The Freshman (College Years 1)

“I didn’t even know what the church was called. Plus, it was kind of fun, driving aimlessly, no one telling us where to go or what to do. Getting lost together. Palmer and I laughed and laughed the entire time. She got so mad at me, because she had to pee, and there was nowhere she could go. No bathrooms anywhere, no stores to go into, or open fast-food places around. She ended up squatting behind that tree over there.” She points to a giant oak nearby. “And she admitted to me later that seeing the view was worth her nearly peeing her pants.”

I rest my hands on the wall in front of us, my right hand close to her left one. I could hear the warm affection Hayden has for her sister, and I’m a little jealous. There’s no one I care about like that beyond my friends, and if I were ever to admit that to any one of those assholes, they’d probably make fun of me. I mean, I took my mom’s cat with me when I moved out of the house, and I love that little fucker too, but come on. It’s a cat.

“You really love your sister,” I say.

The barest smile curves her lips. “I do.”

“I have no siblings.” I pause, realization dawning. “Wait. I’m lying. Helena and my dad have twin girls.”

“London and Paris.” Hayden glances up at me to find I’m already looking at her. I don’t know how she can keep a straight face, saying those names out loud. Together. “They’re adorable.”

“Those are the stupidest fucking names I’ve ever heard in my life,” I mutter.

She bursts out laughing, the tinkling sound making my gut twist, and not unpleasantly. “They really are adorable, though.”

“They are pretty cute,” I agree. “But their names?”

“Ridiculous.”

“They’re not even Italian,” I say with light disgust. How did Helena convince my dad to go along with that? Because I know he didn’t come up with those names. No way. That’s all Helena’s doing.

“Oh, so if you have kids, their names have to be Italian? Like Rocco and Lorenzo and Rosa?”

“More like Claudia and Francesca and Vincent,” I say, thinking of my cousins with those exact names. “Not going to worry about it though, because I’m never having kids.”

“You’re not?” Funny how she doesn’t sound surprised.

I shake my head. “I don’t want to be a father. Don’t plan on ever getting married either. Love is for pussies, remember?” I smile down at her.

She scoots a little closer, and I can feel the heat from her body emanati

ng toward me. “You know I feel the same way about love. And I don’t ever want to get married either.”

“Being married is like being in prison,” I say, my voice fierce because I mean it. Look at what marriage did to my parents. Now they hate each other. Dad’s all in love with Helena, but that’ll fall apart eventually. Look at how easily she’s pursuing me when she’s barely been married to my dad for two years.

Fuck love. Fuck marriage. Fuck it all.

“Being in a relationship is basically like prison too,” she adds. “Friends come and go. Family is forever, even if you want to shoot most of them.” I laugh at that. “Why put yourself in a long-term relationship when you know, eventually, you’ll just be miserable? It’s too much pressure. Too many expectations.”

Damn, it’s like this girl set up shop and is now residing in my brain. She’s saying all of the things I feel, and I’ve never met a girl before who thinks like this.

Thinks like me.

“Totally agree. I’d rather be alone than in a relationship.” I slide my hand closer to hers, settling two of my fingers over two of hers. “I like you, Channing.”

“I like you too, Sorrento.” She hip checks me, and I stumble like a dumbass, my hand slipping away from hers. “But we’re not about to embark on anything, you know what I mean?”

I’m frowning. “No. Explain.”

She turns to the side, toward me, and my gaze drops to her chest. All that exposed skin. Her nipples beaded little points beneath the thin white fabric of her dress. My mouth waters at the idea of seeing her exposed tits, and I’m about to reach for her waist when she takes a step backwards, as if she knows exactly what I was going to do next.

The disappointment that crashes through me is undeniable.

“We have chemistry.” Her voice is low. Sexy. I lean in closer so I can hear her better. “I can feel it. I know you can feel it too. For one, you can’t stop staring at my chest.”

Busted. I lift my gaze to hers to see her eyes are full of amusement. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. I can’t stop staring at you either. You’re extremely good looking,” she admits.