“You know, you really should be nice to me, Olivia. I’mhelpingyou.” The fake pity in Gen’s eyes only fans my anger. Scraping my teeth over my upper lip, I glance away before settling my wrathful gaze on her.
Titling my head, I ask her, “In what universe do I need your help, Genevieve? Is it the one in which you’re—” I gasp for effect “—desirable? Irresistible? The girl everyone here is undressing in their mind the moment she walks into a room?” I huff a disinterested laugh. “Gen, weknowthat’s not you. But let me know if you find her. We can compare notes,” I snap out, my patience for her delusion dissipating.
Expecting her to retreat, I’m surprised when I feel her close the distance between us, her face just inches from mine. An elusive smirk slides into place.
“You’re right, Olivia. I’mnotlike you. Maybe that’s whathelikes.” Brushing past me, her shoulder knocks against mine, her quiet cackle echoing as I feel my face grow hot with humiliation. I hear Lily’s voice as soon as the heat overwhelms me.
You always lose when you get like this, but you do it anyway.
Teeth gritting against each other, I pick up my pace down through the network of housing strategically built near the athletics facility.
By the time I reach Will’s apartment, only half the rage from my encounter with Gen has evaporated. The other half is still hot, boiling just under the surface of my outwardly cool composure. As I slip the key into the lock, I notice the differences between this apartment and the one I left just twenty minutes ago. Stepping into the apartment, I can’t help but compare the modern trapping of Will’s cold, steel space to Ben’s refreshing, but comforting home.
Dropping the key on the counter, I let my bag drop to the floor.
“Will,” I throw out, unwilling to give him an inch in the upcoming confrontation. He’s coming to me.
He’s slipping on a powder blue short sleeve button up, just beginning to do the buttons.
“Jesus, Olivia. Where were you? Everyone’s going to be at Vida’s at 8.” By everyone, I’m assuming he means Grant, Gen, Andrew, Scott, and whoever is dangling off Scott’s arm this month. Sounds like a wonderful time.
It crosses my mind that I did not, in fact, tell Will about my study session with Ben. I’m considering hiding this when I remember the source of my seething anger, and instead decide that honesty is the best policy.
“I was at Ben’s,” I say very matter of factly, and I watch the fury consume the mild irritation that danced across Will’s face when he walked out of the bedroom. He’s waiting for me to elaborate, but I won’t.
“Why the fuck were you at Ben’s?” he barely gets out, his teeth so tense I can see his jaw flicker.
To lie, or not to lie. I look over at the clock and see we only have an hour until we’re supposed to meet our friends.A lie would draw this out. Another day.
“Because we’re partners in this women’s lit class we’re both in, and we had to do a partner reading. I could’ve sworn I toldyou.”Okay, maybe a little lie to get him going a little bit. It’s the least I can do. A small, sinister smile settles on my face, full of vengeance and the desire to make him feel the way I felt seeing Gen in his photo and having to listen to her insinuate horrible shit to me about her and Will over and over again.
Taking a few careful steps toward me, Will counters, “ Well you didn’t. I would’ve remembered.”
“Well, apparently you don’t.” I step around him. “Now where’s the dress your favorite fan-girl picked out for me?” The disgust in my voice is palpable.
“Olivia. Stop.” His anger swirls with concern, and I feel him grab the same wrist his brother grabbed earlier. This time, the grip feels cool and suffocating.
“No, you stop. I ran into Gen on my walk here. She always has such glowing things to say about your company.” He releases my wrist, crossing his arms as if I’m lying about Gen insinuating they are sleeping together. He always finds little ways like this to take her side and honestly, it hurts more than if I found out he was actually cheating.
“I went shopping foryouwith my childhood best friend becauseyouwere busy. You conveniently forgot to tell me why you were busy, probably because you knew that it would piss me off.”The volume of his voice creeps higher and higher, until he looks me over once and glances away, shaking his head. “And I’m the fucking bad guy? I specifically told you to stay away from him, Liv,” he adds, hurt coloring his expression.
“I’m not a dog, Will. You can’t just tell me to sit and stay.” My anger at his afternoon with Gen only intensifies at the notion that I should blindly follow his direction, like I’m his lackey and not his literal girlfriend. “I’ve told you numerous times how uncomfortable I am with Gen, butstillyou do shit like you did today.”
“Unbelievable,” he scoffs. “So, how was it then?” His eyes are back on me, part repulsion and part possession.
I feel my pulse quicken at the suggestion that there was anything more than studying going on between Ben and I. I roll my eyes at his question. “Why don’t you ask him?”
I walk around him and into the bedroom, spotting the red dress in a garment bag in the open closet. Bringing it into the bathroom, I begin slipping it off the hanger. I see Will in the mirror, slipping his arms around my waist, his mouth by my ear.
“Just… tell me I’m being crazy, Liv,” he says, the words landing like a sandbag in my gut, the guilt I feel so heavy. I push it away, telling myself it’s fleeting— the guilt, the attraction, all of it— but Will isn’t. I turn around and my hand cups his smooth, arrogant jaw, angling it so that my lips easily lock with his.
Like velvet against me, his kiss caresses my mouth, slightly ajar as I inhale the scent of him. He’s lemon and fresh soap, mingled with crisp cedar and warm spice. He coaxes me open and I feel him glide against me once before he suddenly pulls back.
“Liv,” he barely murmurs before diving back into me. My hand pushes up the back of his head, gripping his golden locks and I feel his palm descend just below the small of my back. Nudging me into him, he deepens our kiss, twirling around me with tortuous sleekness. His wet warmth evades my next pass, his teeth now softly biting my bottom lip. My head falls back, leaving bare the neck he quickly begins warming with those plush lips, his tongue tracing circles on my skin. I place my hands on his chest, gently pushing him away. Swiftly, he spins me around and I feel him press into me, firm, twitching with need. His lips return to the side of my neck, his hand brushing away the chestnut locks shielding that sensitive part of me Will is definitely seeking.
“I could do without a hickey, Will,” I manage between shallow breaths, attempting to regain control over my traitorous body. “And I’d rather not be late.”
His hands wrap around my waist from behind, his face buried in my hair. “We’re resuming this later,” he whispers in my ear, his hand now tracing circles on the sensitive plane beneath my hip bone and above where Will knows I’m already pulsing with need.
