I ran my fingers through my hair, feeling a new wave of confidence washing over me. “Would red lipstick be too much?”
Nina shook her head. “Give the guy a chance to get over you. This,” she said, gesturing to my face, “is for you. To put a little pep in your step. I know you’re beating yourself up over this, but you’re not a bad person. You hear me?”
I let out a short laugh and began picking at the skin around my nails.
Nina noticed my nervous tic and wrapped her hands around mine. “Maybe get two muffins?”
I wasn’t sure if she meant that I should give one to Zayn as a peace offering or to get an extra one for myself because carbs were always the answer. I nodded and took a steady breath, opening my door to what looked like the catwalk to a Calvin Klein fashion show.
Liam sauntered down the hall in just his boxer briefs, chewing on a piece of bacon. His chest was littered with too many tattoos to be able to take in all at once, but the black crows dipping into the two indentations of his waistline made me want to see where they were flying to, more than I was comfortable with.
“Please, no pictures, ladies.” His deep morning voice vibrated in my chest. He flashed a smug grin and tapped a finger under Nina’s chin, making her unhinged jaw snap shut. His intense eyes landed on me and lingered for a moment, the outer corners softening just a fraction. “Mornin’.”
My lips stretched into a smile, and my damn cheeks heated. I wondered if he could see them change color with all of the makeup Nina had put on me. God, I hoped not.
Other parts of my body started to react to his stare, and rather than allowing it to happen for the sake of winning the staring contest we had going on, I dropped my gaze, waiting for my state of homeostasis to return.
“Did those hurt?” I blurted out.
Fuck.I was looking at his stomach again. More like staring. Faint blue and purple veins protruded under the crows’ wings from the tight skin stretching over his abdomen. I was too scared to look at him again, so I nervously kept my eyes on the birds hovering above his briefs.
His verylowandtightbriefs.
I could feel Nina watching the two of us, making false assumptions already.
Liam’s stomach muscles twitched as he laughed, and I finally found the courage to look back up.
“No, Avery,” he said, his smile fading. “Pain doesn’t bother me.”
“We should get going if you still want to stop at Lemon’s.” Nina’s voice snapped me out of whatever trance I had been in, and I put my armor back on.
My special armor, made specifically for Liam.
As if he could see me putting my metaphorical shield back up, I watched as he did the same and headed upstairs.
Nikko was on the couch, holding a cup of coffee I was sure was spiked with something for him to be up as early as we were.
“Ladies.” He nodded.
Nina cooed at him and waved.
Nikko frowned at the face I gave him, a whole new form of contempt coming over me.
“You know she has four older brothers, right?” I asked in warning.
Nina groaned behind me and shoved me out the door.
My first blueberry muffin was gone before I found a parking space at school. Another five were stored in my book bag for later. If I didn’t give one to Zayn, I’d have them for breakfast the rest of the week. More than likely, they’d be eaten tonight during my cram session. I had a lot of catching up to do after skipping my study group over the weekend.
Tossing my not even half-empty coffee cup in the bin outside the lecture hall, Nina shot me anI told you solook while she sipped on her vending machine coffee. She was right; Lemon’s made the worst coffee. Zayn was the only one I’d ever found who enjoyed it.
Zayn.
As if the thought of him could make him appear out of thin air, a wave of his expensive cologne drifted under my nose before I even noticed he was the tall, blond, and handsome classmate who nearly ran us over.
I watched him find his seat from the doorway, taking the first chair in the first row, like always. His eyes never reached the two of us.
Nina nudged my shoulder with hers. “He’s trying to pretend like he’s not hurting, Avery.”
