“No. The book was better.”
“And why is that, White?” He leaned his elbow on the doorjamb and showed me the stupid lollipop that he was still holding. “Want some?” he asked.
“Eww,” I raved, irritated.
“The queen of saints’s crown is falling.” His arrogance got on my nerves.
“What’s that supposed to mean, Hunter?”
“That you’re not as innocent as you’d like to believe you are.” I pushed him, but it was completely pointless.
“Let me go. I won’t tell you twice.”
“It tastes good,” he teased, sucking on it with his chin facing upward. Then he finally moved over. “You should try it.”
I curled my lips in a disgusted grimace and ran out of the bathroom.
Will stared at me confused when I came back to the living room. Maybe it was my expression that gave me away. “June, is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I’m just a little tired. Rough day.”
“Yeah, tell me about it. Should we go to my room? I feel like I’m running low on energy.”
I watched him stroke his hair clumsily. Were we about to sleep together?
“June?” he called, trying to snap me out of my thoughts.
“Yeah, yeah. Sorry.”
I shook my head, then grabbed my backpack and followed him to the second floor. When we got to his room, William took off his T-shirt and put on a black one.
“Did something happen?” he asked, more worried than usual.
He looked at my face, but I avoided his gaze.
“No, nothing. I’m gonna brush my teeth and get changed.”
I rummaged through my bag, grabbed my sloth pajamas, and headed to the bathroom. Under other circumstances, sleeping with the guy I liked would’ve been the highlight of the day, but right then, so many things had happened, and I was so shaken that everything went to the back of my mind.
After brushing my teeth, I put my pajama shirt and shorts on, took my bra off, and after confirming that nothing was showing, I left the bathroom and hid my clothes in my backpack.
William had turned the TV on, and I sat down on his bed as my eyes drifted to the couch I’d slept on last week.
“Where’s Sammy?” asked Will when James barged in without knocking.
His friend’s answer was predictable. “I don’t know.”
I saw James rummage through the knickknacks on the nightstand in search of something.
“It’s always the same. Did you send her away? Poor thing.” Will smiled.
“I wouldn’t say that, given that I got her off twice on your couch.”
“James!” William and I yelled in unison.
He shrugged, leaving the room with a vape pen in his mouth. “Jackson’s dropping by. I’m going downstairs.”
William flashed me a conspiratorial grin. He seemed happy that his friend was out of the way. From my perspective, I certainly didn’t want James to stay with us, but being alone with Will made me a little anxious. I saw him get in the bed and lift the quilt, waiting for to join him. I stood and stared at him. It was the first time we’d been alone at night together.
