“Whatever. Where is my report?” she gushes, jumping on my bed and pinning me with a look. “You promised!”
Giggling, I look down, running my fingers along the strings of my guitar. “Big, big, and big.”
Soon, she is giggling so hard, her face turns red as she falls back onto my bed, covering her eyes. “Oh my God! I can’t believe you did it. He is so dreamy.”
Looking down at the strings, I move my finger along each one slowly as thoughts of him flood every single one of my senses. “He is.”
“So it was great?” She shoots up, her eyes trained on me, waiting for the answer.
“Oh God, yes.” A shiver runs through me and I can’t wipe the grin off my face. “I can’t remember the last time I felt like this.”
I can. But I’m not telling Mekena that lot of crazy.
“Argh! I’m so jealous,” she yells, falling back on my bed, letting her legs and arms fall once more as she pouts. “I got drunk and threw up on Markus’s feet. Skylar took me back to her apartment. Failure!”
Holding in my laughter, I say, “That blows.”
“Yeah,” she agrees, sitting up and shaking her head. “Unlike you, who gets laid by one of the hottest dudes on campus.”
My cheeks turn red as I lay my guitar against my desk. But before I can even move to go toward the shower, she pins me with a look. “So what are you gonna do? Did you guys, like, exchange numbers? Are you gonna hook up again?”
Standing up, I pull his hoodie off before throwing it on the bed and holding my hands up. “Whoa, too many questions. Getting whiplash here.”
“Avery!”
Grinning, I shrug. “I don’t know. Really,” I add when her lips press together in a “come on” kind of way.
“Was he into it? Me and Skylar thought he was. The way he was looking was intense. Sky said she’s only seen that look when Jude met Claire. And you see how that went down.”
Biting into my lip, I turn to my closet before taking off my shirt and bra, reaching for my towel to wrap around myself. I don’t know much about Jace’s brother and his wife, but apparently they were the epitome of love, given the way everyone talks about them. Knowing they saw how he was looking at me kind of solidifies how I feel. Like it really was as real as I hoped it was, and that leaves me breathless.
Looking over my shoulder, I meet her gaze and smile. “Yeah, he was into it.”
“And, are you?”
“Yeah,” I admit before turning. I don’t know how honest I want to be with Mekena. I’ve only known her for a few weeks, and I know we are friends and roommates, but how much do I want to open up to her? I’ve never really had a girlfriend. I’ve never really had friends at all. Hence, why when Caleb and I broke up, I didn’t know that I could get over him. That it was okay to let go and not beg to fix whatever the problem was.
But you can’t fix a dude who doesn’t want you.
Learned that the hard way.
But that is in the past, and I am not that person.
“I’m just a little freaked out, you know?”
Her face scrunches up in confusion. “No. I don’t. If Jace Sinclair wanted me, I’d be naked so quick with no second thoughts at all.”
Her deadpan expression makes me grin as I shake my head. “To me, he’s just a guy who has me feeling things I’ve never really felt before. I mean, I’ve spent all night and morning in bed with him, wrapped up like a pretzel, and I still want more. I mean, Mekena, I’m craving him.” Heat shoots straight between my legs and I close my eyes, inhaling a deep breath. “That scares me.”
When I open my eyes, Mekena’s mouth is parted and her eyes are wide. “Scares you? Shit, I’m pretty sure I need to give you another minute.”
Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. “It’s intense.”
“Um, yeah… I mean, holy shit, I’m so jealous of you.”
“Focus!” I yell then, laughter in my voice. “He is everything I don’t want.”
Her brows slam together as she holds my gaze. “How in the world is Jace something you don’t want?”