CHAPTER FOUR: Sterling
I glanced around the house when I noticed that Rosie wasn’t dancing with Violet anymore. I watched as her best friend shimmied up to a guy that was in my math class and frowned as I searched the rooms for Rosalind. I wasn’t even used to seeing her at these parties in the first place. It distracted me from my friends and I could tell that Lisa was irritated with me. She was working me hard for a hook up tonight and I found myself wanting Rosie instead. I knew that I should stop this thing between us, given the length of our friendship. Sex was a sure way to destroy all of that, but I couldn’t help but want her.
I saw her in the corner on a small couch, talking with a guy that I’d seen around campus. He was smiling at her as she laughed, and I narrowed my eyes as I watched them. Rosie didn’t flirt with other guys. I knew that she had a thing for me even if I still dated other girls. I felt like shit about that sometimes, but I wasn’t ready for a relationship. I also wasn’t ready to give her up.
“Sterling?” I heard a voice and glanced back at Lisa, who was in front of me. She looked annoyed as I blinked, giving me a seductive smile. “Want to come over to my place?” Lisa also had a single dorm, and I was familiar with every inch of it. I’d slept with her a handful of times.
“Probably not tonight. I have an early morning,” I replied as disappointment crossed her face. She looked around the room and I stared at her. “What are you doing?”
“Is there someone else here that you’d rather sleep with tonight?” Lisa asked, sounding like a petulant child. When the fuck did she get so possessive? “You’re so distracted.”
“Jesus, Lisa. When did you get like this?” I asked as I noticed Rosie kissing the guy she was sitting with. Lisa looked to follow my angry gaze and raised an eyebrow at me. “Isn’t she your friend from when you were kids?”
“I’m just watching out for her.” I growled as Lisa threw up her hands and walked away. I glanced at her before looking at Rosie again, who was leaning into the kiss now. She seemed to enjoy it and I felt my cock harden in my pants possessively. I wanted her.
I figured that Lisa would be pissy for a few days at least. I glared at the guy who was pulling Rosie closer to him and turned my head to search the room for someone else. I needed to fill this void, and I saw Grace walk in with a group of her friends. She was a brunette that I’d fooled around with a few times and I took a deep breath as I squared my shoulders. I walked down the stairs and headed to the door as she looked up and smiled at me.
“Hey, Grace.” I gave her the crooked smile that all the girls liked. I nodded at her friends with the same expression. “Ladies. How are you tonight?” They murmured something in return as I focused on Grace again. “What are you drinking tonight?”
I got us each a beer from the keg and we stood in the kitchen. Grace was shy at first, but I could see her warming up to me as we kept talking. I glanced back over to see if Rosie was still here and saw that the couch was empty. Damn it. Where did they go? I looked at the dance floor to see Violet’s arms wrapped around the guys neck from earlier.
Fuck.
I looked back at Grace and took in her pretty brown eyes. She looked confused as she stared up at me and I forced a smile back on my face. I started the conversation again and stuck to it even as curiosity ate away at me. After a few beers, we went outside and found a quiet spot on the balcony where I kissed her. Grace slipped her arms around my neck and pulled me closer, responding hotly to me as her tongue slipped against mine.
Eventually, I convinced her to leave and go to her apartment. Her roommate was gone for the weekend and we’d have the place to ourselves. It wasn’t that I didn’t bring girls to my dorm. I just preferred not to. We walked out of the front door and turned to walk towards her complex. I hadn’t seen Rosie since the last time on the couch and I reached out for Grace’s hand as we walked. We were there in fifteen minutes and I unlocked her door easily before kissing her hungrily. She moaned and wrapped her arms around me as I turned the knob and pulled us inside.