“Yep.”
“He’s… annoyingly hot.”
“I know.”
Lianna smirks and sets the glass down beside her. “Yeah, you’re so screwed.”
Lianna’s sleeping like the dead, sheets wrapped around her in a cocoon, while Shannen lies beside her, looking so serene it almost hurts to watch. My girl’s silk shorts are riding low on her hips, and she’s wearing a matching shirt that’s barely buttoned—five pathetic little buttons keeping me from everything I need.
I stand there in the darkness, watching her breathe.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
I want to drop to my knees and lay my head on her chest. I want to hear her heart pounding beneath the fabric and see if it still beats in time with mine—because I’m sure it does. We’ve been synced since we were kids, two fucked-up souls orbiting each other in the dark. But right now, I just wanna lie there, close my eyes, and sleep to the sound of the organ pumping life through her beautiful body.
I’m pretty sure she thought having company would keep meaway. It’s a nice idea, but nothing keeps me from her anymore. Not locked doors. Not people. I’ve even stood over her bed while another man lay beside her.
Never again.
That kind of pain changes a man.
I crouch down beside Shannen now and just… take her in.
I lift her hand, careful not to wake her, and lightly graze my lips along her knuckles. She doesn’t stir. I stand back up, forcing myself to let go, even though I want to hold on tighter.
With one last look at my girl, I drag myself downstairs, taking the steps slowly until I round the corner to my floor. I’m two steps from my door when a voice cuts through the quiet.
“Hey, assbutt!”
I stop dead.
That dirty little faker.
She got me. I’ll give her that. I didn’t even hear her sneaking up behind me, which is impressive, considering I’m usually hyperaware of my surroundings.
“You can’t just break into her apartment and breathe over her. It’s fucking creepy. Hot, but creepy, and I will not have her uncomfortable living her life.”
“You wanna come in?” I ask, watching as she angrily marches toward me in her pajamas, barefoot on the cold hallway floor.
“No, I don’t want to come in. I’ve got too much to live for to be silenced by my best friend’s stalker.”
Ballsy little thing. I can see why Shannen keeps her.
“I’m not going to hurt you. I wouldn’t do that.”
She cocks her head. “I wonder if that bitch with the messed-up spine thought the same.”
“She deserved it. You don’t. You’re the best person in Shannen’s life.”
She rolls her eyes and waves toward my door, like she’s already regretting it. I open it and step aside, and she moves past me, scanning the room as if she’s waiting for a severed head to roll out from under the couch.
“This isn’t exactly what I imagined.”
