We weren’t supposed to do this. I shouldn’t be doing it to begin with, but he felt so good. His skin was warm and body perfect against me as we moved into a spooning position. I thought about the holiday coming up. We’d have to hide this from our families. We would just do that to make things easier.
I knew that I was going to fall for Sterling harder than I already had but it was too late now. I was already in deeper than I ever thought possible. He was like an addiction that I couldn’t knock, and I’d keep diving in for more.
I stayed the night in his dorm every night we were together. We were lucky that we were never discovered. Violet was the one that eyed me every time I came back in our room in the morning if she happened to be awake. I think it was worse than being caught by the school.
“So, is this little arrangement going to end soon?” I balked at her voice by the coffee stand, knowing that it was going to come at some point.
“I’m sure it will. I just can’t help falling asleep over there.” I defended myself as we walked towards the building that housed our classes.
“The sex must be great.” There was thick sarcasm in her tone and I shot Violet a dark look. “I understand that. I just prefer to come home and leave any attachment at the door. You know that he’s probably not going to sweep you away and make everything perfect.”
“I am not waiting for that. This is just for now. It will and end we’ll all graduate. I think it was you that told me to live on the edge, wasn’t it?” I shot back at her. Violet chuckled.
“Yeah but I didn’t mean with a friend figure. That is nothing but complicated.” She had a point.
“Vi… I just like the way that he makes me feel. Why not enjoy it for the time that I have?” I asked her before we pushed through the heavy glass doors.
“You’re going to end up hurt. He’s too much of a risk.” I sighed as she spoke, my eyes locking on Sterling talking to a girl with bright purple hair. She was laughing as he leaned against the wall beside her, looking utterly edible. I remembered how many times I tasted him over the last weekend and felt a bad taste in my mouth as I looked down.
“Then there’s that issue,” she said softly as I turned sharply to the right.
“I don’t want to hear it,” I whispered as I made my way to my classroom. The tears were threatening to slide down my cheeks, and I looked down as I walked into the noisy room. I didn’t think the pain would hit me this hard. I found a seat in the back and placed my loose sleeve over my face for a moment. I sipped the coffee, regaining my composure before the teacher came through the door right after the girl that Sterling was with.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Sterling
I noticed that Rosie seemed to make herself scarce over the next few weeks. I knew the holiday was coming up and what that meant for us. We wouldn’t see each other at all during our visits home. It would cause too much trouble and everyone in our families were too meek to stand up against our fathers. I remembered a time when we were all friends, including our moms. It was just how it was when smaller kids were running from house to house.
It was when both families started earning their fortune that things ended. Competition was thicker than friendship, or however that saying went.
I hung out with Brinn when I was bored. She was an art student that was fun, and we were friends. I didn’t sleep with her as much as I used to. Thinking about Rosie was killing my mood these days, and I just kept it to hanging out. I knew what people were saying and suspected that Rosie saw me with her. I just needed to kill the time somehow until we left school for the week.
I sent Rosie a message the weekend before everyone was set to leave. I wanted to see her before I went home.
S: Hey, Rosie. How are you?
The phone was quiet for a moment before something came back.
R: Just getting ready to go home for Thanksgiving. You?
S: The same. I was hoping that we could spend time together before we left. I’d ask you to drive with me, but we know how well that would work out.
The idea made me smirk. Our families would shit if we arrived together.
R: I guess we could. What are you doing tomorrow? Want to have lunch?
I frowned as I read the message. Lunch. Sure, we went to lunch a lot, but I was thinking something more on the private side. I got an idea and grinned as I leaned back on my bed.