I Never Expected You (I Never 2)

I run my fingers up and down her arm, and she settles further against my body. I lean down and kiss the top of her head.

“Good night, baby.”

“Mmmmmm.”

I tired my girl out tonight. I can only imagine how long she would sleep if I fucked her hard. Shit—down, boy. I want to let her sleep. We can go for round two and maybe three tomorrow.

I let sleep take over as I drift off, dreaming of a future with this girl lying next to me, who I never expected to want to spend my life with as anything other than my best friend’s little sister.

I wake up wondering if last night had been a dream. After weeks of seeing each other, Zach and I had finally taken the relationship even further. Last night could not have been more perfect. It was like something out of a romance movie. I roll over and reach for Zach, and I am met with an empty space on the bed.

Oh no.

“Zach?” I sit up and look around, but I don’t see any sign of him.

I get up and walk toward the dresser and grab one of his T-shirts. I throw it on over my head and walk to the bedroom door. I slowly open it, in hopes I see him on the other side. I don’t see him anywhere in sight, but I do awkwardly see Kyler sitting on the couch. I grip the bottom of the T-shirt and yank it down, making sure to cover all my lady bits.

“Hey.”

“Well, good morning.” He emphasizes the good part, and I know damn well he is aware of what happened between Zach and me last night.

Oh my God, did he brag about it to him?

“Have you seen Zach?”

“No, he left a little bit ago.”

Right. Of course he left. This is exactly what he does. He fucks a girl and then never talks to her again. I remember Dani and Emmett both telling me of many mornings they had to kick his conquest out of the apartment after he miraculously had disappeared. Great, I had stooped to that level and had become one. What is wrong with me to think that he could actually have feelings for me, that last night was real. I’m such a fool—the conversation with the girl in the quad replays in my head over and over.

Don’t cry. Don’t cry. I gather up my clothes and throw my leggings back on. I take one last look around and realize the only person I can be mad at is me. I knew his reputation, and yet I still took a chance hoping he had meant all that he said, but clearly that was just all part of his plan to get into my pants.

Fuck, I wish I had Dani or Em here. The one person I have left is the one person who made me feel this way. I’m so stupid. Why didn’t I take my own advice that I gave Cami at the beginning of the year?

I open the bedroom door.

“Bye, Ky.” I rush past Kyler, praying that the tears hold back before I’m out of the apartment.

I grab my purse from the table

Standing in line at the coffee shop, I can’t help but be sad. I feel like Zach and I could’ve been something great. It’s crazy, I know, but I never felt like that about someone before—in and out of the bedroom. I guess I was just another notch on his bedpost. I try not to think how disappointed in me Emmett would be for falling for it. Reliving the past few weeks is just torture on myself. Last night was too good to be true. I wonder how many women he has pulled those lines with.

“Hey, Haylee,” I hear the deep voice behind me say.

That voice does nothing to me as Zach’s did. Is that how it’s going to be from now on? Will I compare every man from now on to him? Lord help me if that’s the case. I turn around and see Chad Davis, the quarterback for the football team, standing there smiling at me.

“Hey, Chad. How’s it going?”

“Good. I need caffeine. Have to start every day with it.”

Yeah, no shit. Why the hell else would you be in a coffee shop? Wow, nothing gets past this guy.

I nod in acknowledgment because what the hell am I supposed to say to that. Usually, I would have a witty response, but I’m too exhausted from getting my heart broken to think. I just want some caffeine and to make it back to the dorm and forget all about Zach Jacobs. The sad part is, even if we didn’t work out, I still have to see him—a perk of our parents being best friends.

“Where’s Jacobs? Aren’t you two joined at the hip?”

I swallow down the sadness as I respond. “Yeah, that didn’t exactly work out.”

I face forward, hoping he gets the hint that I don’t want to talk about it, or really in general.