Niko shrugs. “It’s okay. I’ll kick Ollie to the couch and steal his bed if I ever need some space.”
Noah laughs. “Solid plan. How’s Crimson handling your classes, since you’re starting late in the semester?”
“There are a couple of accelerated courses that start this week. They’re usually meant for a foreign exchange program, but they’re letting me in.”
“Banger,” Noah says, taking a sip from a smoothie.
“Need to grab napkins. You guys need anything?” Niko asks.
“All good.”
Niko gets up and heads over toward the center of the dining hall.
“Fuck,” Noah says when Niko’s out of earshot. “He looks like he should be in a pinup calendar for12 Months of Hot Edgy Boys.”
“He’s always been like that.”
“I like him, even if he’s like a black cat that’s about to hiss. You going to fuck him, Ollie?”
“You have such a one-track mind.”
“You’re the fuck machine. Well, I guess I am too. Maybe I’ll fuck him.”
A flare of possessiveness hits my blood, even though Niko’s not really mine at all.
“No. You do not want to do that, I promise you,” I tell him.
A buzzing sound comes from the tabletop.
Noah’s eyes glance downward to Niko’s phone, which is still in the center of the table.
When I look down I see that two direct messages just popped up on the screen, both in response to the photo he just posted.
One is from someone called “Michelle Nightclub.”
Michelle Nightclub: Cute. You going to be back in town soon? Check the new jewelry I got. Come play with it.
Below it is a small preview of the image she attached. It’s a naked pic of a very cute redhead who I assume is Michelle.
Her pierced tits are the main focus in the photo, and she’s clearly trying to show Niko the new nipple jewelry she just put in.
Damn.
Your fuckboy reputation gets you a lot more interesting texts than my reputation ever does.
But the other text is worse.
It’s from Callum, Niko’s ex.
Callum: Why is the AmEx credit card being declined? Did you change the PIN?
Send me that PIN. I don’t want to come to Crimson College, but I will be forced to if you keep ignoring me.
And who’s that in the pic? New guy for you to fuck before you disappear on him like you did to me? This is why no one takes you seriously. Come back home.
My stomach turns.
I don’t know the details about Niko’s ex, but he always seemed controlling and manipulative, even just from seeing him post on Niko’s photos. Reading that text message confirms it.
