Unfortunately, I don’t sleep at all. I’m too wired, too anxious, and too upset. To pass the time, I think about hockey. That normally relaxes me. It keeps my mind off of things with Julie, at least.
She eventually wiggles away from me, giving me much-needed space, especially for when I need
to get up and get dressed.
“Collin! Get your sorry ass out of bed!”
Julie bolts upright in bed, looking terrified as hell.
“Go back to sleep. I’m locking this door behind me, so no worries. Don’t open it for anyone but me, okay? I’ll be back as soon as I can,” I tell her.
The doorknob jiggles.
“Dude! Why is your door locked? Come on! We need to go!” He bangs on the door while I throw the blankets over Julie as she lies back down.
“Call me if you need me and I’ll be here in ten minutes flat, no matter what.”
She smiles. “Thanks, Collin. You’re the best Kessy I know.”
I grin. She used to tell me that, even when she was dating Cal. “I’m coming,” I call as I walk to the door. I unlock it, but use my body to block his view because I know my brother. Just as I thought, he tries to peer inside.
“What the hell, Collin?”
“Back up and lower your fucking voice.”
“Why don’t you want me to—” His eyes widen. “There’s a girl in there?” he whispers, all excited now. “Let me see her.”
“Are you crazy?” I push him back and step out, locking the door from the inside right before I close it. “Let’s go before we’re late.”
“Who’s in there? When you’d meet her? Why are you holding out on me, Collin?”
I want to ignore his questions, but that will only make him crazier and more annoying. “She’s just a booty call, but that doesn’t mean she loses her privacy. Leave it alone. It’s nothing.”
He eyes me as if he knows I’m lying.
Hell, he’s my identical twin brother. Of course he knows I’m lying.
I fall back asleep after Collin leaves, but a knock on his bedroom door wakes me once more. I wait to hear Collin’s voice. Instead, I hear Cal’s.
“Baby? It’s me. Open up.”
What is that fool trying to pull? Most people can’t tell them apart, but I’ve spent enough time with the two of them that I can tell the difference in their voices. Not to mention that Collin would never call me baby.
“Anyone in there?” he tries.
The doorknob jiggles and jiggles, and I start to worry. Cal wouldn’t be so curious that he’d break into his brother’s bedroom, would he?
“What the fuck are you doing, Cal?”
I fall back onto the bed with a sigh of relief.
“Just checking in on your booty call.” I nearly snort at Collin’s white lie to Cal. “Was going to see if she could tell us apart,” he adds slightly quieter.
“Hand over my key.” Oh, shit. Collin is pissed. Should I go out there, smooth things over? My stomach twists at the thought of facing Cal.
“What? Over a booty call?” The shock in his tone is more than my own shock over this turn of events. If he knew who was in here and how protective Collin is over me, he would be shocked from finding out, but not over his reaction.
“You were about to break into my room, Cal! There’s a girl in there who needs some fucking privacy. You can barge into my apartment, but my bedroom is off fucking limits. Now, my apartment is off limits. Give me my fucking key. You want to come over, you text first.”