I quickly lock my phone and set it aside. “Who?”
“Kennedy Quinn.” Her gaze turns to me, and I can see the worry darkening her eyes. “Forest’s ex-girlfriend.”
Not following, I ask, “Yeah? Why are you worried?”
“Because Forest and Aria are ‘dating’.”
Still not understanding, I ask, “Why would that be a problem?”
Carla turns her body toward mine, and she rests her knee against my thigh. My eyes dart down as oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin starts to flood my brain.
Nothing but chemicals, Noah. You’re fine.
“It’s supposed to be a fake relationship, remember. If they took things to the next level, Aria’s not going to take Kennedy’s return well.”
“Oh… right.” I’m too fucking focused on the emotions spreading through me to pay much attention to what Carla’s saying.
“I’m sure they’ll be okay,” she murmurs, not sounding too convinced.
My gaze lifts to Carla’s face as she worries about Forest and Aria, and I take in her features. Her chocolate-colored irises, her high cheekbones, and full lips that smile so easily. My eyes lower to her neck, her silky-looking skin, and down to her collarbones. When my sight focuses on the cleavage peeking from her shirt, my heartbeat starts to speed up.
“Do I have something on my shirt?” Carla glances down, and it has me shooting up from the couch.
“Nope. Nice… ah… shirt.” Feeling frazzled, I dart down the hallway to my room.
Come Monday, I’m no closer to understanding these sudden and totally unwelcome feelings I have whenever Carla is near me.
It makes me feel off-balance and moody.
Coming out of the classroom, I’m also bored out of my mind. I’m only here to get the degree, but damn, the work isn’t challenging at all.
Taking my phone out of my pocket, I text my mother.
N: Tell me something interesting.
I keep my phone in my hand so I’ll feel when it vibrates. Walking out of the building, I head toward the dorms.
“Hey, roomie,” Carla calls from behind me.
I glance over my shoulder and see that she’s jogging toward me. My gaze drops to her breasts as they bounce, and I instantly feel confounded again.
Carla catches up to me and wrapping her arm around my back, she gives me a sideways hug. “Aren’t you going for lunch?”
“Nope.”
She glances up at me. “Is the cease-fire over?”
I shake my head.
“Bad mood?”
I shake my head again.
“Wow, aren’t you talkative today,” she quips.
Walking faster, I mutter, “You’re talkative enough for the both of us.”
As Carla walks away from me, she mutters, “Grumpy.”
My phone buzzes, and I quickly open the text from Mom.
M: Hey, my boy. Just hold out. You’re almost done with your studies. In the meanwhile, here you go… I have a twenty-year-old male patient who was rushed in with an aneurysm. Basically, the thoracic aorta consists of the aortic root…
I keep reading as I head into the dorm and up to the suite. Every word makes me feel less restless until I’m back to feeling in control of my emotions.
I shove thoughts of Carla way down, even though I know I won’t be able to avoid them forever.
CARLA
I walk into the restaurant and see Forest and Aria already sitting at our table. As I take a seat, I almost make a comment about them being caught in their own little bubble, but instead impersonate Scar from the Lion King, “I’m surrounded by idiots.”
Aria chuckles. “What happened?”
I haven’t told them about Noah’s weird behavior, so I just mutter, “Noah.”
Movement behind Forest catches my attention, and when I see Kennedy, my eyes widen.
Shit, here we go.
Forest is clearly startled by the sight of her, and Aria looks like she’s going to be sick. At least I gave her a heads up this morning that I ran into Kennedy last night.
Kennedy’s all smiles as she asks, “Tell me everything I’ve missed out on.”
Hoping Forest and Aria will come forward with the fact that they’re more than friends, I lean over to Kennedy and say, “Prepare yourself for this. Forest and Aria are in a fake relationship.”
My gaze is sharp on my two friends to catch their reaction. Forest instantly looks unhappy, and Aria shrinks back against her chair.
Mhhh… just friends? Right?
Kennedy lets out a burst of laughter. “Yeah? Why?”
It’s up to me to explain, “Forest didn’t date after you left, and rumors started going around that there’s something wrong with him.”
Kennedy’s eyes widen, and she turns to Forest. “Oh my gosh! Really?”
He just nods, letting out an uncomfortable chuckle.
When Forest and Aria decided on having this fake relationship, I drew up a contract so I wouldn’t be caught in the middle if it backfired. Never did I think they’d forego one of the cardinal rules and actually start dating. The fact that they haven’t bothered to tell me hurts like a bitch, and it makes me wonder just how much I mean to them.
My attention is drawn back to the conversation when Aria gets up, mumbling, “I have to get to class. We should catch up later.”