“Hm, while I could do without the tits, the rest of what you said didn’t sound half-bad.” She tapped her pointer finger against her lip for a second before shrugging. “Okay, yeah. It’d be good to go out sometime. I haven’t left the house yet since getting here and it’s suffocating.”
I cringed. The thought of being stuck in a house without fresh air made my skin crawl. “Do you have plans tomorrow?”
“Again, no. Although, I do need textbooks.” She frowned.
“I’ll give you a tour of campus and see if we can find some used textbooks at the library. I’m meeting up with some of the guys tonight, but prepare yourself. I think we’re having our annual summer-kick off next weekend. It’ll be your first college party.”
Chapter Three
Kenzie
Lists calmed me. They made me feel happy and as though I had some control in my life. The bright white pad of legal paper had four things on it and I tapped my favorite black pen against my teeth. It was only seven in the morning, early Sunday, and no one was up in the house. I had a steaming cup of hot coffee—French vanilla—and an odd sense of contentment hit me.
Yes, I hadn’t made any new friends or had any crazy experiences that I’d been craving for the past three years, but I had a sense of independence. I could do what I wanted, when I wanted. I studied the list and was glad no one could see me smiling at it.
Schedule times to complete all school work.
Done.
Visit student union to get school ID.
I would do that after getting a tour from Tanner.
Hang out with Aaron’s girlfriend.
I’d texted her the day before and she’d agreed we’d have a girls’ night soon. And the best part of my list? The final item.
Have fun at my first college party and forget Sean.
It was stupid to get giddy over the prospect of a bunch of stupid people drinking, but I’d never gotten to do that in high school. I’d always been working, or at the hospital, helping my mom, or trying to hold on to a relationship with Sean that was never there. Kissing a random guy or meeting the perfect stranger for one night seemed like the best introduction to my new adventure. I underlinedfunand was taking a long sip of coffee when the stairs creaked. Zade didn’t get up early ever, and Aaron preferred sleeping until lunch. But Tanner liked mornings and I glanced up, expecting to see his handsome face, but instead, it was a beautiful, willowy woman wearing a tiny blue dress and holding her heels.
I covered my mouth with my hand.She’s doing a walk of shame. Oh my god. I’m witnessing a real walk of shame.I almost clapped my hands with glee.This is college!
The girl froze when her gaze found me, so I did the only thing I could. I smiled. She returned it after a second and stopped at the bottom of the staircase. “Uh, hi.”
“Hi yourself.” I couldn’t stop my snort from escaping. “I’m sorry. I’m not laughing at you. Would you like coffee before you go?”
“Sure?” She frowned and tried covering herself with her arms. “Um, who are you?”
“I guess that question makes sense. I’m living here this summer when Jeff is away. I’m Kenzie.” I considered holding out my hand but second-guessed myself. As my giggles got the better of me, I tiptoed as fast as I could to the kitchen and found a to-go cup under the sink.Ew, I need to talk to the guys about storing stuff there.I filled it, leaving an inch at the top so it wouldn’t spill, and handed it to her. She remained in the same spot, confusion and embarrassment oozing from her. “Here you go.”
“Thanks. This has been…weird.”
“I’m not sure the etiquette, but I knew living with Tanner would be an adventure.”
“Do you know him well?” Her eyes widened at her question and my guard went up.
“Not really.” I kept my tone short and moved toward the door to open it. “Hope the coffee tastes good.”
She didn’t move though. Her lips were a faded red from the night before and she sucked the bottom one into her mouth as she stared at the ceiling. It made her seem a little crazy and I cleared my throat. “You were on your way out, yes?”
Her attention snapped to me and I swore she grimaced. “Y-yes. I was. I’m sure I’ll see you again, Kenzie.”
With that, she strode out the door with a confidence I envied, and I made sure to lock it after she stepped over the threshold. It didn’t shock me, Tanner’s hook-up. Aaron had girls sneak out in high school all the time. Sometimes, I helped keep his secrets. But the vibe was different, especially with the news of the draft being so recent. I sighed and about screamed when Tanner peeked his head out from the railing with a stupid grin. “She’s gone?”
“Yes, asshole.” I clutched my hand over my racing heart and glared at him. “Were you waiting up there the entire time?”
“Yup. It’s kind of my MO. Pretend to be asleep, wait for them to leave. It’s easier that way.” He shrugged and walked down the stairs. His bare chest and low-riding shorts shouldn’t have affected me—hell, he’d just hooked up with another woman—but, oh baby, his chest was my new weakness. He had strong and broad shoulders that paired well with his defined pecs and toned abs. Trim, fit, dedicated. His body was his masterpiece and my mouth dried up.
