“He is.” She covered her mouth as tears glistened in her eyes. And then she started to laugh. “Oh my God. He really is.”
She sat down blindly in her chair and kept staring at the picture he’d put so much time and detail into drawing. “I can’t believe he’s such a good artist. None of the crap he turns in for class assignments ever looks this good.”
I sat beside her, taking Reese’s spot. “I found out on Saturday he’s actually an architecture major.”
She blinked at me. Then she shook her head. “But why would he be taking a beginning art course if he was a senior with a major in architecture?”
I probably shouldn’t tell her, but I drew in a breath and did anyway. I was tired of lying to so many people about so many things. “I think he knew that wasn’t your brother’s class schedule he saw on the table at your house. I think he just...he wanted a reason to be close to you.”
Caroline huffed out a breath. She gazed wildly around the room for a minute before focusing on me again. “But...he pushed me away. I tried to kiss him, and he—”
“You’re his best friend’s little sister. He knows he should stay away.”
Her mouth fell open. “Well, fuck that. If Oren...if he really, truly, honestly likes me, Noel is not getting in my way.”
With a laugh, I blurted out, “I wish I could be more like you.”
She snorted. But I think she was too thrilled about the idea of Ten actually liking her to bother arguing with me. Instead, she started to fluff her hair and pinch her cheeks. “Shit. I knew I should’ve dressed up today. How do I look? Be honest.”
I grinned. “You look lovely.”
Reese arrived then, carrying a Styrofoam cup. “Starbucks is freaking bound and determined that I not get my white chocolate mocha today. They were out of lids and I almost spilled this on me twice already.” She nearly tripped over her feet and spilled it again when she saw me sitting in her chair. “Oh! Hi.”
“Sorry.” I started to stand and give her her chair back. “We were just talking.”
But she waved me back down. “No, it’s okay. Stay. I can sit by Quinn. He always smells good, anyway. I can drink my latte and sniff him all hour.”
Yes, that’s what I usually did all hour too, sans the latte.
He entered the room then, talking to Ten who entered with him, now wearing a T-shirt.
Everything inside me perked to attention.
Next to me, Caroline sucked in a breath.
Quinn looked amazing; his hair was styled as if he’d hand combed it and his shirt was one of those plaid, form-fitting button-up things that conformed to his large frame snugly enough to make my mouth water.
“...and then she scratched the shit out of my back when she came,” Ten was saying. He lifted the back of his shirt that I could now read: “Hey! The chick who usually sucks my dick has a shirt just like yours.” Then he twisted his torso to show off long red scratch marks on his back to Quinn...except all of us saw them.
My mouth fell open as I glanced at Caroline.
Her face went sheet white as she surged to her feet. “Oh. My. God.” Gritting her teeth, she glared at Ten as if she would gladly murder him in that second. She literally quivered as she fisted her hands at her sides.
He paused when he noticed the force of her attention. Dropping his shirt casually back into place, he frowned. “What’s wrong with you?”
“You know what,” she snarled. “You are. You make me absolutely sick. The way you whore around is appalling. You’d have to dip your dick in acid to clean off all the girls you’ve ever had.”
Pulling back in surprise from the venom of her statement, he started to shake his head, only to snort and ask, “Why would I want to clean that shit off? Took me years to build up that much pussy.”
“Oh...you...” Her rage was so toxic I think it bubbled over into me, because I suddenly felt the urge to—
Snatching Reese’s cup off her desk, Caroline upended the entire drink on Ten’s head.
“My mocha!”
“Shit, woman! That’s hot.”
My mouth fell open as chaos erupted: Caroline fuming, Ten trying to shake off the wet steam oozing down his face and appalling T-shirt, and Reese bemoaning her lost drink. Then Caroline shoulder-checked Ten hard before she stalked off down the steps and out of the room.