I don’t have morning classes, and while I could study, It’d be a waste of my time. My head is too wrapped up in what Colson and I did last night. The way he had to nudge half of my body off him when he climbed out of bed this morning because my limbs were tangled in his. The way his fingers feathered over my panties in a tease before he left me. It makes me want him as I squeeze my thighs together and squish into the comfy cushions.
Olive texts back around lunch, asking if I’ve spoken to either of our parents. My reply is a short and sweet no. I’ll have to breakmy grudge soon, but forgiveness is a double-edged sword, and I’m not sure I’m ready for it.
She sends a row of big-eyed crying emojis back at the same time the front door opens. Everleigh walks in, drops her bag on the floor next to the couch, and plops next to me.
“What are we watching?”
“Sixteen Candles,” is my reply as she makes her way in. Last night she took off early to spend the night at her older sister’s place which isn’t too far from campus. My assumption is that there’s trouble in paradise again.
She sighs. “Unpopular opinion, but I always loved Ted over Jake. Why aren’t boys like that anymore?”
I chuckle. “What? Nice?”
“Yes, exactly.”
While she looks fresh, I can’t help but wonder what’s bugging her since she spent the night away from campus and in the solitude of her sister’s fancy apartment—she’s a lawyer. “Everything okay?”
She kicks back and rests her feet on the coffee table. “As good as they’re going to get.” She says it in a way that indicates the sour taste it leaves on her lips.
I curl into her side, missing my friend. We haven’t spent nearly as much time together as we used to since she’s been with Tristan. I guess it’s to be expected but that doesn’t mean I haven’t longed for a legitimate girls’ night or missed talking.
“What happened this time, Ev?”
She rests her head on mine. “Same old. That football team might as well be his lover. How didn’t I see this when we were friends? I feel like I’m being duped, which sucks because I’ve always really liked him, Vi.”
My heart goes out to her because she has. Ever since freshman year, she’s pined after him. However, you don’t alwaysrealize who people are until you’re intimate, and by then, it’s too late.
“You’re not being duped,” I assure her. I just don’t think Tristan is a relationship guy. He doesn’t know how to prioritize outside of Chatham U’s football team. He might be an average player, but from what I hear, he’s not draft material.
“Then tell me what the hell is going on.”
It’s rhetorical, but still, I say, “Sometimes it takes being close to people to see who they are. Their flaws.”
“I get that but damn.”
Since he came to Lucy’s that night and earned her trust back, I’ve been under the impression they were doing okay, but the look on her face says it all; that she’s considering leaving him for good.
“You know what you’re going to do?”
She deserves to be happy, and if Tristan can’t give her that, someone else will.
She offers a tiny shake of her head, and we drop the subject. Our attention turns back to the movie, but eventually I come clean, “Me and Colson are sorta-kinda together, I think.”
“Sorta-kinda?”
“We haven’t talked about our status, but I don’t really think we need to.”
Just from what he’s said to me, my heart tells me that we’re in this together. That as long as we try, we’ll both find our way back to each other. That there’s no one else that does it for us.
She nudges my leg with hers. “He stellar in bed?”
I smack her side with the back of my hand and then tease, “Wouldn’t you like to know.”
We laugh and she sighs. “I kinda assumed you two were getting down and dirty since he’s been over frequently. That, and the walls aren’t as thin as you think. Pretty sure I’ve heardsomeonemoaning a time or ten.”
Embarrassment tinges the tips of my ears. I give her a big fat grin. “We just have this connection, Ev. Like, there’s no denying it. I really love spending time with him.”
“Your heart wants what it wants.” She scoffs. “I’m a prime example of that, but I’m happy for you, Vi. After going through all the drama with Webber, you deserve someone who’s going to pamper the hell out of you. He’d be an idiot not to.”
