I don’t care what she’s doing, I just need to see her.
The camera feed flickers for a moment before stabilizing. Livingston is already inside her bedroom.
She’s pacing back and forth across the small space, her arms folded tightly around herself as she moves from the window to the bed and then back again. Even through the grainy glow of the monitor, I can see the tension in her shoulders. I just want to hold her, and the universe is fucking cruel for keeping us apart like this. The thought of going over there, barging into her room and enveloping her in my arms until she understands that we belong together crosses my mind.
She needs me, she just doesn’t know it yet.
Whatever was on that phone is still sitting heavy on her mind, and my jaw tightens as I watch her.
The instinct to go over there, to knock on the door and demand she show me the message that upset her, presses hard against the inside of my ribs. But that would defeat the entire point of easing myself into her life.
If Livingston realizes how closely I’m watching her, I’ll lose whatever fragile trust might be beginning between us.
The bedroom door opens before I can think about it any further, and Juniper walks in.
I frown immediately.
It’s irrational. I know that.
But the moment she steps into the room, I feel an unexpected flicker of annoyance because now I’m not alone with Livy anymore.
Juniper has been nothing but kind to Livingston since the moment she moved in. From everything I’ve seen, she’s protective of her, and I think that’s because she knows everything even about me kind of sort of stalking Livy. That was a stipulation of the arrangement to bring Livingston in as her roommate. Kalen insisted that she would know everything that he knows and nothing less. She and Kalen come as a package deal, apparently.
Miranda knows nothing, and I’d like to keep it that way.
Livingston turns the phone toward Juniper almost immediately, showing her what I assume is the message she received earlier.
I watch their conversation play out silently on the screen and then zoom in on her phone to read the text message that appears to be from an encrypted number.
Unknown
Stop being such a slut. Letting that filthy boy paw at you like that. What would your daddy think?
Oh, this fucker wants to bring me into this? Clearly someone saw us outside of the pub, but where? There’s still a chance this isn’t from the person who has been nosing around looking for Livy. It could be someone on campus who’s jealous of her, feels rejected by her, or maybe they don’t like me. It’s too soon to tell, but all I do know is that someone is going to die.
Juniper’s brows pull together as she reads it. Her expression softens a moment later, and she reaches out to squeeze Livy’s arm in what is clearly meant to be reassurance.
Livy exhales slowly, her shoulders sagging a little as Juniper talks to her. I don’t know what she’s saying, but whatever it is seems to be having a positive effect on my girl. Juniper’s dog comes into view and looks right at the camera I hid so well no one would ever find them unless they were looking for them. I didn’t have Scooby-Doo being my downfall in my list of scenarios. Sprinkles? I gotta ask Kalen what the fuck that dog’s name is because now, it’s irritating me that I don’t know. She cocks her head to the side and stares at me through my monitor, and then by some divine intervention gets distracted by one of her toys she leaves strewn about.
I pace the length of my own room while the girls talk presumably about the text. The monitors glow softly against the wall as I move back and forth, glancing up every few seconds to make sure she’s still there.
It feels like forever before Juniper finally leaves, and I’m miffed that she doesn’t take the mutt with her. No, the dog is on my girl’s bed curled up and chewing the eyes off a green St. Killian’s bear. In my spot no less.
Livy stands there for a moment after Juniper leaves, staring down at the phone still clutched in her hand. Then she finally sets it on the nightstand and begins getting ready for bed.
I swallow slowly as she pulls her sweater over her head, and it’s like I’m on autopilot because I’m suddenly in my desk chair, leaning in like I might see her better if my face is practically on the screen.
My songbird’s movements are casual, unselfconscious in a way that makes my chest tighten. Her blonde hair spills forward over her shoulders as the fabric disappears, and for a moment she stands there in nothing but a pair of pale pink panties.
The sight of her hits me harder than I expect, and I’m instantly hard as a fucking rock. I should be more focusedon that text and how she’s feeling right now, but I’m like a bobblehead looking at how beautiful she is.
Livingston’s body is soft, I just know it is, and perfectly curved in ways that make it nearly impossible to look anywhere else. Her breasts are full and tipped upward, the delicate pink of her nipples that make me want to risk it all just to have them in my mouth. She smelled sweet tonight, and I wasn’t even close enough to breathe her in like I really wanted to.
My pulse jumps when she slides her panties off and tosses them in the hamper while she digs around in a dresser drawer looking for something specific. I want my mouth and hands all over her entire body. Heat curls low in my stomach, sharp and immediate as I try to think about where I would even start. Her mouth. I would definitely start with a long, slow kiss on her lips, but then there’s no telling where I’d go next. I want all of her, every single inch.
Desire like this would usually be easy to deal with right now, but I don’t reach for my cock.
I don’t even consider it.
