged. “Sure. Have fun.”
She grinned and gave my arm a little squeeze before darting off.
I turned back to the food. Picked the pasta. I really didn’t mind Ruby going. It wasn’t like I didn’t have anyone to sit with. Alex, Brandon, and Hugo sat at our usual table—I called it our Quantum Lunch Table, because I loved Quantum Leap.
I nodded at them and continued to the dessert choices, which today featured chocolate pudding or shiny red jello.
Someone stepped up beside me.
“Hey, Sebastian,” said Heather, a girl from my homeroom who acted like she owned the place.
I looked over.
“You have such a beautiful name. I used to love it. Wanted to marry a Sebastian or name my kid that.”
I smiled, my cheeks heating. “Thanks.”
“But you ruined it,” she said flatly. “It’s not a hot-guy name anymore. Thanks for ruining Sawyer, too.” She spun on her heel and joined her friends at a nearby table.
“Fuck you,” I muttered. I never cursed at girls. Not out loud. But this time, I wished I had.
I grabbed my tray and headed toward Alex, Brandon, and Hugo. We had a club meeting to plan.
HEATHER HAD RUINEDthe name Heather for me. Even years later, when two objectively hot Heathers hit on me at completely different points in my life, I couldn’t bring myself to go for either of them. Not even just for an actual fuck’s sake.
5
Ruby
“I’ll jump in the shower real quick,” Sebastian said twenty minutes later.
I was rearranging a tray of leftover pastries on the counter after we munched a few.
“Want to join me?” he added, sliding an arm around my waist.
“Not this time.” I leaned in and bumped my nose against his. “I have to check in with Sandra at reception and make sure everything’s ready for tonight’s dinner crowd. Which reminds me ... the deck. I need to replace the whole thing. It’s starting to rot.”
“I’ll swing by the main building before I head to my parents,” he said. “Take another look at the ceiling, too.”
“Okay. See you there.”
I watched him disappear toward the bathroom, tugging his T-shirt off as he walked. That wide back and those stupidly perfect shoulders made me nearly regret skipping the shower invite. Two orgasms less than an hour ago, yet I was still greedy for him.
He’d be in a fresh tee later from the small stash he kept in my closet.
Yep. Sebastian had a shelf in my closet.
I wasn’t proud of it.
But when he came over—which used to be only a handful of times a year, and every few weeks in the last two—he sometimes spent the night.
Again, not proud of it.
