“Nina, why in the world do you set your alarm so early? And why does it sound like a dying cat?” I asked, diverting my brain elsewhere.
“It’s good to not feel rushed in the morning. A ready mind is a steady mind.”
“Oh my God. You sound like my mother. Remind me why I keep you around again?”
She flicked a knotted piece of platinum-blonde hair over her shoulder. “I believe it’s my good looks, my innate ability to have a fun time, and my ginormous brain.”
I laughed. “You know you have mascara smudged all over your face, right?”
“Well, I didn’t think your brother would know where the makeup remover wipes were at three in the morning.”
“You guys were out that late?”
Nina grinned in a mischievous way.
“What?”
She shrugged and started searching through my clothes for something to wear. “Nothing. I just think you’ve been missing out all these years.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “And how’s that?”
“You warned me about Nikko on the way to the bar last night, and I’m not sure why.” She pulled her hair through the neck hole of one of my sweatshirts. “He’s a great kisser.”
Gross.
Imagining her with Nikko was as bad as picturing her with my brother.
Double gross.
“Can you stop making that face? Relax. It wasonlya kiss. To be honest, I almost kissed Lexie too. She’s, um…really friendly.”
My brow lifted, not out of judgment, but out of surprise. I was surprised at how her night had gone in comparison to mine. She was connecting better with my roommates than I was. Though that wasn’t exactly the way I had planned on doing it.
“Whatever you do with your body and who you do it with is your own business. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you. Nikko’s no Prince Charming, okay?”
“Prince Charming is a fictional character written in a silly storybook, Avery. I don’t want something fake. I want someone who isn’t afraid to be who they are. And if they’re hot and they have a really good tongue—” She bit her lip and smiled, reminiscing on last night’s events.
I fought back the urge to curl my lip in disgust and climbed out of bed, throwing on white leggings, a T-shirt, and a distressed denim jacket. “Let’s hurry. Since we’re up early enough, I want to stop at Lemon’s before our lecture.”
“No way. Their coffee is the worst.” Nina padded her cheeks with blush and began combing her eyebrows, digging products out of her fully stocked purse.
I stuck with my basic routine of mascara and some rosy lip balm.
“But their blueberry muffins are the bomb. Come on.” I urged her toward my bedroom door when I finished.
“Hold up,” she said, grabbing my elbow.
My face was suddenly attacked with a fluffy makeup brush.
“What are you doing?” I asked, pinching my eyes shut.
“It’s your first day of facing Zayn after everything. I want you to feel good about yourself.”
“By looking like a clown?” My heart fluttered at the thought of seeing him so soon. I wasn’t ready to face him. What did you say to the guy who was in fact the very essence of Prince Charming right after you broke up?
Nina stared at me, deadpan, and then turned my face toward the mirror. My cheekbones were bronzed and defined, and the apples of my cheeks glowed with a golden-pink hue.
“You’re welcome.”
